This New Okanagan Winery Is a Pinot Lover’s Dream

Alison Moyes, winemaker and general manager at Solvero Wines, the Okanagan Valley’s exciting new boutique winery, is undaunted by the prospect of bringing a new project online. Since joining Solvero in 2021, Moyes has been instrumental in guiding the roughly 10-year-old property owned and operated by proprietors Andrea and Bob Sartor and their son Matt, who acts as the winery’s president and vineyard manager. Making wine from pinot noir and chardonnay vines Matt Sartor planted in 2016 and 2017, Moyes is heading a winery as ambitious as it is young, and one that, having only made its first full release earlier this year, already shows great promise.

At Solvero, Moyes is employing her roughly 15 years of experience at Okanagan wineries such as Osoyoos Larose, Stoneboat Vineyards, and Liquidity Wines to a singular purpose. When asked why she decided to bring her talents to the fledgling winery, Moyes responds bluntly. “In one word: pinot. When I tasted the first vintage of pinot noir produced from the seven clones on our Garnet Valley site, I understood the great potential of this place. The vision for the brand fits perfectly with the focused portfolio of premium wines I’m interested in making.”

Moyes says that helping to establish a new winery from the ground up has been exciting, and having input to all aspects of the business, including the construction of a state-of-the-art production winery and tasting room, has been a great learning experience with both successes and challenges. “The winemaking has been very small batch up to this point, which requires great attention to detail and thoughtfulness. Every step counts—big time,” she notes. “Now that we’ve moved into the new winery, and we’ll be making our largest vintage to date, this focus will continue.”

Located in the small, quiet Garnet Valley, which runs parallel to the much larger Okanagan Valley on its western side near the town of Summerland, Solvero is one of a few wineries exploring the terroir of the as-of-yet unrecognized subregion. “In terms of grape growing, I’ve noticed a unique ripening pattern unlike anywhere else I’ve experienced,” Moyes says. “The grapes typically reach full flavour development and physiological ripeness at lower sugar levels, retain their natural acidity, and produce wines with great character and intensity.” She explains that the elevation of over 600 metres and the aspect of the site have an effect, but the narrowness of Garnet Valley is likely the most significant reason.

Solvero’s current lineup consists of four wines: a pinot noir, a chardonnay, a pinot gris, and a pinot noir rosé. The pinot noir, Moyes’s pride and joy, is already showing great promise. While it reveals clear Burgundian inspiration, the rugged Okanagan climate comes through on the palate, which is marked by sagebrush and earthiness. But Moyes really struts her stuff with Solvero’s pinot gris, the most widely planted grape in the Okanagan, one that can seem derivative in the hands of lesser winemakers. Powerful stone fruit, mineral, and spring-like florality and the electric acidic tension that holds it together mark it as one of the most accomplished Okanagan pinot gris wines being made today.

For those who want to experience Solvero’s special Garnet Valley terroir first hand, reservations can be made for a tour and tasting.