Chain Reaction Winery
Welcome to Chain Reaction Winery. Our estate vineyard is situated on the eastern side of Naramata Road, at the southern end of the Naramata Bench Sub-GI. With its largely western sloping aspect, this location captures the afternoon summer sun which helps to ensure optimal grape ripeness. With approximately 1,400 growing degree days, this vineyard enjoys a similar climate to Burgundy, France which produces some of the finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines.
When we purchased the property that became Chain Reaction Winery in 2017, it was a mature orchard largely comprised of apples, with some cherries & peaches. In early 2018, Joel attended viticulture school at Okanagan College. Armed with his newfound knowledge, he bought a chainsaw and started removing apple trees. Even after upgrading the chainsaw to something more heavy duty, and getting bonked on the head more than once, we decided it was time to get help!
A local viticulture company was enlisted to help remove the remainder of the orchard, rip and contour the land, and install the the posts and underground irrigation. We ran all the trellis wire in the vineyard (approximately 40km of wire!!), as well as completed the above ground irrigation. Once all the prep work was done, in spring 2019 we planted Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc. Chain Reaction Winery was born.
In spring 2020, we planted Riesling in a steep area we didn’t think possible to plant. Since we couldn’t get a tractor into this area, we decided to plant high density (meaning the rows and plants are closer together than normal) and do all vineyard maintenance by hand using a backpack sprayer and hand tools.
We selected these grape varieties based on several hundred years success in Burgundy and proven success on the Naramata Bench. The soil here is different than Burgundy so these wines will be uniquely Naramata Bench wines. Our first harvest from this vineyard was in 2021, and we are really happy with the quality of wine produced from our property! At some point in the future, we will remove the last remaining cherry and peach trees and plant more vines. We welcome you to enjoy the Chain Reaction Winery experience.
To learn more about visiting us, please check out our Naramata Bench Wine Tours
