A Wine List like No Other

Forget the best in the Okanagan—we’re wondering if Emily Walker’s wine list at the Naramata Inn is maybe the best list in the province? Here are five points in support of that premise.

1. It’s awesomely obscure.

Seriously? Fox and Archer, Poppyshake, Plot, L-ST Projects. We had to google each one to make sure they were real wineries (they are, btw). And then there are the just normally obscure suspects, like Lunessence, Else, Amulet, 1 Mill Road. Wanna know what’s new and great in the Okanagan?

This is your first stop.

2. It has amazing back vintages of B.C. wine.

Do you want a bottle of 1982 Château Margaux? No problem—you can get one on the internet by tomorrow if you have the bucks. But what’s really rare is a bottle like the 2007 Tantalus Old Vines Riesling ($133) or the 2008 La Stella Fortissimo ($125), both small production when made and both certified unicorns now (with a crazy low price).

3. It supports the little guy (and a few big guys).

There are a lot of family businesses here: Lightning Rock, Roche, Bella, Kitsch, Synchromesh. But Walker isn’t afraid to bring in a few heavy hitters, too—like CedarCreek, Culmina or Martin’s Lane— when they make something that can’t be reproduced elsewhere.

4. Its non- B.C. wines are on point.

If you’re going to do a major zag and order imported wine while visiting the Inn, you’re still in for a curated treat: riesling from New Zealand’s Felton Road, a Volnay from Jane Eyre, a trousseau from California’s Arnot- Roberts. This is a who’s-who of producers beloved by wine cognoscenti the world over.

5. It’s the perfect intro to natural wines.

It’s comforting to have a guide to the wild west that is natural wine. Here, Walker only brings in those producers whose wines are properly made: there’s a special piquette from Terravista, a wonderful tight little selection of orange wines and a cross-section of long sold- out bottles from Ursa Major, Rigour and Whimsy and Echo Bay.