Working Horse Winery | Recent Articles

Working Horse is more than a winery, more than a farm, and more than a B&B. It’s a place where most of my favourite words merge in delicious harmony: organic, vineyard, boutique, winery, culinary, inn, biodynamic.

A place where chef Sara Norman’s and winemaker Tilman Hainle’s commitment to sustainable farming practices is infused with their reverence for exceptional quality.

This Certified Organic farm and vineyard successfully integrates agriculture with nature. Only six of the farm’s 22 acres are cultivated; the remaining 16 are left to indigenous antelope grass, wild roses, and pines. Numerous people who live in rural BC complain about a deer problem, but there’s no deer problem at Working Horse—just a herd that lives behind the property and is quite welcome to winter on the farm. The deer arrive like well-mannered guests just after autumn harvest, graze happily on the wild plants, and leave the vines alone. In the spring, right after bud-break, they go back up the mountain. That’s been the way since long before Tilman’s family purchased the property in the 1970s, and it’s become a tradition of honouring the seasons. Tilman and Sara don’t just work around nature’s cycles; they celebrate them. “We have a Chardonnay-fed bear that lets us know when the grapes are ripe. As soon as he starts eating them, we know they’re ready for picking,” says Tilman.

Not all nature’s creatures are so co-operative. On the day of my visit, the vineyards resembled a crime scene, with yellow tape stretched back and forth along the vines. The criminals, a notorious gang of insects who go by the name of Leafhoppers, were in the process of being apprehended on the sticky side of the tape: a simple, non-invasive, and effective method of pest control.

Although the farm is not Demeter-certified, it follows many biodynamic practices. Horses and chickens are part of a system that uses what’s made on the farm to nourish the soil, without the need for off-farm inputs. Part of the equine job description is to produce manure, but Meagan and Greta, a team of Suffolk mares, also pull a small-scale cultivator through the vines. The horses don’t compact the soil to the extent that heavy equipment would, and fluffy soil is healthy soil. Merle, a rescue horse from the logging industry, has the chief duty of being loved and exuding calm throughout the property and its residents. “Horses pay for themselves on a farm—unlike tractors,” says Sara, who has done extensive research on draft horses, and hopes that other farms will decide to employ these gentle giants.

Water is an issue for everyone in the arid Okanagan, and drip irrigation is being adopted in many vineyards. I was surprised when Tilman explained that they don’t use drip, because the roots would grow dependent on the predictable supply of water, and wouldn’t spread out in search of soil moisture. The younger Pinot Noir vines receive minimal overhead irrigation, but he practices dry farming on the oldest, most established, vineyards. Dry farming leaves irrigation up to nature; the vines receive only rainfall, plus whatever moisture remains in the soil itself.

This boutique winery makes only a small range of limited-production wines that quickly get snapped up by discerning sommeliers at places like Sooke Harbour House. By May, they were sold out of everything except Tilman Ice Pinot Noir 2007. Feeling marginally disappointed, I accepted a small glass; ice wine is not the thing I love best in all the world. But this is no ordinary ice wine, and with that first sip, Tilman Ice became one of the things I now do love best in all the world. It’s difficult to put into words, but it’s like gorgeously honeyed magic slipping down your throat. Not very sweet, just exceptionally well balanced, with a seductive, silky mouthfeel. Pure heaven as an aperitif with strong cheeses, pâté, or charcuterie.

The inn is available for private culinary functions and weddings for people who want something special—like the party of 15 from Japan who were on the quest for an unusual organic winery setting. There’s an outdoor fireplace and a few inviting chairs perched on the slope overlooking the lake. The outdoor events kitchen is solar-powered, the guest suites are exquisitely designed, and soaps and lotions are locally made using organically grown botanicals from the farm. With the horses, the vines, the lake view, and the piney woods behind the property, this is a unique and peaceful place to visit for a few hours or a few days. If you just want to find the wines, try The Sutton Place Wine Merchant in downtown Vancouver.

Working Horse Winery, 5266 Coldham Road, Peachland. Phone 877-448-5007.

Debbra Mikaelsen is a freelance writer living in Vancouver. Her growing list of vices now includes Tilman Ice.