Okanagan Revisited: Chapter Three — Grizzli Winery, The Unexpected Grace of Ice

Sometimes, the most memorable moments come not from plans, but from pauses. I had an open afternoon after visiting Tantalus on the first day of my May 2025 revisit to the Okanagan. My hotel offered a complimentary tasting ticket for a nearby winery — Grizzli, in West Kelowna, just across the lake from Tantalus. I hadn’t researched it, and honestly, I hadn’t planned to. But with the northern sun still high and time unclaimed, I thought: why not?

Grizzli Winery stands on the cooler western slopes of Okanagan Lake, where the morning light gently wakes the vines, but the long afternoon heat rarely lingers. It’s a grand structure, Tuscan in ambition, with wide arches and a tasting hall that doubles as an art gallery, hosting seasonal exhibitions and cultural events. The venue is undeniably impressive, a place clearly built to dazzle.

Yet the wines poured during the general tasting did little to hold my attention. Some whites came across as tired, others oddly metallic or prematurely oxidised. A Meritage, poured with fanfare, emerged in the glass with a deep ruby hue and little else to speak of. One could say, as many reviewers on TripAdvisor have unflinchingly pointed out, that the wines lack vitality. Perhaps, for all its grandeur, Grizzli leans more towards spectacle than substance, at least when it comes to its table wines.

But then came the surprise.

At the very bottom of the tasting list rested four expressions of icewine: two whites and two reds, none made from the more familiar Riesling or Vidal, from vintages stretching back a decade. Canada’s reputation in the global wine world is inextricably linked to icewine, yet curiously, I hadn’t tasted a single one on my 2022 trip. This moment, then, felt overdue. And what a moment it turned out to be.

Rare jewels crafted in the cold

2015 Gewürztraminer Icewine

12% abv

A clear medium amber hue, suggestive of maturity and concentration. A perfumed seduction on the nose: rosewater and lychee leaping from the glass, chased by honeyed apricot, dried fig, and sultana. On the palate, it was unctuous yet nimble, finishing with a flicker of ginger that brightened the richness like a candle in amber.

2014 Sauvignon Blanc Icewine

11.5% abv

Bright amber to the eyes. Tropical and vibrant: mango, passionfruit, and apricot entwined with gooseberry brightness. A sun-kissed sweetness balanced by cool-climate acid poise. Sweet, but never cloying, a poised dessert in a glass. 

2013 Cabernet Franc Icewine

12.5% abv

A medium mahogany hue, with amber glints hinting at age and concentration. Aromas of red berry jam, caramel, and brown sugar. Silky texture, with notes of cherry compote and soft toffee. A contemplative sip, equal parts decadence and grace. A seamless flow of richness and freshness that lingers like a memory.

2013 Merlot Icewine

12.5% abv (Harvested at -14°C)

A luminous medium garnet, edged with ruby highlights that catch the light with elegance. Merlot is often a heavier grape, but this Merlot icewine surprised with a lifting note of raspberry and dried plum, touched with floral grace and finishing on a high note. It was plush, decadent, and strangely refreshing, like silk on a frosted windowpane. Multi-layered complexity unfolded through cold and time.

These icewines, made in the traditional Canadian manner—grapes frozen naturally on the vine and harvested by hand at -8°C or colder, speak of patience, hardship, and precision. With yields barely a fraction of those from regular table wines and harvests done in bone-chilling darkness under threat from birds, bears, and bitter wind, icewine production is a test of both nature and will. But when done right, as it clearly is here, the reward is pure liquid poetry.

British Columbia’s icewine output may be smaller than Ontario’s, but Grizzli’s offerings make a compelling case for its excellence. If the table wines failed to charm, the icewines more than redeemed the visit, reminding me that even the most unlikely detours can yield rare grace.

Sometimes, a winery finds its voice not in breadth, but in brilliance; and Grizzli, amid the frostbitten grapes of a winter past, has found just that.