Gina Fernandes Harfman
Gina Fernandes Harfman in the vineyard.
O&V: How did you get started in the wine industry?
Gina Fernandes Harfman: My great-grandfather on my dad’s side was a vineyard owner in Yugoslavia. His son made the journey to Osoyoos and started cattle ranching in the early 1900s. My maternal grandfather, Joe Fernandes, came to Osoyoos in the ‘50s from Madeira Island, Portugal. He was the first Portuguese immigrant to purchase orchard land, paying $7,000 for seven acres that is still in our family today. So, you can say that farming is in my blood!
My father converted his orchards to vineyard in the 1990s, and I made wine for a family event in 2009 using my father’s grapes, with the help of a local winemaker. That’s when I fell in love with winemaking and dove in head first!
O&V: Where did you go to school or apprentice?
Gina: I enrolled in the Assistant Winemakers course at Okanagan College in 2009. I started working for Cassini Cellars in 2009 and then Oliver Twist Estate Winery in 2010. I purchased Oliver Twist in 2012, and renamed the winery Nostalgia Wines this spring. It’s the 15th anniversary of the winery and vineyard, so it was time to align the name with my philosophy that enjoying wine is all about making and sharing memories with friends and family.
O&V: Have you worked in any other countries?
Gina: No, I never found the time to travel. I worked hard all through high school and managed to purchase two pieces of land just after college. One was an orchard, of course. I had two businesses to run right up until I purchased the winery.
I call on the experience of my assistant winemaker Brendan Miu and my general manager Sheila Whittaker for their significant international wine experience.
Brendan has a Master of Oenology degree from University of Adelaide, and five years of international winemaking experience with exceptional producers. Brendan’s winery work spans Australia, New Zealand, California and British Columbia and his journey in the wine industry has been guided by passion and quality.
Sheila lived and worked in Japan, Greece, Ireland, Scotland, Montreal and Vancouver before returning to her hometown of Osoyoos in 2019. She worked for a large international wine import agency as a marketing director for seven years, she’s a Certified Sommelier, and has a depth of wine knowledge, experience and studies.
O&V: What is your favourite varietal to work with?
Gina: I grow nine different varietals in my vineyard, and I make around 20 different wines. The grapes and flavours are all so different and unique. I love working with straight varietals, but blends allow us as winemakers to really reach for the next level.
If I had to choose a favourite varietal, I have the most fun with Merlot. I make rosés with it, a lighter style red blend, a heavy red blend, full bodied straight varietal, and port-style fortified wine.
The Merlot I grow here on the Black Sage Bench has such a delicious dark cherry character. My Merlot is always the pixie dust; it just beautifies so many wines.
O&V: What is the best thing about your job?
Gina: The best thing about my job is that I never get bored! I’m not just the winemaker; I run the whole business, and I’m a mom of two little ones.
As a winemaker, I guess it would be the sense of accomplishment. From working in the vineyards, harvesting the grapes, and seeing it all come together in the tank, and then the bottle.
It’s a huge planning process creating the wines. From working with the vineyards, the growers, the grapes, barrel and yeast choices, the processing, blending, filtering, bottling. There are a lot of decisions that need to be made all year long.
O&V: Is there a particular wine or vintage that you have made that you are most proud of?
Gina: I’m really looking forward to the 2020 red wines. They are all showing quite beautifully so far with such rich flavours, nice acidity and all really well balanced.
I had the pleasure of working with two wine consultants this past harvest, Christine Leroux and Pascal Madevon. I also introduced Brendan Miu to my team as assistant winemaker. He brings a lot of knowledge and special techniques.
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, not yet bottled or released, is showing a lot of promise to become one of my favourites. The grapes came from my family’s vineyard on Osoyoos east bench, right on the US border. This location benefits from its South-eastern position and the moderating influence of the lake effect, thanks to its position on the hillside above Osoyoos Lake. This allows maximum ripeness to this Cabernet Sauvignon, which was established in 1999. The wine itself is quite heavy, rich, with dark fruit, black currants and vanilla. It was aged in oak barrels for 15 months, and I used mostly French, but some American too. The result is an intense and dark wine full of black current, blackberry, cherry and spice aromas and flavours. I’ll be producing a varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and a Meritage blend from the 2019 Cab Sauv.
It’s not even bottled yet, and already shows such complexity and harmony between the appetizing acidity and full structure with a persistent finish. ■