Evan Saunders: Winemaker at Blasted Church Vineyards

At Blasted Church Vineyards, who celebrated their 20th anniversary recently, winemaker Evan Saunders has been a driving force in the pursuit of stellar quality in the Blasted Church wine program. His contagious enthusiasm in the cellar, along with his finely balanced artistic and scientific approach to winemaking have made Evan the natural choice to spearhead the team’s wine operations into the future.

O&V: How did you get started in the wine industry?

Evan Saunders: After graduating from the University of Victoria with a degree in microbiology, I wasn’t quite sure where my next steps should take me. I knew I loved food and wine and that I wanted to pursue them in some way, while also putting my scientific background to work. Everything came together the more I explored wine and winemaking. It was a perfect fit that provides a balance of science and art, and that gives an actual product that you can hold at the end of the process; a very satisfying conclusion!

O&V: Where did you go to school or apprentice?

Evan: I graduated from the University of Victoria with a degree in microbiology, and from there I moved to St. Catherines to attend the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) at Brock University where I received a Certificate in Grape and Wine Technology. After graduating from Brock University, my first few years were spent in the cellar at Osoyoos Larose, which provided an amazing practical experience in the production of benchmark red wines.

O&V: Have you worked in any other countries?

Evan: I only took the opportunity to go international for one vintage; the 2013 vintage at Kosta Browne in Sebastopol, California. It was an amazing experience that has a continuing impact on the way I work in the cellar today.

O&V: What is your favourite varietal to work with?

Evan: Picking a favourite variety to work with is impossible! If I had to pick only one, I would pick Cabernet Sauvignon. When you walk through a Cab Sauv block as the harvest date draws near, there is just a wonderful feel about it. I am fortunate to work with some old vines (by Okanagan Valley standards) at Blasted Church. The big, gnarly old trunks, the way the sunlight passes through the leaves, the feel of the clusters, and the generally beautiful days that surround the harvest of Cab Sauv, all influence my choice. And, in the cellar, it is a rewarding wine to make. Extended maceration in tank and long maturation in barrels, it is a wine that rewards patience and careful attention.

O&V: What is the best thing about your job?

Evan: The thing that I love most is the combination of the scientific with the artistic to yield an actual tangible product at the end of the process. That combined with the fact that you only get one chance to capture a vintage and that the number of vintages we will get to experience are limited. You really need to be ready every year to express the best of any vintage and overcome any challenges on the fly to achieve what we are all working towards; the best possible wine in the bottle.

O&V: Is there a particular wine or vintage that you have made that you are most proud of?

Evan: Similar to choosing a favourite variety, choosing a favourite wine or vintage is tough, but our Small Blessings Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine of which I am particularly proud. It isn’t a wine that we make every year, but in the years that we do I feel that it is a great expression of the variety, our terroir on the Skaha Bench, and the entire process that goes into making the wine. I am excited to see what the 2022 version becomes as it matures in barrel.