Photo by David Mcilvride
Penelope and Dylan Roche
The founders of Naramata’s Roche Winery are celebrating a decade of winemaking, as founders Pénélope and Dylan Roche brought their traditional French savoir-faire to the famed Naramata Bench terroir in 2011.
Pénélope is a trained viticulturist and winemaker from Bordeaux. For six generations her family owned Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion, an exquisite vineyard and winery in the Graves appellation whose history dates back to Roman times.
Pénélope studied in Bordeaux, and made wine in Spain, New Zealand, and Australia. Vancouver-born Dylan earned his diploma in viticulture and winemaking in Beaune, then apprenticed in Chablis and New Zealand before relocating to Bordeaux.
The couple moved to the Okanagan after the family winery was sold in 2010, with Pénélope acting as viticulturalist and Dylan the winemaker. The winery focuses on small-lot wines, making only 200-500 cases of each wine. With the exception of two Bordeaux-style blends, every wine on their portfolio is of single vineyard origin. These include Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Rosé.