Petite Arvine Duo

What it is
Petite Arvine is an ancient white grape variety indigenous to the Valais region of Switzerland where it has been cultivated for over 500 years. It is considered the best white grape of the Valais, routinely planted on its prized alpine vineyard sites, which are often very steep and difficult to work. Although relatively obscure, Petite Arvine is gaining an international reputation as a variety that produces high quality wine.

Where it was grown
Arrowleaf Estate, Lake Country, Okanagan ValleyWe planted a small plot (0.6 acres) of Petite Arvine in the heart of our estate vineyard in 2017. The site sits at roughly 475m/1560ft elevation and has a westerly exposure and sandy loam soil. As a Swiss family, we are excited to produce this unique alpine variety here in the Okanagan Valley. Having studied winemaking in Switzerland, our winemaker Manuel Zuppiger found Petite Arvine to be the stand-out among the country's native varieties. We are currently the only producer of Petite Arvine in British Columbia.

When it was grown
2021 was one of the hottest and driest years on record in British Columbia. The early part of summer brought the highest temperatures ever recorded in the Okanagan, followed by prolonged drought that lasted well into the fall. These conditions resulted in a smaller than average crop of very ripe, concentrated grapes. Harvest started in early September and wrapped up by mid-October. All in all, it was an extreme growing season that has created the potential for some truly unique wines.

How it was made
Petite Arvine is a late-ripening grape variety, and it was the last one to be harvested in 2021. The hot growing season gave us perfectly ripe grapes which were whole-cluster pressed, barrel fermented and aged in neutral oak. The wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation as in previous vintages, giving the primary aromas centre stage.

How it tastes
Rich and fully aromatic, this wine displays notes of peaches, cream, lemon and white blossom. On the palate it presents as generously textured and dry with moderate acidity and ripe fruit on the finish.🌱 Vegan Wine

The plant on the label is Switzerland’s national flower, the Edelweiss.

Technical Details
Residual Sugar 2.9 g/l
Acidity 6.0 g/
lAlcohol 13.0%
Cases Made 95

What it is
Petite Arvine is an ancient white grape variety indigenous to the Valais region of Switzerland.

Where it was grown
Arrowleaf Estate, Lake Country, Okanagan Valley

Grown in a small plot (0.6 acres) in the heart of our estate vineyard. The site sits at roughly 475m elevation and has a westerly exposure and sandy loam soil.

When it was grown
2020 was a year of ups and downs in the vineyard. An unusually warm stretch of winter weather started the year off in a pleasant way until an arctic cold front moved in and damaged a lot of the fruitful buds on the vines. This resulted in a 40% reduction in overall yield. The silver lining, of course, is that with reduced yield generally comes exceptional quality. It turned out that the vines needed a light load this vintage as the summer and fall were cooler than normal causing the fruit to ripen late. All in all, 2020 is a stellar but scarce vintage.

How it was made
One of the last varieties we harvested in 2020, the late-ripening Petite Arvine came into the winery with modest sugar, high acidity and nice aromatics. Instead of treating it like a Riesling and leaving residual sugar to balance the acid, we aimed to make a dry wine that would showcase the variety’s trademark minerality. The wine was fermented and aged in neutral puncheons, underwent full malolactic fermentation and rested on its lees for six months before light filtration and bottling.

Technical Details
Residual Sugar 1.5 g/l
Acidity 6.6 g/l
Alcohol 12.2%
Cases Made 88