Clos du Soleil is excited to announce a significant expansion of its vineyard holdings with the development of a new property – Four Winds Vineyard – on Middle Bench Road, just minutes from the winery and estate vineyard.
Keremeos, BC (May 28, 2024) – Clos du Soleil is expanding its portfolio – and its potential to bring even more beautiful Similkameen wines to your glass – with a new certified organic vineyard development.
Previously a certified organic orchard, the newly named Four Winds Vineyard is currently undergoing an exciting transformation: the land is being converted into a vineyard that aligns with Clos du Soleil’s commitment to producing exceptional wines through sustainable practices.
More About Four Winds Vineyard
Situated on the Middle Bench of the Similkameen Valley, within the town of Keremeos and just minutes away from Clos du Soleil’s original Estate Vineyard, this 10-acre property promises to showcase terroir expression and increase the winery’s potential to increase production of their award-winning wines.
The majority of the vineyard was planted this spring (2024), with Merlot and Cabernet Franc already in the ground. These carefully chosen varietals are expected to flourish in the vineyard’s gently sloped terrain, with both its location and soils ideally situated for grape-growing excellence.
The team has, however, chosen to leave a couple of blocks unplanted, allowing them options to experiment with some new varieties that could be planted in 2025. “Given the extreme weather our industry has been facing in recent years, presumably as a result of climate change, it is more important than ever that we can be flexible and innovative in our viticultural practices,” explains Michael Clark, Winemaker and Managing Director of Clos du Soleil. “Our development of this vineyard is giving us an opportunity to do exactly that.”
“The fact that this property has been farmed organically for decades is also of real importance to us – healthy living soils, which are the outcome of organic practices and thoughtful, intentional farming, are one of the keys to terroir expression,” adds Vineyard and Operations Manager Steve Roche. “Plus, starting a new operation from scratch is always exciting, as it enables us to plan and execute our vision for the property with 100% attention to detail, which will ensure the best possible fruit being produced. The soils on this new development are a beautiful deep, dark sandy, loam, with a huge fraction of riverine rocks in the subsoil, enabling deep root penetration into the soil. By achieving deeper rooted vines, we are able to extract the more subtle nuances and minerality from the soil into our wines.”
“All of these facets combine to mean that we think this site has excellent potential for unique terroir expression,” continues Clark. “Wines that are a true expression of ‘where from’ as opposed to ‘what from.’ Expressive, uniquely Similkameen – something we seek to preserve and promote in all of our wines at Clos du Soleil.”
Final Word from the Winemaker
“Small differences in terroir yield noticeable and interesting wine variations and we are truly excited about the potential of this new addition to our portfolio,” enthuses Clark. “As we develop and showcase the potential of Four Winds Vineyard, it will undoubtedly play a pivotal role for Clos du Soleil. The combination of the certified organic status, the prime location, and the selected grape varieties opens up exciting opportunities for us to bring more exceptional, and uniquely Similkameen wines to your cellar.”
About Clos du Soleil Winery
Clos du Soleil is an artisanal winery and estate vineyard in Keremeos, BC and is located on the Upper Bench of the southern Similkameen Valley in British Columbia, Canada. We produce ultra-premium quality wines, borrowing an aesthetic derived from the great wines of Bordeaux, but stamped with the flavours and aromas of our particular piece of rocky Similkameen land. Through traditional winemaking techniques, informed by research, but adhering to the philosophies of minimal-interventionist winemaking and biodynamic viticulture, we produce wines that are complex and classic, age-worthy and elegant.
