Tantalus Vineyard

Okanagan, BC, Canada

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About Tantalus Vineyard

Tantalus Vineyards is situated in Southeast Kelowna on British Columbia’s oldest continuously producing vineyard. Originally known as Pioneer Vineyards, the site was first planted to table grapes in 1927.
Today, 1978 plantings of Riesling and 1985 plantings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier make up the backbone of the 75-acre estate.
Tantalus’ sleek and modern facility was opened in March of 2010 and has the distinction of being British Columbia’s first and only LEED-certified winery.

Representative Biography

David Patterson, Winemaker & General Manager

As Tantalus' General Manager and Winemaker, David Paterson brings a unique blend of Kiwi roots and Canadian ties to the world of winemaking. Born in Vancouver but raised in New Zealand, he earned his winemaking degree from Lincoln University in Christchurch, NZ. After gaining hands-on experience at Neudorf Vineyards in the local NZ industry, David embarked on a global wine journey, refining his craft at established wineries in both hemi-spheres.

Throughout his international adventures, David had the privilege of learning from esteemed mentors, including Anna Matzinger at Oregon's Archery Summit, Blair Pethel at Burgundy's Domaine Dublère, and Stephen Henschke and Paul Hampton at South Australia’s Henschke Cellars.
With a wealth of knowledge accumulated from these diverse experiences, David joined Tantalus in 2009, stepping into the role of winemaker. With several successful vintages under his belt, David took on the additional role as GM in 2016.

“I love cool climate Chardonnay because it expresses terroir so well, and when handled gently, it undeniably showcases some of those great pillars of wine: minerality, elegance and ageability.” David Paterson

Why We're Cool

At Tantalus we have always strived to express vintage and vineyard in all our wines, and as a single-vineyard producer, we are fortunate that our site provides us with the ideal growing conditions for high quality, cool climate Chardonnay.

Situated in South East Kelowna on a western aspect, our property features three unique blocks of Chardonnay – each one farmed, harvested and fermented separately.
At Tantalus, we have always aimed to express both vintage and vineyard in all our wines. Located in Southeast Kelowna on a 75-acre, west-facing slope, our estate property includes three distinct Chardonnay blocks, each farmed, harvested, and fermented separately to capture their individual character.

Our home vineyard Chardonnay (of the East Kelowna Slopes sub-GI) spans just over 10 acres, planted between 1985 to 2014 with a mix of early unknown clones, alongside Dijon clones 76, 95, 548, and the Wente selection. This diversity of vine age and clonal material on our cool, elevated site imparts natural acidity, texture, and layered complexity to the wine.

Alluvial, granite-based soils express structure and minerality in our wines, while large diurnal temperature shifts in the valley ensure great ripening conditions without losing the bright acidity that we strive towards. In the cellar we employ mainly wild fermentation, extended lees contact and little to no additions. No batonnage is performed after primary fermentation and malolactic fermentation takes place only when it occurs naturally.
Oak regimes vary across our Chardonnay tiers, with a selection of 100% French barriques and puncheons in the cellar.

JoieFarm Winery

Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

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About JoieFarm Winery

JoieFarm is a small, independently owned winery on the Naramata Bench in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. Named for the French word meaning “joy,” Joie expresses the pleasure that wine and food bring to life.
Over the past 20+ years, we’ve built our reputation on crafting expressive, food-friendly wines rooted in a sense of place. Our focus has always been on aromatic whites, mouth-watering rosé, and cool-climate Burgundian varietals like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. We’re proud to be part of a new Canadian wine culture—one that values thoughtful farming, minimal intervention, and a deep connection between wine and cuisine.

Today, we continue to evolve, embracing innovation and sustainability while staying true to the values that shaped us: balance, brightness, and joy in every bottle.

Representative Biography

Richard Charnock, Executive Winemaker

Richard Charnock began his winemaking journey in the heart of Prince Edward County, Ontario—one of Canada’s most compelling and challenging cool-climate regions. Working with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and aromatic whites in such a marginal environment sparked a deep fascination with the craft, leading him to explore cellar work around the world, including harvests in New Zealand, South Africa, and Tasmania.

These years in the cellar shaped his precision-driven, low-intervention winemaking style—but over time, his curiosity led him closer to the vines. In 2015, he relocated to the Okanagan Valley, enrolled in the viticulture program at Okanagan College, and immersed himself in the day-to-day work of farming.

Richard joined JoieFarm in 2022, where he now stewards both our vineyards and cellar. His approach is rooted in thoughtful viticulture, intentional fermentation choices, and a belief that balance begins in the vineyard. With each vintage, he continues to refine a style that is both deliberate and expressive of place.
“Cool Climate Chardonnay offers this amazing balance between tension and generosity,” says Richard. “You get these long, drawn-out ripening windows where the acidity stays sharp and the fruit just builds in depth—it’s a winemaker’s dream.”
Richard Charnock, Executive Winemaker

Why We're Cool

JoieFarm’s Chardonnay program is rooted in the unique terroir of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley—a high-latitude, lake-moderated desert with a growing season that stretches well into fall. We work with several vineyard sites across the region, including the Naramata Bench and Skaha Bluff, each offering distinctive microclimates that allow us to highlight different facets of this noble variety.

At 49.5° N, our vineyards benefit from long daylight hours and cool nights that preserve acidity while promoting slow, even ripening. The moderating effect of Okanagan Lake delays bud break in spring and extends hang time in the fall, which gives us the rare opportunity to make multiple picks from the same site—one for freshness, one for flavour, and one for phenolic ripeness. This staggered harvest approach allows us to build structure and complexity from the ground up.

Our winemaking style is low-intervention but deliberate. We ferment using a combination of selected and ambient yeasts in a mix of neutral and new Burgundian oak, depending on the desired style. We lean into full malolactic fermentation for our most prized chardonnay’s, alongside extended lees contact, to create texture and depth. Whether we’re making sparkling, un-oaked, or barrel-aged styles, the goal is always balance—between fruit and acid, freshness and richness, subtlety and power.