Naramata Terroir in Each And Every Bottle.
Carl's Wine Club
...because you can discover the character of 5 vintages amongst the 8 wines in this selection.

...because we have access to the very exclusive Cabernet Franc, rarely available outside of the Hillside wine club!

...because it's your last chance to get your hands on the outstanding 2020 Muscat Ottonel. The winery has reserved the last cases for us. This is my favourite vintage to date!

…because there are four 92pt wines in this offer, which shows the Rockstar Potential of this winery. 

...because you can get Free Shipping! with $200+ or reduced flat rate shipping for less that $200.
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 6-bottle Discovery Pack: $175+
Plus tax & deposits
 
✔️ 2022 Unoaked Pinot Gris | $25
✔️ 2020 Muscat Ottonel | $26
✔️ 2021 Viognier | $28
✔️ 2019 Syrah | $36
✔️ 2018 Cabernet Franc | $36
✔️ 2019 Merlot | $24

Bonus Picks:
✔️ 2018 “Hidden Valley Vineyard” Merlot | $40
✔️ 2016 “Dickinson Vineyard” Merlot | $40

Yes, you can choose a custom mix!

FREE SHIPPING for all orders over $200!

$25 flat rate shipping for less than $200. 

Wines generally ship via heated trucks with ATS, however if you are in a rural area the winery may choose to ship via Canada Post. If you have a specific shipping courier request, please note this in the special instructions with your order and we will contact you if there is any issue meeting your request.

Carl's Notes

 2022 Hillside Unoaked Pinot Gris
BC, Okanagan Valley, VQA Naramata Bench
100% Pinot Gris | Dry Wine | 12.9% ABV
91 pts Carl's Wine Club

A super friendly, easy drinking, delicious and unpretentious unoaked Pinot Gris, offering exceptional aromas of white peach and melon. I’m reminded of a relaxing walk in a peach orchard in June: so fragrant and so pleasant. The palate is explosive and fruity, mostly with flavours of peach, ripe pear and honey dew up front and a distinctive orange/grapefruit tang on the back end, which brings a nice contrast and a lift of acidity to add to the length and balance. This wine is a potential Rockstar for 2023! Order by the case as this one will not last long and probably will not make it on the retail shelves. The light pink colour brought by the brief three hours of skin contact makes this wine even sexier. (CWC, 27/02/23).

Pairings: shrimp salad, BBQ chicken skewers
Drink now until 2026
Winery price: $25.00 plus tax & deposit
2020 Hillside “Heritage Series” Muscat Ottonel
BC VQA, Okanagan Valley, Naramata Bench
100% Muscat Ottonel
Slightly Off-Dry Wine (RS 8.8g/ltr) | 11.8% ABV
92pts Carl’s Wine Club | 90pts Anthony Gismondi

Hillside was the first winery to plant Muscat Ottonel in Canada, all the way back in 1984. This is one of the signature wines of the winery and one the prettiest whites I have tasted in quite some time! The warm weather of the 2020 vintage brings extra tropical flair to this already approachable and likeable grape varietal. The nose is a 10 out of 10 with many aromas of flowers, starfruits and ripe lime. The palate is light, refreshing and unique. A zest of lemon starts us off, quickly followed by a mix of melon, cantaloupe, cucumber-water and papaya. The finish is long and mouth-watering, offering lingering light spices. An absolute beauty and one of our family’s favourites. (CWC, 26/06/22) 1,285 cases made.

Food pairing: chicken souvlaki with tzatziki, butter chicken
Drink now until 2024
Winery price: $26.00 plus tax & deposit
2021 Hillside “Heritage Series” Viognier
BC, Okanagan Valley, VQA Naramata Bench
100% Viognier | Dry Wine | 14.5% ABV
89pts Carl's Wine Club

A big and bold Viognier with a high level of alcohol, which is typical of the 2021 vintage in the Okanagan. On the flip side, Kathy Malone, the veteran winemaker at Hillside, managed to keep a vibrant acidity which makes this wine balanced and enjoyable. In addition, a generous portion was fermented in barrels, which likely played a role to develop its power, texture and complexity. On the nose this is very exuberant and flamboyant with aromas of ripe pear, honey melon, cantaloupe, lily, jasmine and a hint of cinnamon and caramel. On the palate, the texture is rich and thick delivering an abundance of tropical fruits, followed by honeydew and rich apricot, flashing a hint of oak on the mid-palate, and finish with an explosion of cardamom and white pepper. This wine is big and juicy, explosive and extravagant, built to please red wine drinkers and full body white wine lovers. (CWC, 1/03/23). 320 cases made.

Pairings: fish stew, foie gras torchons
Drink now until 2026
Winery price: $28.00 plus tax & deposit
2019 Hillside “Heritage Series” Syrah
BC VQA, Okanagan Valley, Naramata Bench
100% Syrah | Dry Wine | 11.8% ABV
92pts Carl’s Wine Club | 92pts Dr. Jamie Goode | Silver Medal National Wine Awards 2022

This single-vineyard Syrah shows potential right out of the gate with a very exuberant nose of cassis, blueberry, and that first sizzle scent of BBQ meat. The palate is a combination of power and elegance that reflects the aromas as well as some savoury notes, dark cherry, plum, stewed strawberry and raspberry, and espresso coffee. A very long, bright spicy and fruity finish includes cloves, cinnamon and white pepper. The tannins are already soft and the overall texture is smooth and satin-like. An outstanding price-point for a world class Syrah! (CWC, 08/19/2022). 754 cases made.

Food pairing: duck cassoulet, grilled game meat
Drink now until 2028
Winery price: $36.00 plus tax & deposit
2018 Hillside “Heritage Series” Cabernet Franc
BC, Okanagan Valley, VQA Naramata Bench
100% Cab Franc | Dry Wine | 13.0% ABV
91pts Carl's Wine Clubb

This single vineyard Naramata Bench Cabernet Franc is rounded and plush yet fresh and chocolaty at once, offering violet, black cherry and soft oak aromas on the nose. The palate is expressive, with generous layered black cherry, raspberry, licorice, black tea, and tobacco leaves, but nuanced in pepper and torrefaction, all wrapped in a tense and energetic texture. The tannins keep the tension going with a long, pleasant and complex finish. This is purely Cabernet Franc, purely Naramata Bench! (CWC, 27/02/23). 410 cases made.

Pairings: venison and root vegetable stew, vegetarian lasagna
Drink now until 2026
Winery price: $36.00 plus tax & deposit
2019 Hillside Merlot
BC VQA, Okanagan Valley, Naramata Bench
100% Merlot | Dry Wine | 13.2% ABV
91pts Carl’s Wine Club | Bronze Medal, National Wine Awards 2021

A young Merlot, showing great potential from the get-go. Precise and pure, this very well priced wine is the quintessence of elegance. Aromas of cassis, plum raspberry and dark chocolate. You can also detect a balanced use of oak (9 months in neutral oak). The palate is restrained with concentrated flavours of dark cherry, blackberry, a hint of limestone minerality and a soft spicy finish. At $24, we have a great GEM on our hands! (CWC, 11/2022). 1,900 cases made.

Food pairing: NY striploin, lamb shank
Drink now until 2026
Winery price: $24.00 plus tax & deposit

Bonus Picks

2018 Hillside “Hidden Valley Vineyard” Merlot
BC, Okanagan Valley, VQA Naramata Bench
100% Merlot | Dry Wine | 14.0% ABV
91+pts Carl's Wine Club / 92pts Anthony Gismondi / 91pts WineAlign

A bright, lively, energetic and leaner “Bordeaux-style” of Merlot with a superb Naramata Bench profile, from a single vineyard located just behind the winery. On the nose, this expressive Merlot displays a great blend of jammy dark fruits, florality, cedar and licorice. On the palate, you’ll discover a perfect progression from ripe red fruits on the front palate to blackberry, cassis, gravelly minerality and tobacco leaves in the middle, followed by licorice, cloves and a hint of black pepper on the finish. The tannins are present and impactful in the right way, the oak profile is judicious and showcases the right attributes of this well-made and well-priced small batch single vineyard Merlot. (CWC, 3/03/23). 168 cases made.

Pairings: beef filet mignon with green peppercorn sauce, lamb kebob
Drink now until 2026
Winery price: $40.00 plus tax & deposit
2016 Hillside “Dickinson Vineyard” Merlot
BC, VQA Okanagan Valley, Naramata Bench
100% Merlot | Dry wine | 14.7% ABV
92pts Carl’s Wine Club | Silver Medal, WineAlign 2022

This is a big and rich Merlot showing muscle and power. The long 2016 growing season brings terrific length and complexity from a fantastic site (and vibrant 10 year old vines) on the famous Naramata Bench. The nose displays aromas of ripe dark fruits like black cherry, blackberry, cassis, dark raspberry, dried herbs, and espresso coffee. The palate is quite suave and sensual with tremendously soft texture, silky tannins and noticeable weight, while a spike of acidity brightens the mid-palate and brings the needed balance. The flavours are in line with the aromas, also heavily featuring dark plum and crème de cassis. Some tertiary flavours add complexity past the mid-palate with a generous delivery of cloves, raisins, caramel, and pipe tobacco. The finish is superb, ever changing and evolving in the right direction! A nice treat at a very affordable price. Decant before serving. (CWC, 08/04/22). 168 cases made.

Food pairing: lamb roast, blue cheese bacon cheeseburger
Drink now until 2026
Winery price: $40 plus tax & deposit

The Story & Winemaker

Hillside Winery and Bistro is located on the famous Naramata Bench appellation in Penticton, BC.

Founded in 1984, Hillside has always been at the forefront of innovation in the BC wine industry. They are also the first and almost only winery in Canada to cultivate the wonderful aromatic Muscat Ottonel grapes popular in Eastern Europe.

Hillside Winery uses 100% Naramata Bench grapes in 100% of their wines, a true reflection of the Naramata Bench’s wonderful terroir. In particular, Hillside makes several single-vineyard Merlots that are sought-after. 

Having small production, hand crafted, single vineyard wines made available to us is thrilling.

Hope you enjoy this discovery, or re-discovery!

Cheers,
Carl
Winemaker Fred DiProfio
About the Winemaker

Since veteran winemaker Kathy Malone moved from Mission Hill to Hillside in 2008, she has led Hillside to walls of awards and became the voice and face of the Naramata Bench Wineries.

“Grow the best quality fruit possible, pick at optimum physiological ripeness, ferment cool, and intervene with nature only when necessary…simple, elegant.” This is Kathy’s philosophy.

It is Kathy's belief that great wines start in the vineyard.
To this end, she only uses the best quality fruit available from the twenty acres of grapes densely planted on hillside terraces surrounding the winery.

She also has partnerships with select vineyards along the Naramata Bench.
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