Poplar Grove Winery

ESTATE GROWN.  LOCALLY FARMED.  FAMILY OWNED.

The Beginning

One of the original five wineries on the Naramata Bench, Poplar Grove was founded in 1993, when Ian Sutherland dedicated 2.5 acres of land to the planting of Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. The first vintage was released in the fall of 1995, with the Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc received top honours at the Okanagan International Wine Festival. In 2007, Tony and Barb Holler purchased the winery where they and their four sons all work on the estates vineyards with passion and care. The family brought with them 110 acres of prime vineyard sites located throughout the Southern Okanagan Valley, appropriately named Holler Estate Vineyards. The addition of the new vineyards allows Poplar Grove wines to be made from 100% estate grown fruit and they are known and recognized for their red blend, The Legacy. Their wines are a true taste of the Okanagan Valley.

The Wine

Poplar Grove is focused on six core wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and a signature blend called The Legacy. The grapes are hand picked & hand sorted to guarantee that only the finest fruit makes it into the ferment. A barrel aging and bottle cellaring program have been implemented to ensure the wines are released when they are ready to drink. Poplar Grove white wines are released the year following harvest to preserve the primary fruit flavours. The red wines spend a minimum of 18 months maturing in French Oak barrels and an additional 18 – 30 months developing in the bottle so that they can be enjoyed upon release.

In addition to the 6 core wines, Poplar Grove’s wine making team makes a small amount of exclusive wine crafted for Poplar Grove’s Wine Club members, and for diners at the winery’s new restaurant, The Vanilla Pod. These exclusive wines include the CSM (a Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot blend), the Syrah-Viognier, a Reserve Chardonnay, the Munson Mountain Pinot Gris and a Poplar Grove Blanc de Noir rose. The limited release wines offer the wine making team an opportunity to create single vineyard and small lot wines that exhibit the vibrant characteristics of the vintage.

The Visit

Enjoy everything Poplar Grove winery and vineyards has to offer, from the Vanilla Pod restaurant that sits at the beginning of the Naramata Bench to the magnificent sunsets from their tasting room.

“The family philosophy: great wine brings us together – a little bit of humour, courage and integrity and the world is yours.”