Sangiovese, barbera and nebbiolo are starting to put down roots in the South Okanagan, alongside the merlot and pinot noir you already know. But here's the twist: a few Italian grapes have been quietly hiding in some of our favourite bottles for years, and two of those are pouring at 15 Park right now.
Why now? In January 2024, a deep freeze dropped temperatures below -26°C for three days and wiped out approximately 90% of the Okanagan's grape production. With whole blocks to replant, growers faced a question nobody expected to answer so soon: what do we plant next? For some, the answer is Italian.
Long before the freeze, a few South Okanagan wineries were already looking to Italy. La Stella, on the shores of Osoyoos Lake, opened in 2007 with a vision of la dolce vita and built its reds around Tuscan inspiration. In Okanagan Falls, Stag's Hollow planted dolcetto at its Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard and later added teroldego, another northern Italian red.
The plantings are small, so you won't find these grapes on every tasting room list, but that's starting to change. A replanted block is a blank slate, and growers rarely get one. Many went back to proven favourites, while others chose grapes that suit their site and their vision for the winery. It isn't about the cold: Italian grapes are less cold-hardy than merlot or cabernet. It's a bet on the long, hot South Okanagan summer.
Five Italian Grapes To Know
If you're tasting your way through the South Okanagan, these are the Italian names to watch for on a label.
Dolcetto
Dolcetto comes from Piedmont in northwestern Italy, and its name translates to "little sweet one." Don't let that fool you: the wine is dry. Watermark's team describes it as a "bigger gamay" or a more fruit-forward merlot, with soft tannins that make it easy to pour with dinner.
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is Tuscany's signature red and the backbone of Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. Expect sour cherry, savoury herbs and bright acidity, which is why it shines with food. In the South Okanagan, it most often shows up as a supporting player in red blends, and La Stella has grown clones of sangiovese grosso, the grape behind Brunello, since 2008.
Barbera
Barbera is the most planted red grape in Piedmont and what locals there often drink day to day. It makes dark, juicy wines with black cherry, anise and dried herb notes.
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is the grape behind Barolo and Barbaresco, and it's famously deceptive. It looks pale like pinot noir, smells of cherry and rose, then lands with firm tannin and high acidity. It's demanding to grow, which makes any Okanagan grower taking it on worth watching.
Teroldego
Teroldego comes from Trentino in northeastern Italy and makes deeply coloured reds with dark berry fruit and fresh acidity. Stag's Hollow planted it alongside Dolcetto at its Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard in Okanagan Falls, choosing both because the winery felt they would suit the site's microclimate. The winery calls the pair not so well known but up and coming in the Pacific Northwest, which makes Teroldego one to watch.
On The 15 Park List
You don't have to wait for the new vines to taste Italian grapes grown in the South Okanagan. Two bottles on the 15 Park wine list show what they're already bringing to the glass.
Stag's Hollow Simply Noir
The Simply Noir from Stag's Hollow is a blend of pinot noir, gamay and dolcetto. Stag's Hollow, located in Okanagan Falls, has been growing dolcetto for quite some time and makes a straight dolcetto as well.
The Simply Noir is a lighter-bodied red with dark berry flavours including cherry, blackberry, raspberry and blueberry. It's a well-rounded wine, with all three varieties coming together in the glass.
La Stella Fortissimo Riserva di Famiglia
Synonymous with Italian-style wine in the South Okanagan is La Stella Winery, just north of Osoyoos. Its Fortissimo is a Tuscan-style blend, typically merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and sangiovese, made as a nod to the Tuscan winemakers who broke with tradition in the 1950s and 60s.
The Fortissimo is a fairly popular wine in BC, but 15 Park carries the Fortissimo Riserva di Famiglia, the premium reserve tier. The blend is medium to medium-heavy, with dark plum and dark cherry fruit, some Okanagan desert sage and a touch of light tobacco in this bigger wine.
What's Coming Next
New vines usually take a few years to produce fruit worth bottling, so the Italian varieties planted after the freeze are still growing into themselves. When they arrive, look for single-variety sangiovese, barbera or nebbiolo alongside the blends.
The best way to find them is to ask. Tasting room staff love talking about what's new in the vineyard, and smaller wineries often pour limited bottles that never make it to a store shelf. Start planning your route with our guide to the South Okanagan wine region.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dolcetto wine?
Dolcetto is a red grape from Piedmont in northwestern Italy. It makes dry, fruit-forward wines with soft tannins, often compared to a slightly bigger gamay. In the Okanagan, Stag's Hollow in Okanagan Falls grows it.
What does dolcetto taste like?
Dolcetto usually tastes of dark cherry, plum and blackberry, with low tannin and a gentle, slightly bitter finish. Despite its name, which means "little sweet one" in Italian, it is a dry wine.
How do you pronounce dolcetto?
Say "dol-CHET-oh." The "c" sounds like the "ch" in "cheese."
What Italian grapes grow in the Okanagan?
Sangiovese, dolcetto and teroldego have been grown in small amounts for years. Since the 2024 cold snap, some growers have added barbera and nebbiolo to their replanting plans.
Why are Okanagan wineries planting Italian grapes?
The January 2024 freeze left many vineyards with empty blocks to replant, a rare chance to choose grapes that fit the site and the winery's plans. Italian grapes aren't a cold-hardy choice but they thrive in the valley's long, hot growing season.
Raise A Glass To What's Next
The South Okanagan has always been a place to try something new, and its next chapter is being planted right now. Taste where it started with a bottle of Simply Noir or Fortissimo Riserva di Famiglia, poured lakeside at 15 Park.
Reserve Your TableAbout David McBean
David McBean is the General Manager of Watermark Beach Resort and leads the wine program at 15 Park. He curates the list with a sommelier's eye, favouring BC producers whose wines reflect where they're grown.
