Clos du Soleil is thrilled to reveal that their recently purchased Whispered Secret Vineyard in the Similkameen Valley, BC, has been granted organic certification.
When Clos du Soleil added Whispered Secret to their already stellar lineup of vineyards in 2020, they continued the process of converting the vineyard to fully organic status, with this certification being the culmination of a 3 year transition process. As Winemaker and Manager Director Michael Clark explains, “Organic certification is really central to our whole approach at Clos du Soleil. We put a great deal of effort into producing wines of place, wines that speak of the land on which they were grown. Organic practices are a crucial part of that process by encouraging healthy soils, and healthy vines, which make for more expressive wines. I’m so pleased that Whispered Secret Vineyard has achieved full certification now, as it is a very special property to us, and this certification recognizes the efforts we make to showcase this terroir.”
Special how? “Before being presented with the opportunity to purchase this secret gem, we had already been working with grapes grown here since 2014,” says Clark. Initially buying just the Sauvignon Blanc grapes from the original owners, and eventually leasing the vineyard and farming it themselves, over time Clark and his winemaking team became more and more enamoured with this secret pocket of land. Purchasing the vineyard – and converting it to fully organic status in keeping with their ideals and practices – was a no-brainer when the chance arose.
Why organic? Vineyard and Operations Manager Steve Roche puts it this way: “We believe that organic farming is a moral obligation when one becomes a steward of land. It’s endeavouring to leave the soil as a living entity, a microcosm displaying the results of years of hard work, soils that are alive with micro fauna and flora, soils that give rise to wines that show where they come from as opposed to what they come from. Whispered Secret Vineyard is one such place. With its distinctly different soil types to our other farms and its incredibly different macro climate, it gives rise to fruit that, without doubt, shows its place of origin, creating beautifully balanced, definitively Similkameen wines. The conversion to organic farming practices in this slice of heaven, and subsequent organic certification of the fruit, is an incredible feel-good scenario for myself, as custodian of this unique piece of the valley.”
With Whispered Secret being the source of some of the highest quality grapes going into Clos du Soleil’s flagship Capella white wine, as well as 100% of the grapes for their late-harvest Saturn wine, and more recently their Winemaker’s Series Pinot Gris too, this organic certification ensures the ongoing quality and high standards Clos du Soleil demands of themselves, their farming, and their winemaking.
And while the secret of this 10.3 acres of grape-growing mecca is definitely out, it doesn’t make it any less worthy of whispered wonder and awe. It is a truly stunning piece of Similkameen wineland, producing unique wines that speak of both the place they were grown, and the philosophies of the people making them.
For more information, high resolution images, and questions, please email wine@closdusoleil.ca.