I often wondered why a winery would be called Haywire, which is baling wire for hay. It gets untangled easily and is unpredictable. But wines from Haywire are just the opposite. They are full of personality and consistently reflect the unique Okanagan terroir where they originate.
Haywire, one of several brands made at the Okanagan Crush Pad, actually refers to owners Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie’s impromptu decision to forgo retirement and journey into wine making.
If you’re looking for an enchanting white, the 2018 Haywire Secrest Vineyard Chardonnay ($26.90) fits the bill. The grapes are from their 38-acre vineyard in Oliver. It’s a high altitude cool growing site with layers of limestone, an important ingredient in producing premium chardonnays. The site was converted from conventional farming in 2014 and received Organic Certification in 2019.
The grapes were whole bunch pressed into two egg-shaped concrete tanks for a long, slow native ferment followed by malolactic fermentation. It was left on the lees to build texture and richness for ten months before bottling unfiltered.
This Chardonnay reveals a peach bouquet together with lemon and vanilla. I enjoyed the balanced nature of fresh fruit with the refreshing acidity that comes from cool climate sites along with the extra richness from the lees and the lack of filtering. The Haywire Chardonnay would be ideal with sautéed BC spot prawns available now at the Steveston Landing.
Another distinctive Haywire wine is the 2018 Haywire Pinot Noir ($26.90). Grapes from their Summerland and Oliver vineyards were fermented with native yeasts in large concrete wine tanks. Each lot was aged separately and bottled unfiltered to showcase the wine’s natural flavours
The result: there’s lots of bright cranberry and cherry fruit with hints of cola, earthy beets and smoke. Well balanced with fresh acidity, moderate tannins and 12.5% alcohol levels. It’s more of a food wine than a sipper and I would recommend barbecued ribs as a perfect partner. Another choice for summer is barbecued salmon over coals with alder smoke.
To learn more about Haywire wines you can visit the Okanagan Crush Pad in Summerland from 11am to 5pm daily. You’ll discover an exciting new format: one that provides space, comfort, and safety.
The online booking system at on their website guarantees a private table to enjoy one of four tasting flights, offerings in a peaceful, unrushed vineyard setting. Each flight features six wines: Raised in Concrete ($25), Organic Flights of Fancy ($35), Top Flight Reds ($35), and Weekend Bubbles ($40 per person on the weekends only). Throughout July, there’s a special promotional fee of $20 per person for any of their flights.
If travelling to the Okanagan Crush Pad is not in your immediate plans, you can order a dozen or more Haywire wines on line and receive $20 off shipping. What a Haywire idea!
Eric Hanson is a life-long Richmond resident, retired teacher and wine educator. Eric has also taught wine appreciation courses in Richmond and throughout Metro Vancouver for many years. He continues to be a journalistic ambassador for the enchanting world of wine through his weekly column.
