Behind the vine

Severine Pinte - Le Vieux Pin - Okanagan Valley, Canada

When do you think you fell in love with wine, enough to make a career of it?

I studied at ENSAM (Ecole National Superior Agronomic of Montpellier) where I learned every aspect of vineyard management and winemaking - genetics of vine, history, growing, vineyard (management, ageing), bottling, marketing. It gave me a broad vision of the industry. So at that point, I had all this theoretical knowledge - I could have decided to make a perfect yogurt(!), but with the tasting and discovery of wine, I loved that you were learning every day, and your knowledge was constantly evolving. With wine, you can add on what you know every day. That’s still what motivates me because Mother Nature has her own ideas, it's never the same.

What story does your wine tell?

For me, it's telling the story about the Valley here. Some people decided that Canada could be an awesome region to grow grapes. This industry is emerging, very dynamic. There's progress everyday. British Columbia needs to be on the map. But the story of the wine starts in the vineyard, in the dirt, how much water you give the vine, the nutrients, how you can get the grape in the best shape…our wine is the expression of the dirt and vineyard. We want to give drinkers a little bit of our passion. When they open our bottle, they're opening the story of the Okanagan.

What misconceptions about wine do you think people should forget?

Wine is complex, but also simple: it’s the transformation of fruit to alcohol. A lot of people are intimidated because of how people talk about wine: experts use big words, but sometimes it goes back to 'do i like this smell, this color, am i pleased with what i see in my glass, is the taste pleasing, do i want another glass.’ Wine can just be that. If i see a smile on people's faces when drinking my wine, then I'm happy. And remember, it's a training process. You can keep practicing.

“When you're tasting and discovering wine, you are learning. That knowledge is constantly evolving and you can add onto it every day.”

— Severine Pinte

What great things about wine do you think people should remember?

Wine is a tool to bring people together. When you open a bottle of wine, whether it's $20 or $100, it's always an excuse to bring people together and to share something. You trigger the brain and pleasure senses and it makes you feel good. In this world with so many stress factors, I think this is something you should keep in mind. You are forming a connection to something that is coming from the earth, from nature, and from the people who have put a lot of work into. You're honoring the people who made it when you open a bottle of wine.

What is a piece of advice you would give to a woman interested in breaking into the wine world?

The most important thing would be to make sure you have knowledge about vineyards so that you can link the two: wine and vineyard. They are side by side. If you make wine, you have to know the vineyard. If you're in the vineyard you have to know where you're guiding those vines to.

Wine is still very male-dominated, but you have to be able to stand your ground and not be afraid to work hard. There's a lot of physical, hard work. Don't be afraid to do it!

Where can women find your wine?

You can find it on our website: https://levieuxpin.ca/where-to-buy/

If you’re in Okanagan - come to tasting room! We’re also in restaurants across British Columbia, and are sold in restaurants/wine bars in London: Streatham Wine House, Bibendum Restaurant, Hatched Restaurant, The Lanesborough Hotel, Chez Bruce, Goodmans, The Good Wine Shop in Kew & Richmond, and The Salusbury Winestore & Bar. We’re also stocked in Germany, Switzerland, China, and Japan.