The story behind Moraine
Moraine is a family estate on the Naramata Bench, above Okanagan Lake near Penticton. Oleg and Svetlana Aristarkhov, who came to Canada from Europe, settled here and released their first Pinot Noir in 2012.
The name comes from the ground itself, the glacial moraine soils of boulder and clay that the Bench is built on. The family named its vineyards after their daughters.
Cool-climate Pinot and Riesling
The Naramata Bench is prime cool-climate country, and Moraine leans into it with Pinot Noir and Riesling at the core. There are single-vineyard bottlings, including a Pinot Noir off the Sophia Vineyard.
Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and some Bordeaux reds fill out the range. A Moraine Pinot Noir took gold at the 2023 National Wine Awards of Canada.
Frequently asked questions
What is Moraine known for?
Moraine is a Naramata Bench family winery known for cool-climate Pinot Noir and Riesling. Its single-vineyard Pinots are the highlight, and one of its Pinot Noirs took gold at the 2023 National Wine Awards of Canada.
What does the name Moraine mean?
A moraine is the mix of boulders and clay left behind by a glacier, and that is exactly the soil the Naramata Bench sits on. The winery took the name from the ground it grows on, which shapes the character of its wines.
Where is Moraine?
On the Naramata Bench near Penticton, in BC's Okanagan Valley, overlooking Okanagan Lake. The Bench is one of the province's most respected areas for Pinot Noir and aromatic whites.
