Say hello to the new kids on the block or make that the bench. Joel and Linda Chamaschuk opened the door of Chain Reaction Winery last spring and have made a big impression on those who have ventured up their driveway at 980 Naramata Road in Penticton.
It all began in 1992 while holidaying in the Okanagan and visiting wineries. They are avid triathletes and often volunteered or competed in Penticton’s Ironman competition so they were well acquainted with the number of wineries on the Naramata Bench. They soon fell in love with the idea that owning a winery would be their dream job. They both came from business backgrounds and chose to leave it all behind.
They said goodbye to rainy Vancouver and their jobs in the technology sector, headed to Penticton, purchased a 4-acre apple orchard on the Naramata bench in 2019, and planted it with Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. Joel enrolled in viticulture school right away. Such an undertaking is far more onerous than most would believe, but once the passion gets under your skin, you are hooked. Their winery has the potential to produce two to three thousand cases of wine a year.
Their shared passion for cycling is clearly evident in the tasting room décor and on the wine labels.
The couple wisely enlisted the help of respected winemaker Dwight Sick to get them up and running. No wonder they started with a bang impressing consumers with their first vintage.
Here are notes on some of their latest releases.
2022 Pinot Gris (Tailwind)
$23
100% Pinot Gris from the OPG Vineyard and Chain Reaction’s McMillan Vineyard. Fermented in stainless steel. 400 cases produced. Pale straw with medium-light intensity. The nose is delicate showing aromas of citrus, honeysuckle, Princess apple, and pear. Good balance. Bright and fresh on the palate with flavours of honey, lemon, citrus and nectarine followed by a medium-plus finish. I found the back end of this wine to be the best. It is a delightful refreshing glass of wine that leans a little to a Sancerre style.
90 points
2022 Tandem (white blend)
$23.00
A blend of Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and a ‘splash’ of Riesling. The first two grapes came from the OPG vineyard and the Riesling from neighbouring Four Shadows. Fermented in stainless steel. 190 cases. Lemon yellow with medium-light intensity. The addition of Gewürztraminer to this blend makes for a lovely and inviting nose of pear, apple, honeysuckle, citrus, and white peach. Very good balance and mouthfeel. The flavours are more pronounced than the nose with grapefruit, citrus, green apple, lime, pear and peach standing out followed by a medium-plus finish.
91 points
2022 Blanc de Noir
$34.00
100% Pinot Noir, clones 777 and 667, from the McMillan Vineyard. 25% was aged for three months in new French oak. 190 cases produced. Light copper colour with medium-light intensity. Delicate but elegant nose with red fruit, stone fruit, dried flowers, and undertones of herbs, lavender, rhubarb, and tree moss. Good balance. Honey, citrus, cranberry, and rhubarb on the palate followed by a medium-long finish with a touch of toast. Serve with grilled chicken, charcuterie, or cedar-planked salmon.
90 points
2022 Gewürztraminer (Carpe Diem)
$23.00
From the OPG vineyard. Fermented in stainless steel. 130 cases made. Very pale straw in colour with light intensity. The nose is aromatic with lush aromas of pineapple, apple, peach, rose petals, lavender, lime zest, and spice. Good balance and mouthfeel. Fresh and tasty. Not ‘perfumey’ or sweet. Honey, lavender, grapefruit, mango, and lime on the juicy palate followed by a medium-plus finish. Bring on the seafood. Why don’t we drink ‘Gew’ more often?
91 points
2022 Rosé (True Colours Pinot Noir)
$27.00
100% Pinot Noir from the McMillan Vineyard. Fermented in stainless steel. 85 cases made. Delicate cherry red colour with medium-minus intensity. Delicate cherry red with medium-minus intensity. Cherry, strawberry, rhubarb, cranberry, black tea, spice, and underbrush on the nose. Well balanced. The flavours reflect the nose followed by a medium-long finish with red fruit lingering. Impressive. An excellent match with salmon, duck confit, or a charcuterie platter.
92+ points
2021 Pinot Noir (Pendulum)
$33.00
Only 85 cases were made of this wine, a blend of clones 777 and 667 from the McMillan Vineyard and aged 10 months in French oak. Cherry red, tinged with orange and medium-minus intensity. The nose opens with aromas of forest floor, earth, juicy cherry, orange zest, ripe peach, and rhubarb with a slight hint of some well-integrated smokiness. Good balance and good body. The aromas are reflected on the nose followed by a medium-plus finish with flavours lingering. The touch of smoke is well-integrated and appealing. Definitely one for the Pinot lovers.
92 points
As Joel, said, it was a chain reaction of events that brought them to where they are now.
“To me, wine is perhaps the greatest gift that we have unlocked from nature. It is there with food, music and art as something that we have created from the most basic ingredients, that has the ability to touch the soul and bring out a range of emotions from even a single sip just as great art does from that first glance. Few things are as perfect as sharing fine wine with great friends with terrific food. Conversation is amplified, engaging and never more meaningful”.
Joel Chamaschuk
From the Chain Reaction website.
“There’s nothing that I enjoy more than pouring a glass of wine after a hard day’s work, and sitting on our patio chairs enjoying our amazing view and watching the sunset. Even better if we get to share it with friends!”
Linda Chamaschuk
I wonder if when Joel and Linda initially decided to set out and pursue their dream if they could have envisioned how successful they would be in such a short time.
On a personal note. Shortly after opening, Linda and Joel realized they needed some help with operations and managing the tasting room. A friend of mine had applied for the job and listed me as a reference. Her interview must have gone well because Joel called me and we had a lovely chat. I assured him that I thought Mel would be a great fit. Things have turned out well and they are one big happy family. Be sure to drop in, sample their wines and say hello from Sam.
(All photos, except as noted – Sam Hauck)
