St. Hubertus: Swiss Savvy in the Great White North

I think the first time I met St. Hubertus co-owner Andy Gebert was at an Okanagan wine festival, at Silver Star Resort. My memory of that evening is just a tad murky. There may have been fondue and Chasselas involved—also, maybe, just a little Kirsch, in the fondue itself, as well as in a few shots on the side! Plus lots of laughs that night—and plenty more since.

I’ve followed the fortunes of St. Hubertus pretty well since they started out in 1992. Consistently reliable, they’re (surprisingly) still one of the Okanagan’s more under the radar wineries. And while their story may be rooted in the past, they’re very much a fixture among the valley’s modern pioneers.

Andy and his brother Leo own and operate the winery with their spouses. Andy owns the St. Hubertus Vineyard and Leo the Oak Bay Vineyard. ‘Oak Bay’ has nothing to do with its  tweedy namesake in Victoria but is named for the bay below the 80 acre property.

The brothers have developed a reputation for well-made, value-priced wines—and chosen to follow their own path. As it happens, fondue and Chasselas (both hallowed Swiss traditions) remain a big part of life at St. Hubertus. No surprise, considering that the Geberts hail from a small town on the shores of Lake Zurich.

St. Hubertus / Oak Bay was one of the first Okanagan wineries to actively promote their wines to Vancouver’s emerging pan-Asian dining scene. In a way, they helped pave the way for BC Riesling’s steady climb back to respectability, as diners discovered its wonderful pairing possibilities.

St. Hubertus early days

A banker by trade, Leo Gebert purchased the vineyard in the mid 1980s. He was joined by Andy a few years later. Located on a steep slope above Lake Okanagan in South Kelowna, the site was once part of the historic Beau Séjour vineyard.

It remains one of the longest continually operating vineyards in the Okanagan and dates from the 1928 planting by legendary J.W. Hughes. He was among the first commercial growers of note, who eventually farmed over 300 acres of grapes—as well as other produce.

Always the bright side

The Geberts exude optimism at every turn—a highly desirable quality for any winery owner. One example firmly etched in my mind goes back to when I visited in late 2003. It was the year of the devastating Okanagan Mountain Park wildfire. Up to that time, it was the driest summer on record—we know now, a harbinger of things to come.

In a fateful move, the BC Government of the time decided not to deploy the massive MARS water bomber from its Vancouver Island base to Kelowna. The wildfire quickly worked its way north along the lakeshore. Eventually the flames tore through St. Hubertus and its vineyards. They burned to the ground not only the winery and tasting room but also Leo Gebert’s heritage home.

When I arrived, a few months after the fire, rebuilding was already well under way. And Andy was pretty excited. Why? He told me he’d recently found a bottle which had survived the inferno. With unabashed glee, he couldn’t wait to show it to me. It was twisted almost beyond recognition—although it had retained enough of its original form to be still identifiable. It didn’t matter, Andy was beyond thrilled to have even that small memento. What’s more, he was also highly excited about something else: Morels, which, as he was quick to point out, are often abundant following a forest fire.

St. Hubertus shifts to Organic

The Geberts have been following sustainable farming practices  since day one. And they’re appreciative of what they inherited.

“We were fortunate to take over the land with some well established old plantings that kept producing good fruit, even in difficult vintages,” says Andy Gebert.

“We then added some of the same variety, perhaps adjusted to a divergent clone or root stock.”

This year the winery completes its transition to certified organic. Along with a shift to carbon neutral, says Andy, “It’s a simple way to prepare the vineyard to produce with as little impact as possible for generations to come. We are fortunate to farm this little slice of heaven and make a good living out of it. Making these positive changes are a logical choice.”

When approved, the new South Kelowna Slopes Sub-GI (Sub-Geographic Indicator) will incorporate St. Hubertus & Oak Bay, as well as its neighbours. They include BC’s original organic pioneers Summerhill Pyramid Winery, and (recently transitioned to organic) Cedar Creek Winery. This will be a positive development that will also serve to further advance the fortunes of Riesling and Pinot Noir.

Driving diversity

One of the best things about the Okanagan’s ever expanding array of different wine cultures, people have been drawn to the valley from around the wine world. Given the Geberts’ Swiss background, it’s no surprise that St. Hubertus is Canada’s largest producer of Chasselas. Over the years it’s become so popular with their clientele that in 2012 they doubled its plantings.

Chasselas was included in the ground-breaking 1970s ‘Becker Project’ trials. It proved quite successful. (It was also the first vinifera planted by Quails’ Gate, right across the lake.) Surprisingly, the grape didn’t evolve to be more popular in the valley. However, Chasselas was eclipsed by marketers who rushed to replace those early, mainly Germanic whites with the likes of Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.

Luckily, folks like the Gebert and Heiss (Gray Monk) families retained and amplified many of those grapes that were the very foundation of the early industry. To me that’s a good thing. It serves to maintain a healthy diversity of styles that underscore the regional character. Some critics are dismissive of Chasselas. However, true to Okanagan form, the nicely structured drop made by St. Hubertus sports appealing acidity, with citrus notes through the finish. And, yes, it is a pretty good fit with fondue, or seafood—or just plain good sipping. (2019, 90 pts.)

And more

When I first came across their Great White North blend I must say that I had a good chuckle. But it seems to be just the right fit for these folks. What’s more it’s also the real value hero here. A gently off-dry blend of  Gewürztraminer, Chasselas and Riesling, it sports tropical and stonefruit notes with flavours of peach and quince. Very food friendly and great value at $12.99 (2018) Almost, though not quite, certified organic. This coming vintage it will be. 90 pts.

St. Hubertus also grows Marechal Foch and Chambourcin, both put to good use with Gamay in their affordable ‘Great Canadian Red’ 2019 (Okanagan Valley BC VQA). It’s a value priced, juicy blend that gets structure and body from the Foch with some high-tone berry notes from the other varieties. $12.50, 89 pts.)

St. Hubertus Riesling 2018 (Okanagan Valley BC VQA)

Some petrol notes starting to show on the nose, with orchard fruits such as apple and pear before a fruit-driven, generous stone fruit and citrus palate underpinned by  a streak of minerality with a touch of lemon zest through the finish. Again excellent value. $19  91 pts. Current vintage may be 2019.

Oak Bay Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2017 (Okanagan Valley BC VQA)

Aromas of bright red berries before a cherry and plum palate with a touch of herb and savoury notes through the close. 90 pts. $35

This post is part of an occasional series on BC wineries. If you have a story to tell and are interested in your winery being featured in a sponsored post, please contact me at info at hiredbelly.com