The Winery
If you are looking for a home away from home, just walk in here. You can get both – an incredible and relaxing experience while you are on a holiday. Take a closer look into the rooms we offer and pick the one for you.
About Us
For us wine is a lifestyle, a passion and the result of a year round creative process that never ceases to amaze us as winemakers and grape growers. Wine for us is an object of beauty and sophistication which has been central to the cultivation of joy and inspiration in people’s lives for millennia.
We also see it as something very regional, very local and very much part of a sense of place. A sense which is created by the people, the geography, the weather, the soil and everything else that can only be found where the wine is grown, made and first enjoyed. There are other things besides food and wine which have this sense of place. Things like local artists, local craftsmanship and local festivals.
That’s why we took the name Marionette. It’s because many years ago a family of artists and performers lived on the property where we built our winery. They traveled in beautifully painted, horse drawn caravans to perform shows which featured handmade marionettes. Although they moved on long before we got here we felt when we heard their story that it was something special. It was unique to this place and its history. It felt like there was a magical thread, an invitation – a story that we could pick up and start to work on again. So, that’s we intend to do. We intend to build something beautiful that could only be from here and from us. Something magical…
Jamie Smith - Winemaker, Operations Manager
Jamie has studied and completed a Bsc. in Viticulture and Oenology in Europe. He graduated in 2010 and has been making wine ever since 2008. He has had the opportunity to make wine in award-winning and breathtaking European wineries. He’s worked with renowned winemakers in France, Portugal and England (where some of the world’s finest traditional method sparkling wine is made). After leaving Europe he came back to British Columbia and started Marionette with his family in 2014.
The Vineyard
We are passionate about sustainable viticulture and are delighted that we have such a wealth of wildlife at our doorstep. One of the things we were most excited about when we came here was the amount of biodiversity on the Marionette site. With its wealth of old cherry and plum trees surrounding the vineyards the health of the ecosystem is excellent. This of course means that we will be able to tend to our vineyards without relying on a pesticide treadmill.
Our goal is to be a low-input and sustainable producer. We want to work towards balancing the vineyard ecosystem, adapting to and above all respecting the natural processes at work around us.
Terroir
We see the Salmon Arm area and in particular the North Broadview bench as an exceptional mesoclimate for growing high quality cool climate wine grapes. Salmon Arm has warm summers but is not so dry that you need to irrigate. The complex soils and warm aspect of the Marionette vineyard site is what led us to start a winery here.
The definition of Terroir however extends beyond the soil, aspect and weather conditions of a place. It also encompasses community and cultural identity. With its wealth of local artisan food producers and farms, its independent film society and very active arts council and music scene, Salmon Arm seems like a perfect place to have a bespoke and regionally expressive winery and vineyard.
Varietals
Zweigelt
A remarkable Austrian grape which seems to excel in BC but which is relativiely undiscovered outside of its homeland. It has dark notes of black cherry and spice and although it is a cool climate grape it makes a full bodied and well structured red wine that’s worth aging.
Pinot Noir
A high quality French varietal which is widely renowned for being one of the most interesting and diverse wine grapes. It is prominent in many famous world wines such as high quality champagnes(the white juice is pressed out before the skins colours it) to exquisite Burgundian and Oregonian reds.
Gewürztraminer
The spicy varietal famous for its notes of lychee. It is exciting as both a fresh and complex dry wine or as a more traditional off-dry wine with an exotic flavour profile.
Pinot Blanc
The elegant varietal which is gaining ground against its sister variety Pinot Gris. Like Gewurtz, Pinot Blanc traditionally hails from Alsace but has taken on a new sophistication in places like Oregon and the Okanagan.
Pinot Gris
A lovely white grape well suited to cooler climate wine regions. It has potential for a very complex flavour profile.
Grüner Veltliner
A white wine grape commonly grown in Austria, Hungary and Czech Republic. The grape dates back to Roman times and is made into many types of wine and often has a white pepper, lentil and celery note.
Experience Marionette Winery
Private Tasting
Bring your group for an informative tasting and learn all about our wines.
Book NOW BY PHONE