Lake Breeze recently won a slew of medals in the 2024 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada, and also ranked 4th place under the category “Top 10 Small Wineries” across the country. While this success is certainly a result of such a great team, it’s worth mentioning one person in particular: President and Winemaker, Garron Elmes. 

It’s easy to find Elmes when you visit the winery—just look for George the Goldendoodle, Elmes’ dog, who follows him all over the winery. If he’s out in the vineyard riding the tractor, George is sure to be running after him.

The first South African winemaker on the Naramata Bench, and currently the longest-serving winemaker in the Okanagan, Elmes has played a vital role in the winery’s many years of excellence since he first arrived in 1995. He’s watched the BC wine industry bloom from just five wineries on the bench to forty in Naramata alone. “Everything exploded in the industry,” he says. But he’s enjoyed building relationships and watching it grow. 

Garron Elmes describes it as “blind luck” that originally got him into winemaking since no one in his family worked in agriculture. He studied viticulture in college after finishing his compulsory national service in the army but had no plans to work with wine. Thanks to a friend he met in the army, whose family owned a winery, Elmes made a natural transition into winemaking. 

He worked a few harvests in South Africa, mostly in the vineyards, before making his way to Lake Breeze just two years after he graduated from school. He arrived at 23 years old with just one bag and a plan to work three or four years before returning home—but he never left Canada. 

“The fact that he’s around after all these years,” says Barb MacIntosh, Lake Breeze’s owner, “speaks to our confidence in him. We love his wine style.”

Garron Elmes also introduced the valley to Pinotage—South Africa’s signature varietal.  Currently only two other wineries in the Okanagan offer it: The View in East Kelowna, and Stoneboat in Oliver. However, it first made its way to the Okanagan thanks to Elmes.

Back in 1996 he bought cuttings from UC Davis and propagated them in one short row before planting more two years later. Today, there is only a quarter of an acre planted on Lake Breeze’s property—meaning the grapes are more of a passion project for Elmes rather than a varietal to plant in big quantities. However Lake Breeze has developed a real following for their Pinotage and quickly sells out of each vintage. 

Pinotage is a rare grape in this area, and many people don’t know of it, especially since it doesn’t tend to grow in a cooler climate like Canada. Elmes even admits it was a bit of a “crapshoot” to get started with the varietal, but despite its sensitivity to the weather, it managed to withstand even this year’s disastrous cold snap. Unlike other vines, it looks like Lake Breeze will harvest almost two-thirds of the Pinotage in 2025.

The grape itself is totally unique and not super fruit forward. South African Pinotage is thick and jammy due to their own climate, but what Lake Breeze presents is an elegant and structured wine. 

“It’s an acquired taste,” Garron Elmes explains. “Not many wine critics in BC are big fans.” Even though it isn’t a commercially successful wine, it’s a favourite for many South African visitors or expats whenever they stop by Lake Breeze’s tasting room. 

Pinotage pairs exceptionally well with anything wild and gamey, like venison, lamb, and even elk. Elmes himself likes to cook up roast lamb or lamb chops when he plans to open a bottle. The wine profile is meaty with notes of coffee and spices rather than red berries and black fruit.

When it comes to winemaking, Elmes’ philosophy is simple: make the wines taste like the grapes. Since Lake Breeze works with many different varietals, his goal is to get their specific flavours into each and every bottle with minimal intervention. He wants the wine to taste fresh, just like the grapes at harvest time, so oak use is minimal. 

These days, however, Elmes focuses more on the administration side of the day-to-day runnings at Lake Breeze. The President since 2012, he’s happy with the size of the winery and their output of around 10,000 to 15,000 cases each year. Ever since hiring his Assistant Winemaker, Victor Costa, Elmes has been able to play a bigger role in the evolution of everything, particularly the opening of their latest attraction: The Farmstead

Garron Elmes has had quite a distinguished and long-running career here in the Okanagan, and Lake Breeze is lucky to have his knowledge and tenure. Experience his wines when you stop by for a tasting, take in a glass at lunch on the Patio, or witness his vision when you wander the two-acre family-friendly Farmstead. 

Tasting Room Hours: 11am – 5pm

The Patio Restaurant Hours: 11:30am – 3:30pm

Farmstead Market Trailer Hours: 9am – 4pm