"There is no new world that you make without the old world."
~ Jane Jacobs
When Penelope Roche talks about wine, she isn't just describing a product. She's telling the story of a life that's moved across hemispheres, seasons, and generations, finally finding its home on a sun‑drenched slope along the Naramata Bench.
"My husband, Dylan, and I are co-owners and co-winemakers at our lovely little winery just below Campbell Mountain. We're basically the third winery on the Bench, just where the vineyards become visible when leaving Penticton. It's very well located in a small loop of four wineries, and there's a nice view of the lake from the top of the vineyard."
Penelope, who was born and raised on her family's vineyard in France, speaks in a calm, lightly accented voice that carries flavours of Bordeaux, New Zealand, and the Okanagan all at once.
"I was the sixth‑generation winemaker after my dad at Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, neighbour to Château Haut-Brion, which was included in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification and named First Growth. I spent time travelling and working in the wine industry in Spain, Tasmania and New Zealand."
It was during her time down under that the course of Penelope's life changed forever. What was initially the pursuit of a dream to work two vintages in the same year became a love story that led to a new life in a new home.
"Dylan and I met in New Zealand. Not Newfoundland, New Zealand. Some people misunderstand that (laughing)."
Originally a bike mechanic from Vancouver, Dylan was working for a bike tour company in Burgundy when a new interest piqued his curiosity, eventually bringing him and Penelope together.
"Dylan fell in love with wine through biking. He decided to take a course all in French, even though he couldn't speak it at the time. Then, like me, he travelled to New Zealand to work two vintages in a row. After New Zealand, rather than returning to Burgundy as planned, Dylan came with me to Bordeaux, where we stayed for six years."
Eventually, the family estate was sold, leaving Penelope and Dylan with a big decision: Stay in France or head elsewhere?
"Growing up, Dylan used to visit the Okanagan Valley during his summers. He suggested we visit together, and when we did, we immediately saw the growing potential in this beautiful, organic, climate-friendly valley."
Shifting from running a family estate winery in the French countryside to starting from scratch in the Okanagan with a growing family, Penelope and Dylan embraced their new adventure to the fullest.
"We packed everything into a container and arrived in Penticton in 2011. We didn't have jobs or a place to live. We also had a small child with another only three months away. So, we bought an Airstream trailer and lived in it, which had always been a dream of mine, until we found a house. Dylan worked at the Bike Barn at first, then met plenty of winemakers and landed a job at Stag's Hollow in Okanagan Falls. Meanwhile, while raising the kids, I did some consulting to meet people in the area. That really helped with the adjustment from working and living with family to being in a place where I didn't know anyone. It was great."
Penelope and Dylan quickly integrated into the local community, setting the stage for the birth of Roche Wines.
"We wanted to buy a vineyard near Penticton. While we were looking, we bought some grapes, and our first vintage was in 2012. At sixty cases of Chardonnay, it was quite small, but it was a start. Then, in 2014, we bought our vineyard. While the winery was being built, we made our wines at Intersection Estate and Pentâge Winery. Then, we opened our doors for Roche Wines' first official vintage in 2017."
Today, the Roche team offers visitors tasting options ranging from a classic four-wine experience, either in the tasting room or on the patio, to something more immersive.
"People can choose what we call an elevated tasting, where they tour the vineyard and cellar, then finish with charcuterie and cheese. It's always better to make a reservation ahead of time, but if people happen just to pop in, we're happy to have them."
Roche's wines reflect both the Old World roots of France and the freedom of the Okanagan Valley. Initially, the list was very long, with twenty-two varietals.
"It was way too many (laughing). Now, we have nine. There are two series. The first is Tradition, which is mostly Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Bordeaux Blend. We're also known for our Pinot Gris, which we treat a bit like a Chardonnay. It's fermented and barrel-aged, giving it a denser, more complex style with a longer finish. It's almost like a Chardonnay, but in the Pinot Gris style. Then, we have our Artist Series, where we decided to combine our love for both wine and art into something special. We sent two naked bottles of wine to various artists across Canada and asked them to create a piece of art inspired by how they felt while drinking the wine. The response was awesome, and we ended up with so many participants. It was an idea we had in mind for a long time, and it came to fruition in 2020, which is incredible."
If Penelope had to choose from the list of delicious Roche wines, it would be Cab Franc. However, she has more than a favourite wine.
"While Dylan and I are trained in both, he's more focused on the cellar, and my passion is the vineyard. I love being out there, then bringing in the fruit so Dylan can make the wine. I'm the vine whisperer (laughs)."
That passion for working outdoors is evident in Roche's responsible farming practices.
"A big part of what we do is take care of the land. We use a machine that lifts weeds from under the rows instead of herbicides. Also, rather than watering a little each day, we do large watering sessions, maybe six times per year, to mimic storms. This helps us keep our water usage to a minimum, which we're mindful of in the cellar as well. Overall, we try to keep the entire winemaking process as natural as possible."
After a deep freeze in 2024, Penelope and Dylan had to make the tough decision to source grapes from the US to ensure they had wine for their customers to purchase that autumn. While it was a difficult year for everyone, their approach to finding a grower south of the border is a positive example of Canada-US relations.
"When Dylan pursued winemaking in Burgundy, he did his diploma course with Russell, the now winemaker and co-owner of Winter's Hill Estate in Oregon. Russell married a French woman named Delphine, and Dylan was the best man. They kept in touch for a while, but it became less and less. In fact, by the time this deep freeze happened, Dylan and Russell hadn't been in contact for eight years. Well, we needed grapes, but we didn't want to just drive over the border and buy from the first vineyard we saw. We wanted it to mean something. We were looking for some sort of connection. Dylan tracked down Russell, and it turned out he had way more grapes than he needed and wanted to sell some. So, Dylan went down in August to walk the vineyard and check things out. We went back down together that September, and I absolutely fell in love with the region. The soil was incredible. It's like a bigger version of Burgundy down there. I know Oregon is much further than Washington, but it was perfect. Russell introduced us to other people in the area, and we ended up buying forty-two tons of grapes from three different vineyards. We made Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir Rosé that autumn. It was wonderful because not only were we still able to make wine, we also reconnected with our friends in the US. It's a beautiful story and made the entire process very special."
Through everything—the big move, the Airstream years, the first tiny Chardonnay vintage, the growth of their portfolio—one thing has stayed constant: the desire to welcome people and share their love for wine. Roche's wines are poured in restaurants and shops across BC and into Alberta, and through their wine club, but Penelope's favourite place to share them is in person at Roche.
"We love hosting visitors. Seeing the place and meeting us when trying our wines is a different experience, and definitely worth coming in for."
This is said with a sense of pride for our stunning region that Penelope now calls home, a place that still takes her breath away as much as it did when she first arrived.
"It's very different here compared to France, obviously. The seasons change a lot more quickly than I'm used to, and the amount of space is incredible. Every May, I find myself staring out over the valley as the mountains turn yellow during the Arrowleaf Balsamroot. It's magical. We live in a very beautiful place, and sharing it with visitors is such a pleasure."
Roche isn't a business; it's a collection of beautiful stories shaped into a dream. And what better way to hear them than from the founders themselves over a tasting or glass of wine? Now that spring has arrived, it's the perfect time to plan your visit to Naramata. While you're here, stop in to see Penelope, Dylan and the team. They'd be happy to welcome you.
"Visit our lovely little spot on the Bench soon. We'd love to see you!
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