The finest wine comes from the finest grapes.
From the beginning, our focus is to grow high quality wines, in harmony with the environment. Farming sustainably with low yields, allows us to to bring concentrated and ripe flavour to every glass. Our team farms our vineyards year round, ensuring that the quality of what we produce improves every year, alongside our commitment to stewardship.
The rules are simple, give the earth good things, she will give you good grapes.
We are stewards of the land, ever burdened with the responsibility of caring for our little piece of paradise. We use over 320 tonnes of compost annually, encouraging organic materials in our soil is key to its longevity. Between rows, we plat cover crops, they aid in natural weed and insect control and also help with soil stability. Currently our plantings of Sweet Elysium, Clover and Braco Mustard, Wildflower Mix and Lacy Phacelia also attract friendly pollinators. In addition to cover crops, all weed control is manually done by hand, we never use herbicides or sprays.
Our stewardship extends to the vine and ultimately, what our consumers are putting into their bodies when drinking our wines.
We farm for low yielding crops, giving us great concentrated flavours, but this also helps in reducing the need for spays.
We typically drop about 40%-50% of our grapes, this happens throughout the growing season. This process allows the vines to focus their energy on ripening the remaining fruit. Lower yields, combined with thoughtful canopy management encourages more airflow which decreases the risk of mildew and other fungal growth. Naturally arid; the risk of mildew and rot is low in the Valley and we use organic sprays to assist in our vine management.
Our watering is done via drip irrigation, targeting water to the root system is the most effective way to water sustainability. Our Winemaking and Viticulture Teams proactively plan watering times for physiological vine growth, ensuring the use of this resource is fully optimized.
Still young in the world of winemaking, the Okanagan is emerging as a world class growing region. The key to success is learning the land, learning your grapes, and learning how to showcase them in the best possible light.
Little Engine’s wine program is led by Winemaker Andrew Windsor, who brings 25 years of experience across Australia, New Zealand, France, and British Columbia to the cellar. His approach aligns naturally with what Little Engine has always stood for — a deep respect for the land, an unwavering commitment to quality, and the belief that there is always more the vine is telling you, more the grape can express.
Windsor’s relationship with our vineyards informs every decision, from canopy management and cluster thinning through to final blending. He makes picking decisions based on taste and phenolic ripeness above all else — often returning to the same blocks multiple times to catch each section at its absolute peak.
Every decision comes down to the grape.
Individual lots and clones are fermented and aged completely separately, giving us an extraordinary palette to work with come blending time. Occasionally, a lot will prove too exceptional to blend — and those become special releases for our Wine Club Members.
The Whites With our white wines, the goal is simple: let the fruit speak. Loudly. Clearly. With precision. Extended skin contact before pressing builds aromatic complexity, while long, cool ferments lock in the delicate flavours and natural acidity that make Okanagan whites so compelling. Fragrant, balanced, and built to hold your attention. Though our whites are all partially naturally fermented, any inoculated yeast selection is done to complement specific varietals and clones and enhance their character.
The Reds Our reds are built for depth, and every step of the process reflects that ambition. A lengthy cold soak before fermentation draws out colour and flavour before the yeast enters the picture. Select reds go further with submerged-cap ferments for added structure. Throughout, we rely on natural fermentation — because when the fruit is this good, the best thing we can do is trust it. Our reds are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Oak & Barrel Program Oak is a tool, not a flavour. Sourced from six French cooperages, our barrel program gives us over ten combinations of finish and toast — letting us dial in precisely the right influence for each wine. For our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, we’re evolving toward puncheons, imparting oak more gently and allowing the wine’s natural character to lead.
Our wines are vegan — no animal fining agents are used — and we use minimal sulphites for clean, expressive results. Little Engine Reds are bottled unfined and unfiltered.