Misconduct Wine Co. descended upon our local wine scene in 2006 with a machine gun blast of fun, glamour, sizzle, passion — and, incidentally, really swell wine.
Located between Penticton and Naramata on Upper Bench Road, Misconduct Wine Co. is a tribute to the Roaring ‘20s and the days of gangsters and prohibition times. The building itself is rustic and evokes times past — including an antique tractor out front, which also pays homage to co-owner/winemaker Richard da Silva’s family farming history.
Da Silva’s family emigrated from Portugal in 1956 and became one of the first Portuguese farm owners in the area. Richard says of growing up, “every Portuguese family had vines on their property and they made their own wine” and that he was raised to have an “intimate knowledge of the land” — this, he believes, is key to growing good grapes and therefore making good wine.
The wine labels on the bottles at Misconduct are creative and exciting.
They are offering two series of wines — The Bootleg Series, the cornerstone of the winery, and the Suspect Series, their higher-end wines, made only with their crème de la crème grapes. The fun Bootleg Series labels each has a story — but I didn’t get the details — owner Richard da Silva just laughs and gives a wink. The Suspect Series labels are very elegant and embossed on gorgeous powdery blue. The border design on the Suspect Series labels was based on the boarding passes from the Titanic.
New this spring will be the addition of a European-style bistro/lounge attached to the also newly renovated tasting bar. Chef Abul Adame, former owner of Amante Restaurant, will be opening the eatery and the menu will offer tapas, charcuterie platters, Paella and will offer a casual self-serve experience. Guests will be invited to take their food and wine to a table indoors or outside to the connecting patio with beautiful views out to Okanagan Lake. Soon the winery will also offer guest rooms as well.
Richard and his wife/co-owner Twylla want Misconduct “to be a brand associated with fun” and to be known for “making and selling an experience” along with good wine. Well Misconduct, we think your new joint is the cat’s pajamas and we can’t wait to hang out.
The Big Take – 2009 — This powerhouse red blend is already a big favorite. Super rich and full-bodied, it luxuriates on the palate with smooth notes of chocolate and layers of black fruits with a sassy hit of spice and bold tannins.
Jennifer Schell is the editor of B.C. Food and Wine Trails magazine.
