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OKANAGANopportunity

written by S T E F FA N I C A M E R O N

photographed by PA U L I N A O . N I E C H C I A L

In Canada’s Wild West, cheesemakers find a new home

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But in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, a half-day’s drive (or 45-minute flight) from Vancouver, the food scene is fresh and young—and it stars cheese and wine. It also relies heavily on migrants bringing talents and traditions from far-flung lands: a maker recreating cheeses from his Swiss-Italian Alps boyhood, a Dutch family replicating a long-gone grandmother’s Gouda, a young woman driving cross-country with five cats to find her passion as a cheesemaker’s apprentice.

Like the mavericks who transformed the Okanagan from a wine world start-up into one of the world’s top 10 vino destinations, cheesemakers here have ambition in spades. And since being in a young industry in a young land means there are no rules, no traditions, and no expectations, ambition is exactly what it takes to succeed.

Ripe for picking An area that was largely unsettled until the 1880s, much of the Okanagan’s population has arrived in the last three decades. Today it’s among Canada’s fastest-

growing regions, its newcomers arriving with dreams of what’s possible in a new land.

And land is the star of the Okanagan’s story, thanks to unique geology created during the Ice Age, when a mile-thick glacier carved out Okanagan Lake. Along the way, it deposited mineral-rich sands and soils ideal for the apples and grapes that make this Canada’s food basket, home to the country’s earliest-ripening fruit.

The Okanagan is also blessed with one of Canada’s warmest climates. Visitors are often shocked to see its dusty mountains, sandy vineyards, tumbleweeds, ponderosa pines, cacti, and even rattlesnakes. In Canada? In Canada! After all, the Okanagan slinks down into the United States’ Great Desert Basin—with hot summers and sunny powder-snow winters, outdoor activities are year-round here. The Kettle Valley Railway has over 350 miles of mountainous bike trails. There’s golf, parasailing, skiing and snowboarding at Apex and Big White resorts, plus hiking and horseback riding. In the Okanagan, connecting with nature is unavoidable.

IN SOME PLACES, HISTORY OOZES DOWN STREETS LIKE A RIPE BRIE. COBBLESTONES TELL STORIES, RUINS REVEAL HARDSHIPS AND HAPPENSTANCE, AND MEMORIALS SPEAK OF WARS FOUGHT AND BLOOD SPILLED.

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a New lifeThe mix of agriculture and outdoor life is what summoned Igor and Irma Ruffa of Bella Stella Cheese, who sought a simple country setting for their young family to farm. The Alpine meadows, rich grasslands, and northern sun of the Okanagan reminded Igor of his boyhood in Switzerland.

The Ruffas had begun making cheese in the Alps but realized they’d never be able to afford the operation they dreamed of there—in Canada, though, it was possible. They emigrated in 2011 and settled in Lumby, a tiny town in the Monashee Mountains. With a population of 1,700, the hamlet is off the beaten path, allowing Igor to work free from distraction.

The Ruffas make farmers’ market rounds a couple of times a week. I meet Igor on a hot September morning in his small booth at the market in Kelowna. We speak of his quest to locate the highest-quality organic milk; he says he’s found it down the road at a dairy in Lumby. Our

conversation is interrupted when a family approaches and begins chatting in Italian. They soon leave with several wheels of Bella Stella Formaggella, a washed-rind disk that they tell me reminds them of home.

Igor is a quiet, unassuming man who believes that cheese is alive and sensitive to the seasons, sun, grass, and more. His constant pursuit to better his product is driven by warm memories of Alpine meadows, cheeses made by his grandmother, and a life less complicated.

Monashee Gold is born of that nostalgia. It’s a firm cheese that’s sweet, salty, buttery, and rich. Made with Jersey cow’s milk, it’s the closest Igor may ever get to his fabled childhood Swiss cheese, due to terroir differences. After all, there are no edelweiss flowers for cattle to nibble in Lumby’s White Valley, half a world away.

the Gouda lifeEuropean immigrants are just as fond of Triple Island Farm, run by Helma and Johan Tuitjel and their family in Cherryville, just 11 miles from Bella Stella. In 2001, the family left the Netherlands for Canada on a dairy farm work permit and fell in love with the region. By 2005, they had purchased a cattle ranch in Cherryville. They worked as beef producers before switching to dairy, and began cheese production in 2008 with 12 cows. Today, Canadian law requires a minimum aging period of two months for unpasteurized wheels, which means that Triple Island’s

THIS PAGE: A display in Triple Island Farm’s facility, top. Bella Stella cheeses rest on racks, left. Mountain vistas are a hallmark of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, right. OPPOSITE PAGE: The Kettle Valley Railway boasts over 350 miles of bike trails.

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“mild” Gouda is more like Europe’s “medium.” They also offer medium, medium-extra, and aged versions, which they sell at local farmers’ markets.

I brave the Gouda-seeking crowds to chat with the couple. Helma excuses herself when an older German woman approaches, and quickly fetches two large bags with over $200 worth of cheese for her. They chat briefly, lamenting tourist traffic and gas prices while money changes hands.

I ask the woman if she is buying for a deli or restaurant. No, she replies—she drove over 100 miles just to buy Triple Island cheese, a trip she makes three or four times a year. Their gouda, she tells me, is the only one that’s reminiscent of the Bavarian cheeses of her youth. It’s worth the journey—and far cheaper than even the mass-produced versions.

With no middlemen, no retail sales, and no need to advertise, the Tuitjels sell their product for a song. In fact, the cheese is so sought-after regionally that Triple Island still lacks a strong web presence. Their main promotional strategy is a pamphlet

in the market booth explaining the creamery’s business ethos.

By the time the market closes, the Triple Island display is almost empty, their Maasdammer and vast range of Goudas—including ones flavored with stinging nettle, cumin, and chives—in the hands of happy customers.

gone West Not all Okanagan newcomers come from the Old World. Shana Miller, cheesemaker at Upper Bench Winery & Creamery, packed her life (and her five cats) into her car and drove over 3,500 miles from eastern Quebec to settle in Penticton, in the South Okanagan. She sought adventure and a job, but little did she know that joining Poplar Grove Winery’s cheese operation 14 years ago would set her career—and life—on an all-consuming path. Around the same time that Poplar Grove hired Shana as cheesemaker’s assistant, they hired Englishman Gavin Miller to make wine. Shana and Gavin soon fell in love and married, and when Poplar Grove’s owners divorced, Shana

and Gavin went their own way, founding Upper Bench.

Shana may just be the region’s biggest cheese nerd. She pores over 19th-century cheesemaking books and is so detail-oriented that once, when watching a documentary on Stilton, she zoomed into the footage and watched frame by frame to study factory settings for humidity and temperature.

She boasts that her greatest cheese compliment came when some Quebeckers ate her Upper Bench Gold and said it was how Oka—a Quebecois washed-rind cheese with Trappist origins—used to taste. Her U&Brie has an unexpectedly mild rind, rendering it as delicate as it is rich. And Upper Bench’s biggest seller, King Cole Blue, is a soft, gooey wheel that can turn blue cheese haters into lovers.

Despite a successful line that often sells out before new batches can be shelved, Shana is a mad scientist in her lab, ever tinkering with new products. Her latest project is a lactic acid cheese similar to Valençay—a tart, gooey mess that gushes when cut. She shows me a specialty blue

THIS PAGE: Triple Island Farm cheeses age on wooden boards. OPPOSITE PAGE: An assortment of Triple Island Farm cheeses, top left. Igor Ruffa of Bella Stella Cheese stirs curds, top right. Dairy cows at Triple Island Farm munch hay, bottom.

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EATWaterfront Wines RestaurantVoted the Okanagan’s Best Restaurant by Vancouver Magazine eight years running, Waterfront Wines offers hyper-local farm-to-plate dining. With no minors allowed, it’s perfect for tasting the region’s best in a quiet ambiance with attentive service.

1180 Sunset Dr., Kelowna250.979.1222waterfrontrestaurant.ca

Micro This informal speakeasy serves up seasonal bar bites—plus a killer cheese plate—in a small space befitting its name. It’s a project of chef Rod Butters, author of The Okanagan Table: The Art of Everyday Home Cooking (Figure 1 Publishing, 2017). And be sure to check out RauDZ Regional Table, Butters’ more formal restaurant just three doors down.

1500 Water St., Kelowna778.484.3500microkelowna.com

The Bohemian CaféOpen only for breakfast and lunch, the “Boh” is a much-loved local eatery. Not only does this friendly, sunshine-yellow spot boast homemade breads and jams, the Canadian bacon for the eggs Benedict is cured in-house, too.

524 Bernard Ave., Kelowna 250.862.3517bohemiancater.com

SEEWinery ToursTouring—and tasting—is a must. Whether you visit a few wineries yourself or hire a tour company like Experience or Uncorked, there are more than 100 wineries to try, many open year-round.

uncorkedokanagan.comexperiencewinetours.ca

CyclingBike the historic Myra Canyon’s trestles and tunnels in the Kettle Valley Railway, on your own or with a guided tour. Inclines are gentle, so even beginner cyclists can handle a day trip.myracanyonrental.com

Horseback RidingExperience a private horseback trail ride through the ponderosa pines and tumbleweeds at Broken Rail Ranch, starting at $50 per person.

674 Petterson Rd., West Kelowna250.864.4226brokenrailranch.com

Carmelis Goat Cheese ArtisanOn the outskirts of Kelowna, you’ll find this popular destination; admire the goats and sample cheese in the on-site shop. Don’t miss the goat’s milk gelato—the salted caramel flavor is a revelation.

170 Timberline Rd., Kelowna250.764.9033carmelisgoatcheese.com

STAYSpirit RidgeThis lodge in Osoyoos offers full-service suites with kitchens, grills, and fireplaces year-round. On the NK’MIP Cellars Winery grounds nearby are a golf course and extensive trails for hiking and mountain biking.

1200 Rancher Creek Rd., Osoyoos250.495.5445spiritridge.ca

The Cove Lakeside Resort Relax with incredible views at this resort in Kelowna, the Okanagan’s biggest city; memorable dining experiences and extensive outdoor activities of all kinds are close at hand.

4205 Gellatly Rd., West Kelowna 250.707.1800covelakeside.com

God’s Mountain EstateIf sipping wine in the sun with a good book sounds idyllic, visit this 115-acre mountain property in Penticton when it’s open from April through October. The 13-room Mediterranean-style villa hosts stunning al fresco dining with Joy Road Catering on Sunday nights and some Thursdays.

4898 Lakeside Rd., Penticton250.490.4800godsmountain.com P

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Triple Island Cheese

infused with cacao nibs, which she’s masterminding for Upper Bench’s Curds & Corks Club.

Despite the 2007 split from its namesake winery, Poplar Grove Cheese (Shana’s former stomping grounds) still thrives under original owner Gitta Pedersen. Its tried and true line—Naramata Bench Blue, Tiger Blue, Harvest Moon Washed Rind, and Okanagan Double-Cream Camembert—has a big following. Head cheesemaker Louise Pearson has her hands full, as the company now ships its small-batch cheeses coast to coast.

making historyThe lasting connection between Poplar Grove and Upper Bench epitomizes the Okanagan’s uniqueness as a food region. Despite becoming “competition” over the years, the makers remain close friends. From wineries to restaurants to farmers’ market stalls, everyone raves about the

talents of someone else. “Being supported by industry peers who you know on a first-name basis—this camaraderie can be felt by all of us,” says Pearson. Shana Miller agrees: “We sincerely appreciate the support of those around us, working alongside us and encouraging us to succeed in our little piece of paradise here in Penticton,” she says.

Perhaps nobody sums up the Okanagan’s current food zeitgeist better

than Jennifer Schell, author of The Butcher, The Baker, The Wine & Cheese Maker in the Okanagan (TouchWood Editions, 2016), an award-winning book about the local food community.

“Because this region is so new, [cheesemakers] can be like cheese cowboys and cowgirls and go wild with experimenting,” Schell says. “We are attracting world-class artisans and winemakers who want to become part of the history we are now creating.”

With the population increasing on average by eight percent yearly, the food scene in this sunny artisanal outpost is bound to keep evolving. There may not be much cheese history in the Okanagan, but it’s got a whole lot of future. c

STEFFANI CAMERON is a freelance writer based in Vancouver, Canada.

Kees Tuijtel (Johan’s son) of Triple Island Farm, top. Upper Bench Winery & Creamery Belle Marie, a young, lactic cheese coated in ash, bottom.

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