Priest Creek 2023 Chardonnay
Emily’s elegant local white — bright, polished, and food-friendly, with the versatility to move effortlessly from a sunny patio afternoon to a relaxed summer dinner.
Emily’s Bottle Insight
Some bottles bring adventure to a curated case. Others bring balance, versatility, and the confidence of knowing you have the right wine ready for dinner. Priest Creek’s 2023 Chardonnay is that bottle.
Emily selected it as the elegant local white in her Summer Selects Collection — a Chardonnay with a distinctly Okanagan identity, chosen to complement warm-weather meals without feeling overly heavy or formal.
It is the kind of bottle that can begin with a glass on the patio, continue alongside dinner, and remain just as welcome when friends stay a little longer than planned.
From Family Roots to the South Kelowna Wine Trail
Priest Creek Family Estate Winery grew from Darren and Jane Sawin’s wish to raise their children on a vineyard and reconnect their family with its farming roots. After purchasing the estate vineyard in 2015, they began building a boutique winery shaped by hands-on farming, family involvement, and a deep respect for the land.
Located along the South Kelowna Wine Trail, the estate is surrounded by vineyard rows and mountain vistas. Chardonnay is among the varieties grown on the property, alongside Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and thirty-year-old Gewürztraminer vines.
The winery describes its approach as low intervention, using gentle pressing, carefully selected yeasts, manual work in the cellar, and gravity flow wherever possible. The result is a winemaking philosophy designed to let the fruit, vineyard, and season remain at the centre of the bottle.
What You’ll Discover
Emily’s Style Profile: Bright, polished, approachable, and food-friendly.
Character: A local Chardonnay selected for freshness, versatility, and an elegant summer feel.
Best Served: Nicely chilled, but not ice-cold, so the wine can open and show more of its character in the glass.
Varietal: Chardonnay.
Region: South Kelowna, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia.
Emily’s Pairing Pick
This Chardonnay is a natural partner for salmon, prawns, grilled chicken, crab cakes, creamy pasta, summer salads, and soft cheeses. Its approachable style also makes it a lovely choice for a simple patio lunch, a seafood dinner, or an evening of relaxed entertaining.
For Emily’s ideal summer pairing, serve it with cedar-plank salmon, roasted seasonal vegetables, and a table set outside as the afternoon begins to cool.
Why It Belongs in Emily’s Case
The Elegant Local White. One bottle of Priest Creek 2023 Chardonnay is included in Emily’s Curated Summer Case.
While the Niche Foch brings discovery and the River Stone Merlot provides a smooth red anchor, this Chardonnay gives the case freshness, flexibility, and an easy connection to summer dining.
It is familiar enough to feel reassuring, yet local enough to introduce customers to another story from the Okanagan — exactly the balance Emily wants every curated case to offer.
Bottle Details
Wine: Priest Creek 2023 Chardonnay
Winery: Priest Creek Family Estate Winery
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: South Kelowna, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Case Role: The Elegant Local White
SKU: 253986
ARC Price: $28.29 before applicable taxes and fees
Approximate Total: $32.53
Current Stock: 6 bottles on hand
Curated Case Quantity: One bottle
Inventory is based on ARC Liquor Harvey’s latest stock update and may change. Please confirm availability before travelling for a specific bottle.
A polished South Kelowna Chardonnay chosen for seafood, grilled chicken, creamy pasta, patio lunches, and summer evenings when an elegant local white feels exactly right.
A Local White Rooted in Family
Priest Creek Family Estate Winery began with a family’s desire to return to its farming roots and raise the next generation among the vines. That story gives this Chardonnay a sense of place that reaches beyond what is poured into the glass.
Situated along the South Kelowna Wine Trail, the estate combines vineyard farming with a gentle, low-intervention approach in the cellar. Chardonnay is part of a diverse estate vineyard planted alongside Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and mature Gewürztraminer vines.
I selected this Chardonnay because every summer case needs a local white that feels elegant without feeling complicated. It can welcome guests on the patio, carry comfortably through dinner, and remind us that some of the most enjoyable wines are the ones that simply fit the moment.
For customers searching for a versatile local white, this is the bottle that brings freshness, balance, and easy summer elegance to Emily’s case.
Emily’s style and pairing descriptions are curated recommendations for the Summer Selects Collection. They should not be interpreted as formal tasting notes issued by the winery.
Emily’s Summer Selects Collection
