The Difference Between Knowing Wine and Making Wine w/ Katie Truscott (Part 2)

Ep 143

Wine school can teach you the theory, but it cannot teach you what actually happens once the grapes hit the cellar.

Today on the podcast I have Katie Truscott from 1 Mill Road Winery in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada back on the podcast. She talks about the shift from studying wine to making it, and what changes once that knowledge has to be put into practice. From learning cellar basics the hard way to realizing how much of winemaking is practical rather than academic, Katie dives into the steep learning curve behind the scenes of making wine at a small winery

Katie also digs into winemaking philosophy, from honoring the vineyard and responding to the growing season to staying hands off in the cellar whenever possible. Sustainability, patience, and refinement over growth all come into focus as part of a long term vision rooted in place rather than production volume.

So if you’ve ever wondered how wine goes from something you study to something you trust your hands and instincts to create, this episode offers a behind the scenes look at what really makes great wine.

Don’t miss part 1 of my conversation with Katie where we chat about what makes Okanagan Valley wine so different!

Thank you to the following brands for sponsoring this podcast:

• Bon Chocolats: Go to www.bonchocolats.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ10 for 10% off your order!
• Pour Memory: Use code CORKANDFIZZ for 15% off your purchase at www.pourmemory.com. I’d recommend a starter kit that includes a journal and 24 or 48 labels. Don’t forget to download the Pour Memory iOS app to track your bottles digitally too.

Connect with Katie

Personal Instagram - @katies.wine.life

Winery Instagram - @1millroad

Website - https://www.1millroad.ca/

Episode Highlights:

• What wine education does not prepare you for
• Learning winemaking through hands on experience
• Why cleanliness in the cellar matters
• How the growing season shapes wine style
• Blending decisions and palate fatigue
• Letting the vineyard lead the process
• Sustainability beyond environmental buzzwords
• Why growth is about precision, not volume

Transcript

0:00

Ever forget where you got a bottle of wine or why it mattered? One of today's sponsors, Pour Memory helps you capture the stories, people and moments behind every bottle. Jot notes on their labels, track them in the journal, or use their app. Check it out@pourmemory.com and make every bottle unforgettable. Interested in learning about wine but not sure where to start? You're in the right place. Welcome to the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine Podcast. I'm your host Hailey Bohlman and I'm so glad you're here. I'm a wine enthusiast turned wine educator and founder of the Seattle based wine tasting business Cork and Fizz. It is my goal to build your confidence in wine by making it approachable and lots of fun. You can expect to learn everything from how to describe your favorite wine to what to pair with, dinner tonight and so much more. Whether you're a casual wine sipper or a total cork dork like myself, this podcast is for you. So grab yourself a glass and let's dive in. Hello and welcome back to the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine podcast. Today you'll be listening to part two of my interview with Katie from One Mill Road up in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. If you have not heard part one, this is your first time hearing about Katie. I highly recommend pause this episode. Go listen to episode 142 first. I'll be here for you when you get back. As a reminder, Katie is co owner of One Mill Road Winery. Like I said up in Okanagan Valley of British Columbia which is in Western Canada. Katie and her partner Ben run this small family focused winery that's really all about expressive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and letting their little corner of the Okanagan shine. What I love about Katie is that she brings both the wine nerd side she has her W set diploma and the real hands on let's actually make and sell this wine side. She's thoughtful, down to earth and has such a cool perspective on what it takes to build a winery from the ground up. So if you've been curious about Canadian wine or what life looks like behind the scenes at a tiny quality driven winery, you're going to enjoy this one. In this episode we'll talk about how Katie's Debusset diploma translates into real life in the cellar. The winemaking philosophy that she and Ben live by At 1 Mill Road, the behind the scenes decisions that shape their Pinot Noir in Chardonnay, plus a very fun speed round where Katie Shares her favorite wines, dream, wine destination, and one wine myth that she wishes we'd all stop believing. So let's dive in. Okay, so I want to switch over to talking about. So you, when you got into wine, it was through wset and you got your WSET diplo. So that is somewhat of a, you know, thinking about it as like a scholarly way going into to wine. But now you own or co. Own a winery, and you're getting a little bit of a crash course, as you might say, on the practical side of winemaking. And I know you said you guys kind of split the. The duties, so you do more than just winemaking. Right. Owning a winery has a lot of pieces to it, but I'm curious, how does your experience kind of on the scholarly side and doing the WSET diplomatic affect your new venture into this practical side of winemaking and owning a winery? Yeah. And also, Ben is. He's a perfectionist. He's the probably the cleanest, tidiest person in our home life, but also in the winery. So, I mean, they feel like you could lick the floor of the winery and be okay. So I am kind of learning under watching, I feel like. But I'm biased, the best of the best, because he's just. He's so methodical and careful about every step that he takes. For me, it was like I spent the first year kind of like jaw to the floor. Oh, so that's how that works. Oh, seeing that take place or like, oh, it's that easy, you know, kind of like you learn. You learn on the academic side how to write an essay about how, you know, chardonnay is made or the different options that take place. But seeing it is another thing. And what I did pick up was that it's very practical. You know, it's. It's not rocket science, but like, practical things like, you know, being able to put tubes on tanks and stuff that I didn't know how to do. So I felt quite useless for the first year or two, like, just with. With the extremely practical side of just being able to, you know, do pump overs and. And test bricks and stuff. These were all like, you know, look easy from the outside, but I'd never done it before. I just talked about it. So that's interesting. Yeah. And like you said too, about, like, being very clean in the winery, I'm sure, like, that's something that, like, even just from, like, looking from the outside, I've noticed and realized that, like, that's not something I would think of when it comes to Winemaking, but it's probably incredibly important to keep everything clean. And that is, like, making the wine is part of the job, but also keeping the winery clean and being able to have everything to use to make the wine is also really important and probably not something you study much in W set. Yeah, exactly. No, it's. It's really. Cleanliness is really important, for sure. Yeah. Is there any lesson from your WSET studies that you felt like you understood intellectually but then, like, didn't grasp it fully until you were, like, hands on in the cellar? Well, I think it's. It wasn't one concrete thing. It was. It was really just. Just everything, you know, from, like, decisions around how much whole bunch to use versus, you know, de stemming stuff like that was kind of like, oh, and I. I'm always like, so why are we doing it this way? And why are we doing it that way? But it just. I don't know, it kind of like, oh, that makes sense now. I can see that. But every step of the way, there was little aha. Moments. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause I feel like if I were to, like, go into it, right, and, like, the winemaking, like, thinking about, like, one thing that came to mind was, like, the. The blending experience. And whether that's blending multiple varietals or just blending, you know, different barrels or different things to make your final wine, I feel like that's something you could. You. You have to learn by experience. You can never just, like, jump into and be like, oh, I studied this. I got this. Like, it's got to be like, you got to taste it and just kind of, like, know, learn as you go, I suppose. And that's, like. That's one of my favorite parts is the blending process for One Mill Road. And Ben is, like, such an all star at doing it. I just love it because he'll. He'll just set it all up for me, and I feel like he already knows which one he likes, but he'll just leave it, walk away, and let me just kind of taste through. And then we. We determine together kind of how. How the blends are going to work. But. But yeah, that's. That's a really, really fun part. Do you ever get palette fatigue when you're, like, trying to figure out what the blends. When you're trying all these different combinations? Oh, yeah, for sure, for sure. Which is nice. We have each other, right? Yeah. So to kind of like, push each other, challenge each other, like, why do you like this one? Or, you know, so that's Kind of nice. Yeah. Okay, so talking a little bit more about the winemaking and your winemaking philosophy, what are some non negotiables when it comes to the winemaking? Non negotiable, like, in terms of, like. Philosophy, because your wines are often described as, you know, they're very precise, reflective of the rhythm of the season. What are some things that, you know, Ben, and you are thinking about when, you know, you're. You're making the wine? We're always just trying to honor the vineyard. So by the time the fruit gets into the winery, the hard work has been done. You know, it really comes down to what's happened in the vineyard and what the season has provided for us. Decisions around picking, you know, how we farm gives us. And if we have. If we have a great vintage with fruit we're really happy with, it should be the easiest thing ever. Getting it into barrel or getting it, you know, getting into bottle. So it's really just honoring the vineyard the best that we can. We want to be able to taste the growing season and taste the place. And so it's. It's really just as hands off as possible. Does that mean that you typically don't know the style or, like, what the wine will end up being, like, until, like, by the time you pick, do you have. Is there, like, a time of the year where you're like, okay, I'm kind of getting an idea. This is what it'll be, or it's really not until, like, the very end when you, when you pick the grapes. Well, the growing season will tell us a lot about the wines that we're, you know, probably going to make. Like, you know, was it a quick, hot, short growing season? Did we get a nice, cool, long, slow growing season? Was there smoke in the air? You know, all those things determine. We're like, oh, this is. This is probably going to be the most, like, special vintage ever. This has been a bit more challenging, so we might make these decisions based on this, but Mother nature really kind of tells us what kind of wines we're going to be producing long before they get into the winery. Yeah. And I feel like those are, like, the best wines, and that's what makes wine so cool. Or at least to wine dorks like me, it's always just like, it's cool because, like, I could have a Chardonnay for one Mill Road, you know, one year, and then the next year it'll be totally different because it. The. The, you know, it'll still have the one Mill Road essence, but it's like the climate was totally different, and you had to kind of go with the flow and do what mother nature wanted to do with the grapes. Absolutely. Absolutely. I was tasting with a local restaurant here last week, and she. She said the nicest thing, and I thought it was really cool because right now we're kind of Mid Washington story wines that we're releasing. So our2024 is that we, where we source grapes from Horse Heaven Hills, Washington, are now kind of making their way out on market. So accounts and people that are used to tasting One Mill Road pinots and chards are now tasting like a 1 mil road grenache grown in Horse Heaven Hills or Syrah. And she said, you know, like, it was. It was really fascinating because I could still taste One Mill Road. I could still taste that style that you go for, you know, but it was like, we're in a different place, but there was still that style, that. That One Mill Road stamp. And I thought that that was kind of cool. Yeah, I feel like that's like you're doing something right. If they're like, you can taste a totally different wine and be like, oh, yeah. But that's still. It's still this winery. It's still. And it can. And it's probably because of how much, you know, how hands on you are in the. Not like, hands on. Like, you do a lot of stuff to the wine. You guys put your stamp on it in the winery and how you're working with it, and you care so much about it that it's gotta show and ending up in the wine. Yeah, yeah, I like to think so. For sure. All right, so you guys have done, I mean, from what I can tell, at least a decent amount of traveling. And especially since you guys come from different spots, with Ben spending a lot of time making wine in Australia, and you've started getting into wine down in South Africa, and you've probably met many winemakers along the way. Is there any. Do these kind of experiences in the different regions or different people, you know, have they helped inspire the winemaking techniques that you use or your winemaking philosophy at One Mill Road? Yeah. Well, I can't answer for Ben. I'm sure he'd have a whole bunch to kind of chat on. And for me, I'm still such a baby in this industry, but I've got to take it back to the Swartland in South Africa, kind of that and Chenin Blanc, where everything inspired me. And there is a producer, his name is Evan Sati, and his kind of philosophy around letting the vineyard speak for itself, picking earlier to achieve lower alcohols. These are all things that, you know, we also. Decisions we try and make to achieve a similar style. And. And I just, I mean, yeah, it was his wines that really had a lot of aha moments for me. Did you have any wineries or, like I said, like, from travel, that inspired thinking about, like, on your side of things, the. The marketing or the experiences, you know, getting your wine out to people were. Did you also kind of follow some wineries footsteps in that sense as well? Yeah, just. I mean, there's tons of producers in South Africa when I was there of this, like, wave of fresh, kind of young winemakers that were doing things differently. They were. They were going out into Swartland and working with old bush vines and. And kind of more obscure varieties. They made Cinso cool again, which used to be. I mean, it was essentially grown to be a blending grape, and they were coming out with old bush vine Cinso, and it was really like all of them that inspired me. And I. And I still watch all their stuff here in the Okanagan, and I am just like, I'm always seeing what they're up to and I just. That. That wave of, like, thinking about wine differently and approaching it differently. Yeah. Very inspirational to this day. All right, well, let's talk a little bit about sustainability, because I feel like One Mill Road does put, you know, put a strong emphasis on sustainability. So for smaller wineries, what does that mean in, like, a practical sense? Right, because sustainability, let's be real, it's like, it's a buzzword, especially in the wine world. So what. What does that kind of look like, practically? I love producing this podcast for you every week, but here's the truth. It's not free. That's why I'm so grateful for sponsors, like the following brands supporting me so that I can share everything I love about wine with you. If you're able, show them some support back. Thank you to Pour Memory, a brilliant way to capture the stories and moments behind every bottle of wine you enjoy. For sponsoring today's episode. One of my favorite things about wine isn't just the flavor. It's the memories it creates. If you're like me, sometimes the wines you love have nothing to do with the flavor and everything to do with the people you share them with and the moment you open them, that's exactly what Pour Memory helps you record. Pour Memory's labels stick on your bottles without leaving a residue, and the top layer goes into the journal. After you enjoy it, you can track what you loved, who you shared it with, and what made it memorable. Plus, they have an iOS app so you can scan, track and digitally journal your bottles. On the go. Start capturing your wine memories, because every bottle has a story worth Remembering. Go to pourmemory.com and use code corkandfizz for 15% off your purchase. I'll be honest, I never really believed chocolate could pair well with wine until I partnered with Bon Chocolates for a local event. Rasha, the owner, created four incredible truffles that matched perfectly with the wines we were tasting. Bon Chocolates is a European inspired chocolatier right here in the Seattle area. Making beautiful bonbons and confections with fine chocolate in all natural ingredients. They make the perfect gift. Visit their local shop and bottle or order online at bonchocolatz.com and use code corkandfiz10 for 10% off. Yeah, so for. For small wineries like us, it's not a marketing word. It's kind of a daily choice that we make. So just being thoughtful about everything from a human level and an earth level too. So it's, it's really just about thoughtful choices the whole way through. So being thoughtful about your irrigation reducing sprays, utilizing cover crops. Yeah. And also supporting, on a human level, your community, other growers, other wineries. For us, that is sustainability, because that's giving life and a future to BC Wine. Yeah, exactly. I think a lot of people, when they think of sustainability, they automatically think of the environmental impact. But I know there's, there's a big push too, for, like you said, there's that human impact and making sure that, you know who's picking your grapes and making sure that they're treated well. And like you said, also supporting other wineries and realizing that, like, you can't succeed on your own. You're. You're gonna, you know, you're gonna have the best success together. And so however you can, you know, continue to grow the community and help the others around you. And, you know, for example, like, when you got to make those connections down in Washington, I'm sure that was kind of another example of, like, why it's so important. The people behind the wine as well. Mm. 100%. Yeah. And that's, that's a big part of our storytelling too. So if you, you know, follow us on our social media or look at our website, it's that human element. It's really trying to tell the story about our growers that we work with, about our Family about, you know, it's, it's wine is such a personal thing. It's. And there's an opportunity to tell a story all the time. So it's just so much more than just a bottle of wine. Okay. Looking towards the future, what's next for you in One Mill Road, where, you know, if I asked you to, like, look five, 10 years down the road, what. What would you hope to see? Yeah, for us, it's, it's definitely like, it's not about getting bigger, faster. For us, it's about refinement. So how do we keep refining our craft and, and getting better at what we do? You know, exploring single vineyard expressions, how can we expand that program, you know, being more and more precise so this like. Yeah, and just being thoughtful. So, yeah, just. Just refining the craft and what we do and kind of like diving into being able to do more single venue expressions, work with more growers that we align with and, and be able to just tell more stories about the land. I love it. Do you have any, like, goals, kind of like lofty goals that are out there of like, either like, I'd like to see our wine and like so and so restaurant, or I'd like to see this. Is there anything that's kind of put up in that, like, this is our special celebratory bottle will open when we achieve this or something? I mean, yeah, I think, like, we love working with restaurants because we love eating and drinking. Who does it, man? We just love it. We love going into Vancouver and trying all the new places and of course, like, it's goals to have your wine on those lists and that's, that's definitely a big part of what we do. We work with a lot of restaurants around bc. I mean, for us, it was such a, such a humbling and huge win to get a gold for our 2023 Chardonnay at the Decanter World Wine Awards. You know, it felt great to be recognized at that level out of so many wines submitted. And it also just felt great for our industry and just felt great for BC wines. So it would be wonderful to get another award like that down the line or be recognized in that way on a, on a global stage because it doesn't just feel good for your brand and the hard work you've poured in, it feels good for the B.C. wine industry too. Yeah. All right, so I end every interview with what I call my speed round. I don't say speed as in, like, I'm expecting you to like, buzzer in quickly and Answer quickly. It's more like these questions, like, go with what comes to mind first. Cause otherwise you could be pondering on them for a long time is kind. Of the idea you need to answer, like, quick, quick, quick. Nope, you're good. No, no need to. Like, if you need a second to think about it, that's fine. It's more just like, if I let you ponder on it too long, we would be here all day. Right, Right. So, for example, first question is, what is your favorite wine at the moment? So I didn't try it, like, yesterday, but my most favorite wine in recent memory that Ben and I shared was a 2022 Kelly Mason Chardonnay. She is a producer who's absolutely killing it in the Niagara region of Ontario. That's the most, like, fascinating, delicious chard that was so expressive. Like, you really felt transported to where it came from. So very fun, beautiful wine. And Niagara is on the other side. Yeah. And it was just over 12% alcohol, too, so similar sort of like, style and an approach to making Chardonnay as us. So, like, we're. Yeah, we're big fans of her and what she's doing. I love it. Okay, how about, what is a go to bottle of wine to bring to a dinner party or to share with friends? Well, I just love talking about South Africa. So just take anything from South Africa. There's. And. And it's so exciting here because we're getting more and more, like, of the smaller producers and the higher end, kind of like premium expressions of South African wine here on the shelves. Whereas five years ago, you were, you know, South African wine, in people's mind was, like, $10 and below. And now we're really starting to see these small, single vineyards, like, wines coming in from South Africa. So, yeah, any. Any chance I can get, I will. I will grab it. Yeah, I love it. I just interviewed a South African winemaker, and it definitely made me want to, like, I'm like, wow, I do not know enough about South African wine. And I have not tried enough because like you said, in my mind, it was kind of just like, okay, there's like, you know, the $10 Chenin Blanc that just, like, you know, it's usually off dry, not that exciting, and then maybe like a Pinotage or like these big, bold Cabernets. Yeah. You know, and I was talking to him about it, and he's like, talking about all these other varieties that they're making. And you even mentioned, like, the Cinson now that is, like, coming out of there, and it's like, oh, yeah, I gotta try that. I am missing out. There we go, spreading the word. Yeah. All right, how about what is. And maybe we already know the answer to this. What is your favorite wine region that you've ever visited? Swartland, South Africa. I had a feeling. Okay, all right, I gotta pick some new ones. Hey, if it's your favorite, you can't change that. But now we're gonna flip. And you. When you own a winery and there's two of you that run it with no staff outside of, like, you know, the. The labor of your children, we don't travel a huge amount right now. No, that's fair. Okay, so. But I am. I'm going to flip the question now and say, if you could travel when you're looking forward to it, what's a wine region you would like to visit that you haven't been to before? I would love to go to the Central Otago in New Zealand. I'd love to explore that. Yeah, it's also New Zealand just looks so beautiful, like. And a lot of people talk about the comparisons landscape wise at the Okanagan Valley to Central Otago, similar varieties being produced. So I would just love to go explore. There's. Yeah. Cool. Okay, how about a favorite wine and food pairing? Oh, a couple of weeks ago, with our. The end of our tomatoes in the garden, I made a pretty killer tomato soup. I was very proud of myself. And we did grilled cheese and chablis. Ooh, good. I love it because I'm like, well, you can't have tomato soup without grilled cheese. And then it's like, ooh, what wine are we gonna put with that? A good, like, high acid Chardonnay. Yum. All right, if I were to give you a thousand dollars to spend on wine, how would you go about spending that? We obviously don't have to know, like, exact bottles. If you have some in mind, please share more. Like, what would be. Like, what would be your. Your. You know, how would you go into spending that thousand dollars? Well, I think, you know, wine is best shared with friends and family and people, so I would want to kind of share the love. Maybe build a bit of, like, a global tour and put together a bunch of wines from different parts of the world and do like, a really fun blind tasting with friends. I love that idea. That's so fun to, like, try all kinds of different things and then invite everyone over and be like, all right, let's do this. Yeah, totally. Oh, that's. You learn something along the way. Yeah, definitely. And you just have. Oh, my gosh. Those nights with friends, I feel like, are just ones that you can't, you know, you can't replicate in any other way. They. They stick around in your memories, and they're what you go to whenever, you know, you're having a bad moment. You're like, oh, that night with friends, that was so fun. And wine is, you know, wine's designed to be shared and bring people together. So that's why the bottles are so big. Right. You're not supposed to drink it by yourself. It happens sometimes, but, you know, we're trying to share with friends. Totally, Totally. Okay, last question. What is one wine myth that bugs you the most? I would probably say, you know, and winemakers are important, but it's maybe the amount of emphasis we place on the winemaker and not as much on place of the vineyard. I agree. Well, because a lot of us, I mean, yes, the winemaker's job is hard. Like, no doubting that. But it is really important. The best wines come, are made in the vineyard, and, you know, the. The place that they're grown. You want to. You want to taste that. Well, Ben will tell you, you know, his job as our winemaker is to get out of the way as much as. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Gosh. And be patient. I feel like that's one thing I've learned from winemakers, that I'm like, how do you do it? They're like, I just put it in the barrel, and it might taste a little weird or it tastes good going in, and then three months later, and it tastes weird. I'm like, no, no, no. It's in its teenage phase. It's going to be better. And then, you know, later. And it does. And it does its thing, and it's like, wow, you have so much trust and patience in what grapes are going to do for you. Yeah, we get a. We get a lot of questions about, like, from this vintage, it's be our biggest vintage yet, you know, what are you going to release? How are you going to release it? What are you going to call it? And we're just like, we don't know. Everything's in barrel right now. It's all separated. And we're just like, we're going to watch it and see what happens, make some decisions on how we want to present the 2025 vintage to the world, you know? Gosh. So fun. All right, any last words that you'd like to share about 1 mill road, about Okanagan Valley before we end the. End the show? Yeah. Well, just because you probably can't drink our wines or it's going to be hard to source, we still would love it if you followed along in this story. We just love talking to people from all over the world and sharing about what we're doing. And who knows, maybe one day you'll just be able to walk to your local store and get some. I don't know. I love it. I'm hoping one day. And also a great place to visit. It sounds like, you know, you could, you could actually make multiple trips there and try lots of different things. So, and, and talk about B.C. wine. Like study it more, look into it. It's. It's. Yeah, let's. Let's spread the word about Canadian wine. For sure. I love it. All right, well, thank you so much for joining me, Katie. It was awesome to have you on the show. Thanks for having me. Cheers. Cheers. I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine podcast. You can learn more about 1 Mill Road Winery at their website, 1 Number 1 Millroad CA. Remember, they are in Canada. For those that are in Canada, that is also where you can purchase their wine. Unfortunately, their wines are pretty difficult to get here in the US but you can make an effort to change that by asking for Canadian wine and asking for Okanagan wine at your favorite wine shop, wine bar or restaurant. Let's get the world excited about Canadian wine. And although you might not be able to try their wine yet, you can follow along on their journey. So if you're on Instagram, be sure to follow Katie. Her handle is Aties wine line Life. You can follow her journey and then you can follow 1 Mill Road at 1, the number 1 Mill Road. If you love this episode as much as I did, I'd love it. If you take a quick second rate it, leave a review, share it with another wine lover, share it with someone who's never heard of Canadian wine. Be like, listen, they're making wine up in Canada and I think we need to try it. Which means I think we need to visit there. Right? This is just going to be the start of a great, a great wine trip up to the Okanagan. And if you'd like to show additional support for the show, you can become a paid subscriber, click the link in the show notes, and become a monthly supporter for $10 or less a month. This is not required. All of these episodes are available to you free, including my entire backlog. But if you wanted to show some more support, you can do that you'll get a shout out in the next episode I record. Plus, if you choose the $10 per month option, you'll get to choose a topic for a future episode. In next week's episode, we're talking about why it's so important to serve your wine at the right temperature. And no, that doesn't mean room temperature for red wines. Thanks again for listening. And if you want to learn more about wine, come follow me at Cork and Fizz on Instagram. Cheers.