Frank Luca Creative Co.

Costa & Jody Gavaris, with their son, Stratis, standing in front of their God's Mountain Estate vineyard, overlooking Skaha Lake in Penticton, British Columbia.

An afternoon with Rigour & Whimsy

Riesling grapes growing at God's Mountain Estate above Skaha Lake in the Okanagan region of British Columbia.




Late last summer, I was invited to visit my friends & frequent collaborators Rigour & Whimsy. Our day started off at their newly leased vineyard located at God's Mountain Estate, which runs alongside Skaha Lake. If you have had the privilege of meeting Costa, Jody Gavaris, & their son Stratis, then you know that spending any amount of time with them is guaranteed to be a highlight of your day. They are the amoung the kindest, most humble people I have had the pleasure of meeting & working with.


After touring the estate & tasting a few of the not-quite-yet-vine-ripened Riesling grapes, we headed over to Echo Bay Vineyard, the space where they are currently making their otherworldly wines.

It was here that I was fortunate enough to taste a preview of the upcoming wines, straight from the barrel. Amoung those tasted were the 2019 Roussanne Marsanne & 2019 Orienteering in the Underworld Syrah; both delicious, even if they hadn't quite yet reached their full barrel-aged potential.

We then moved outside where we tasted the recently released 2018 Roussanne Marsanne Skin Fermented Amber Wine & the 2019 Cowabunga! Sparkling Wine – both of which were not set to be released for another month with their bi-annual wine club shipment. Hearing Costa discuss the winemaking process & his intentions with his Rigour & Whimsy wines is equally as inspiring as tasting them, something that I've been fortunate enough to experience on more than one occasion.

If you're ever in Okanagan Falls, do not hesitate to reach out & book a tasting for a truly memorable experience. If you're not following them on Instagram yet, make sure to do so to find out about upcoming releases. Alternatively, next time you see a bottle in your favourite wine shop, do yourself a favour & give it a try!



Riesling grapes growing at God's Mountain Estate above Skaha Lake in the Okanagan region of British Columbia.

Costa & Jody Gavaris, with their son, Stratis, standing in front of their God's Mountain Estate vineyard, overlooking Skaha Lake in Penticton, British Columbia.

Costa & Jody Gavaris, with their son, Stratis, picking Riesling grapes in their vineyard above Skaha Lake in Penticton, BC.

Gewürztraminer grapes growing at God's Mountain Estate in the Okanagan region of British Columbia.

Gewürztraminer grapes growing at God's Mountain Estate in the Okanagan region of British Columbia.

Winemaker Costa Gavaris in the wine cellar at Echo Bay Vineyard, where the production of Rigour & Whimsy wines currently takes place.

Costa taking a sample of his 2019 Roussanne Marsanne amber wine from the barrel.

Costa taking a sample of his 2019 Roussanne Marsanne amber wine from the barrel.

Winemakers Costa and Keenan (Sage Hills Winery) tasting Syrah in the wine cellar at Echo Bay Vineyard.

Winemaker Keenan Thrussell (Sage Hills / Keenan) tasting & giving notes on 2019 Orienteering in the Underworld Syrah.

Costa pouring a sample from the barrel of 2019 Orienteering in the Underworld Syrah for two guests in the wine cellar.

Barrels of soon-to-be-bottled 2019 Orienteering in the Underworld Syrah in the wine cellar.

Winemaker Costa Gavaris giving winery guests a preview of two newly bottled wines outside Echo Bay winery in Okanagan Falls, British Columbia.

Barrels outside the wine cellar at Echo Bay Vineyard in Okanagan Falls, British Columbia.

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