PASCAL MADEVON

Le vin, c'est la vie

There is something quite special about wine. It plays on nature’s terroir, sparks conversation, brings people together. It is musical and scientific, calculated and free. A mix of contemporary and traditional, of culture and technique. Wine is full of life, illuminates life, and, in essence, represents my life. 

It all started in Paris, France: growing up, I was raised with the notion that wine is an important part of education and culture. During my childhood, I would live for the weekends in Burgundy where I spent my days playing with the soil of my grandfather’s vineyard and studying the different hues and bouquets that come from different varietals. It sparked in me a profound appetite for agriculture, and inspired me to move to the wine capital of the world: Bordeaux.

There, I was classically trained as an expert viticulturist and oenologist. It has always been important for me to be involved in the entire story of a wine, to understand where it came from and what it could become. To this day, my mission is to unleash, from the terroir, the true signature of each and every wine. 

And so I have done as head winemaker of prestigious estates. From Winemaker at St-Estephe’s Château Laffitte Carcasset and Technical Director of Château la Tour Blanche, a cru bourgeois domain, to General Manager of Château la Tour Carnet, a classified growth in Médoc, my 15+ years of experience in French winemaking speak to the measure of my savoir-faire. 

Yet, I find that there is always something new to learn, to discover when it comes to wine. In 2001, I joined consultant Alain Sutre for the first harvest of Okanagan winery Osoyoos Larose. I had never experienced such an interesting and diverse terroir, driven by microclimates and colourful soil types. Impassioned by this new area, I permanently moved from the old world to the new and joined the team as winemaker and vineyard manager, forging the legacy of the ultra premium estate. 

Once again looking for a new opportunity to play with wine, I then joined the Triggs family at Culmina Family Estate Winery in 2013. With a common appreciation for the artistry and technique that dictate a wine, we crafted 90+ point wines that best showcase the merit of the Okanagan terroir. 

This valley has now taught me much of what I know, and I look forward to sharing my expertise with those who, like me, have a passion for vine and wine. 

If I am not in a vineyard, in a cellar, or at a wine festival, you will find me in my garden, in my wood workshop, traveling with my wife, or surfing with my three daughters. 

Let's talk soon. A bientôt.