At Upper Bench, wine and cheese are all in the family
Cheese expert Shana Miller finds peace in her craft at Canada’s only maker of both products
Upper Bench Gold is a washed-rind cheese that Shana Miller makes by hand in small batches at Upper Bench Winery & Creamery.
CHEESE AND WINE are the ultimate time-tested pairing, but few places combine the craft of making each on the same site and within the same family. A Canadian rarity, Penticton’s Upper Bench Winery & Creamery is the only producer of both wine and cheese in the country.
For cheesemaker Shana Miller, the task is more than art and science; it’s also a balm for her soul. It also happens to be the kind of work that fits quite nicely with pandemic-era of social distancing.
“I love all aspects of cheesemaking,” Miller tells Stir. “I’m an introvert working in a very social business, so my time spent in the creamery working alone is very satisfying and peaceful.
“Affinage—caring for the cheese once it is cheese—is very calming, delicate work,” she says. “Coaxing cheese from milk to curd to a finished, wrapped, beautiful cheese is an incredible feeling. And then tasting it! Being able to say ‘I made that’ feels great every time.”
Upper Bench cheesemaker Shana Miller is in her element in the creamery. Photo by CK Stenberg
Upper Bench Winery. Photo by CK Stenberg
Upper Bench focuses on small batches of several types of artisanal cheese, including washed, natural-rind, lactic, blue, and Brie, all from100-percent pasteurized cow’s milk. The hand-crafted cheeses are made specifically to pair with Upper Bench wines.
Miller’s husband, Gavin, handles the wine side of things. Formerly of Poplar Grove and Painted Rock wineries, he is known for his bold, Bordeaux-style reds and dry, crisp whites. (The pair purchased Upper Bench in partnership with Wayne and Margareta Nystrom.) The winery’s vineyards are on a 9.5-acre estate within the recently registered sub-geographical indication of Naramata Bench. Described as minimalist, Upper Bench’s wine comes from hand-tended vines that are farmed without any herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides. The couple combine their passions at Upper Bench, which has the Canada’s only wine and cheese club, Corks & Curds.
While Miller admits that cheesemaking is complex, she’s never out of ideas for what might come out of her kitchen.
“Cheese will do its own thing, so you’ve got to keep on top of it,” she says. “I really enjoy challenging myself using different cheesemaking techniques, and there are so many hundreds of types of cheese, it is easy to come up with fun new cheeses to try. At the moment we are experimenting with a natural rind Manchego-style cheese. Our Corks & Curds Club manager Sarah’s favourite cheese is a Manchego; ours is a cow-milk version. It should be released sometime this summer.”
One of the winery/creamery’s most popular pairings is Upper Bench Gold cheese with its Chardonnay. Upper Bench’s signature cheese, Gold is semi-soft surface-ripened, washed-rind cheese that is said to get better with age. Some say it reminds them of a classic Oka.
The Chardonnay is partially oaked, with half aged in French oak barrels for three months and the other half aged in stainless-steel tanks; it has a minerality and notes of peach and apple. “If you have not enjoyed Chardonnay in the past, we encourage you to try this one,” the winery notes. “It will change your mind.”
“Our Gold…is rich and creamy, which pairs perfectly with the creamy, toasty-ness of the wine,” Miller says.
Then there’s the union of the Double Cream Brie with the winery’s newly released Rosé. Dry with a tart finish, the wine is ideal for sipping in the sun, with its hints of hibiscus and rosehip, along with that luxurious cheese.
“Creamy, buttery Brie pairs with the crispness in the Rosé,” Miller says, “like strawberries and cream. Both are classic wine and cheese pairings.”
For more information about Upper Bench, which is currently offering free shipping within B.C., visit its website.
Cheesemaking is as challenging as it is relaxing, says Upper Bench maker Shana Miller.
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