Black Widow Winery

Robert Bell's Wines of Canada

Black Widow Winery

Black Widow Winery

Dick and Shona Lancaster purchased their 7 acre Naramata Bench vineyard in 2000 and got to work right away planting additional vines merlot, cabernet sauvignon and pinot gris. Their wines are crafted exclusively from grapes grown on the Naramata Bench, and are predominantly single vineyard pressings

In 2006, they built 3,200-square-foot gravity-flow winery Black Widow Winery and released their first wines. Today their production averages 2,800 cases per year. The winery is built into a steep hillside, with 5 levels in total. This allows them to use gravity for gentle movement of wine during production.

The winery is a family affair. Dick Lancaster has been a noted amateur winemaker for over 30 years. In 2000 Dick and his wife Shona came across this beautiful seven acre property. It was already producing vines, with a panoramic view of Naramata Bench and the lake, it was too good to turn down. Taking on grape growing and commercial wine making was a natural progression, satisfying a long time passion.

Born in Toronto in 1953, Dick grew up in Montreal and picked up an interest in wine from his father, Graham, a long-term Air Canada’s food services manager. Dick began making wine from wild grapes while still in high school. A three-month tour of European wine regions in 1976 sealed that interest. In Vancouver, where he and Shona lived from 1970 until moving to the Okanagan a few years ago, Dick was an award-winning home winemaker for more than 25 years.

Assisted by their 3 children, other family members, and friends, development of the property and business is an on-going project. Their daughter Shannon joined on full-time for the 2011 crush as assistant winemaker, helping in all aspects of the vineyard and winery.

Black Widow is one of the very few producers of Schönburger in the Province. The wine is excellent! It starts with a nice floral aroma followed by notes of honeysuckle & tropical fruit.

Their signature blend Oasis is another fine wine Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Schönburger. A delicious blend of aromatic varieties resulting in a balanced wine with tropical fruit notes.

If you are lucky enough to find their 2018 Hourglass a red blend of Merlot (84%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (16%), aged in a higher percentage of new French oak barrels for 21 months, you have yourself a red icon.