Evan Saunders is the perfect blend of Prairie charm and enological wit, Evan joined the congregation in 2014 as a cellar hand, rose to Assistant Winemaker, and was promoted to Winemaker at Blasted Church in 2017. After completing a degree in microbiology from the University of Victoria, Evan moved to Ontario to study Grape and Wine Technology at Brock University. Applying his scientific background with wine was a perfect pairing. Returning to BC, Evan spent over three years learning the art of Bordeaux-style reds at Osoyoos Larose, Oliver, BC and traveled to Sonoma for a Pinot Noir harvest at Kosta Browne in Sebastopol, CA. Evan brings a wealth of red winemaking experience to our winemaking team. Since joining the Blasted Church Vineyards team eight years ago, Evan has been a driving force in the pursuit of stellar quality in the wine program. His contagious enthusiasm in the cellar, along with his finely balanced artistic and scientific approach to winemaking has made Evan the natural choice to spearhead Blasted Church’s operations into the future. Media Inquiries: Evan@BlastedChurch.com or Leeann Froese leeann@townhallbrands.com | https://blastedchurch.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, memorable about your brand?
When people think about Blasted Church Vineyards, the first thing that always comes to mind are the labels. At just over 22 years old, BCV was one of the earlier brands to establish themselves in the Okanagan Valley wine scene, and ever since then, our brand has always been tied tightly to that irreverent identity. As proof, the first bottle of wine I ever bought was Hatfield’s Fuse as the label artwork drew me in and the product in the bottle sealed the deal!
The challenge for us as grape growers and winemakers is to make sure that the brand doesn’t overshadow the actual product. While the branding may draw in a prospective consumer, the quality of wine in the bottle is what keeps them coming back to Blasted Church Vineyards.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained. Sky’s the limit!
For me, I would love to explore some of the more difficult sites in the Okanagan and the Similkameen Valleys for grape growing. Steep slopes, rocky soils, and overall dismal growing conditions can produce some of the most interesting wines in the world. But, of course, to do that it takes a huge investment into the sites with the potential that no matter what you do, it may not come together at the end of the day. Looking at other much more developed wine regions around the world, growers have found ways to adapt to the conditions and produce world-class wines in the most marginal and challenging conditions. If there were no constraints on risks or finances, I think it would be an incredibly rewarding project, albeit full of blood, sweat, tears, and more than a little heartbreak along the way.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
I think this can only be our Hatfield’s Fuse. It is the wine that started it all for Blasted Church Vineyards, and as I mentioned above, served as my introduction to the brand many years ago! It is a wine that is instantly recognizable as Blasted Church. Every vintage we focus on putting together a fruit-forward, delicious, balanced wine that has a broad appeal across so many different situations. It is equally at home while sitting on a patio on a sunny afternoon as it is over a dinner of roasted chicken. And, yes, also on a desert island! Check out this wine review here.
Why Winemaking?
After receiving my undergraduate degree in Microbiology and realizing that medicine probably wasn’t going to be the path forward for me, I took a couple of years to figure out what did appeal. It may not always seem like it, but wine is all about a balance of science and art, that also leaves you with a tangible product at the end of the process. Take that and combine it with the vintage, where you get to be a part of growing the grapes that you will work with and trying to capture the unique character of the year in the bottle and the one chance that we have to get it right, and I found something that is fulfilling in so many different ways. Although stressful, always very stressful!