My last winery visit while I was staying in the Osoyoos area was the La Stella Winery. I met with tasting room manager, Wade Martin, as he poured me their recent wine releases and discussed wines in general. Their winery like other Okanagan wineries was affected by the 2024 winter blast. Out of 70 acres of planted vines, they were forced to rip out just shy of 30 acres. But that gave them a chance to plant better suited varieties in the parts of their vineyard that had vine kill. A blessing in disguise.
To have any white wine or rosé to sell for the 2024 season, the winery had to make a difficult choice to bring in grapes from Washington state, sourcing Chardonnay and grapes for their rosé from renowned areas like Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain. Without that cross-border supply, their tanks would have been empty. As it was, they ran out of rosé at the beginning of July.
Also, as many other wineries I visited noted, 2025 is a year with a bumper crop of grapes for the La Stella Winery. The day I visited, they processed their Sangiovese grapes to stainless steel fermentation tanks earlier that day and were processing their Cabernet Franc grapes as I arrived.
After my wine tasting, I went out to watch the winery workers tip a bin of Cabernet Franc grapes, hand-sort for material other than grapes, and watch as the remaining grape clusters went up a conveyer where they were dropped into a destemmer and the remaining grapes then went along a hose into a stainless steel tank below the floor for fermentation.
Wine Corks at La Stella Winery
Let’s get on to the discussion of the wines I tasted with Wade’s guidance.
Our Discussion of the Wines Tasted
La Stella Winery Classico d’Osoyoos 2022
The Classico d’Osoyoos 2022 is a small-production wine that the team describes as a sort of reserve blend. It is composed primarily of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese, with the latter playing the lead role in the mix. The grapes are sourced from the vineyard located directly across the street from the winery. This wine is considered the most approachable among La Stella’s red portfolio, showing a bright, elegant character and moderate alcohol at 13.4%. Hungarian and French oak are both used for maturation, a practice consistent across their red blends, including Fortissimo and Espressivo. The 2022 vintage is recognized for its freshness and lively acidity, giving the wines a lifted, prettier profile compared to other years.
La Stella Winery Fortissimo 2023
This wine fits within La Stella’s family of Bordeaux-inspired blends made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese. The winery consistently employs a mix of Hungarian and French oak for aging, imparting structure and depth. Fortissimo, together with Classico and Espressivo, is sometimes produced using different cork types as part of ongoing quality trials.
La Stella Winery Espressivo 2022
The Espressivo 2022 represents the most Cabernet Sauvignon–driven expression among La Stella’s trio of four-grape blends. In contrast, Classico leans on Sangiovese, while Maestoso emphasizes Merlot. The grapes for Espressivo are sourced from vineyards on both sides of the road surrounding the winery, growing in soils of clay, loam primarily. When tasting a barrel sample, winemaker Sebastian noted aromas reminiscent of peonies, a sign of the wine’s elegance and aromatic lift despite its firm structure.
La Stella Winery Allegretto Merlot 2022
The Allegretto Merlot 2022 is made from ungrafted Merlot vines rooted in silica sand near the southern border of the Okanagan Valley. These soils are extremely well-draining, which helps maintain acidity and tannin concentration while preventing excess water retention. The wine is aged entirely in French oak. The 2022 vintage delivered excellent fruit quality, resulting in a wine that expresses purity, fine structure, and a sense of place.
La Stella Winery Maestoso “Solo” Merlot 2021
The Maestoso “Solo” Merlot 2021 is regarded as the flagship of La Stella’s red portfolio; the “belle of the ball,” as the team affectionately describes it. The grapes come from a single block of clay soil, about three-quarters of an acre, located at the top of a hill. Merlot thrives in clay, producing wines of depth and savoury richness. Fermentation takes place in open-top vessels with manual pigeage. This block consistently yields small quantities of intensely concentrated fruit.
In riper years, the winery may incorporate a single barrel from the Golden Mile to provide additional backbone, but the Maestoso remains a true single-vineyard expression. Previous vintages, such as the 2010, are reportedly drinking beautifully now while still maintaining a strong tannic core.
My Wine Tasting Notes
La Stella Winery Classico d’Osoyoos 2022 (BC $49.99) – a blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% other red grapes. A medium garnet colour in the glass. It has nice, medium intensity aromas of red fruits, cherries, and oak. Dry, medium body, with a lean, soft mouthfeel. Red fruits and touches of oak, blackberries and pepperiness on the palate. Medium acidity and fine tannins. Medium-plus length. An elegant wine. 
La Stella Winery Fortissimo 2023 (only available in a package at the moment) – Medium intensity, clear garnet colour. Light aromas of black cherries and oak. This wine is dry, medium body with a lean mouthfeel. Black fruits and some tart red fruits on the palate. Medium-plus acidity and lighter tannins. Medium-plus length. Tart red fruits on the finish. 
–
La Stella Winery Espressivo 2022 (BC $49.99) – Medium-plus intensity garnet colour. Quite aromatic, showing sausage, red fruits, and toast. Dry, medium body with a thicker mouthfeel. Red cherries and blackberry flavours, plus hints of leather and pepperiness. Medium-plus acidity and fine tannins. Medium-plus length. The acidity in this wine gives me lifted fruit flavours, which I enjoy.
La Stella Winery Allegretto Merlot 2022 (BC $49.99) – A medium-plus, dull garnet colour. Interesting aromas of floral, mint, cedar, and red fruits. Medium-minus body with a soft, smooth mouthfeel. Fresh red fruits and cherries, plus red apples on the palate. The acidity level makes fresh fruit flavours. Medium intensity, soft tannins. Medium-plus length. Tart fruit and firmer tannins on the finish.
La Stella Winery Maestoso “Solo” Merlot 2021 (BC $99.99) – A deeper garnet colour with a hint of bricking. Nice, light aromas of red fruits and leather. This wine is dry with medium to medium-plus body, and soft mouthfeel. Medium acidity and tannins. Light red fruits, red cherries and leather flavours. Medium to medium-plus length , finishing with some puckering acidity and drying tannins. –
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase all the wines online at the La Stella Winery website. Many of these wines plus a rosé and two white wines are available in limited quantities at Everything Wine stores. There is also a smaller selection of the red wines and the rosé wine at Marquis Wine Cellars.
Videos of Cabernet Franc Grapes Being Processed
For those of you that have not seen wine grapes being processed to fermentation tank, I have these short videos for you to watch.
The grape processing line at La Stella Winery (below). Grape stems viewed at the bin on the right side of the picture. The remaining grapes are shuttled via pipe and hose to a stainless steel tank below this floor.
