Emily Faulconer joins Iconic Wineries of British Columbia
The accomplished winemaker, previously responsible for crafting top-end expressions at Chile’s Viña Carmen and Viñedos Chadwick, has moved to Canada to become a technical director for the BC-based group. Sarah Neish reports.
“I just moved to British Columbia six weeks ago, with my children, pets and my husband,” Emily Faulconer, one of Chile’s top winemakers, told db at a London tasting this week for Canadian group Iconic Wineries of British Columbia.
Faulconer has joined the BC wine group as the technical director for its Mission Hill winery, where the Chilean native will oversee its top wine Oculus, a Bordeaux blend which retails for about CN$200 per bottle.
Long days and Cabernet Franc
Based in the Okanagan Valley, Faulconer said the terroir has already “blown me away in so many ways”.
In particular, she said, she was curious to see how the “really long days” affected the grapes.
“I woke up the other day and the sunrise was at 3.50am, which will have a big impact on the fruit growing,” she said, adding that the “light and luminosity” of the valley excited her.
Faulconer also revealed that she predicts Cabernet Franc will take on a much more important role in the Okanagan Valley in the near future, with many producers who were forced to replant after their vineyards were decimated by severe frost in 2024, choosing to replace Merlot with Cab Franc.
“Cabernet Franc really performs very nicely here and it has a unique and distinct profile in the Okanagan,” she said.
Big move
This is Emily Faulconer’s first Canadian position, having spent most of her career making fine wines in Chile.
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She was chief winemaker at Arboleda from 2015 to 2017, moving to Viña Carmen from 2021 to 2023, where she was responsible for the estate’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmen Gold, as well as Florillón (a biologically aged white wine).
In November 2023, Faulconer moved to Viñedos Chadwick to become its technical director and head winemaker, overseeing the estate’s top-tier Viña Chadwick and Seña wines.
Valley pioneer
Mission Hill is one of the pioneer wineries of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, and has set the tone for fellow BC producers to follow since its founding in 1981. The estate is gearing up to celebrate its 45th anniversary this year.
Speaking on Faulconer’s appointment, Michael Alter, managing director for Iconic Wineries of British Columbia, said that “Emily’s technical leadership will strengthen our foundations, advance precision across our winemaking and viticulture, and elevate the quality and expression of our wines across our family of Okanagan Valley maisons.”
One of the key wines that she will be overseeing is Mission Hill’s ultra-premium Oculus, which Faulconer described as “our interpretation of the greatest expression of the Okanagan.”
With Oculus meaning ‘the eye’ in Latin, she added, “the wine reflects how we want to be seen throughout the world.
“I look forward to building on this legacy and contributing to the vision of placing the Okanagan Valley on the world wine stage.”
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