WEST KELOWNA, British Columbia — You’re in a punk band in the ‘80s, and you’ve figured out that high school is not for you.
And akin to a scene from the Queen biopic, the tour van for the band breaks down. With that, serendipity kicks in.
That’s how Jason Parkes — who views himself as “just a guy with a beard” — began as a winemaker.
He’s now the frontman for Jason Parkes Customs, a group of beverage purveyors in the Okanagan Valley’s somewhat-suburban West Kelowna. The collection includes Truck 59 Ciderhouse, The Hatching Post brewery, wineries Black Swift Vineyards, The Hatch and the uniquely positioned Crown & Thieves.
And the road to wine began in Peachland at Hainle Vineyards Estate Winery — the historic home of North America’s first icewine.
“I had to go into a winery to get some dollars to pay for the van, then I got the keys, a company credit card and started making wine,” Parkes says, who grew up in Peachland. “I’m a punk rocker who wanted to be comfortable with wine. Hainle gave me that chance.”
He’s earned critical acclaim for his wines, including a handful of Lieutenant Governor’s awards, and views Cabernet Franc as his variety of choice. And while Crown & Thieves was not the first beverage destination for the JPC group — The Hatch has that honour as the so-called instigator and incubator for Parkes’ vision — it has emerged as the crown jewel in the JPC royal family.
Its location — the Parkes estate — made it the riskiest brand to bring to life. Ridiculous rumors swirl about where all of the gloriously eclectic tasting room tchotchkes came from; the rooftop Angel Share Restaurant immediately gained a following, and it’s become the stage for his Proper Man Band.
The music never left Parkes, and he’s still a songwriter.
“I’m writing songs about wine, the heart- break of it, the romance of it,” explains Parkes, adding that his goal with music and wine is to bring them together to have an impact on the grapes.
The Proper Man Band performs in the Broken Hearts Club speakeasy in the basement of Crown & Thieves. The trip includes a jaunt down an old Okanagan road and past town- houses and condos with a spectacular Okanagan Lake view.
“It looks romantic from the water,” laughs Parkes.
That sense of grey, riddled by sunlight bouncing off the lake on a clear day, does not in the least prepare one for the sensory overload they are about to experience. It might be the closest many people get to visiting a movie set.
Tasting room blends acclaimed wines in unique setting
Quite by accident, the vibe in the tasting room is reminiscent of some of the rooms at Yusupov Palace in St. Petersburg. Parkes has never been to the Russian landmark with the famous yellow facade, but still thinks the comparison is “cool.”
He has toured the Old World, and the interior design of Crown & Thieves is drawn from an aesthetic of European history. The ceilings are works of art. There are wood cabinets in the middle of walls of wine. And there is a piece of furniture that looks like a fainting couch Marie-Antoinette might have had in her drawing room.
“It is sensory overload,” offers Parkes. “I want you to experience something (European) that you may never get to experience in-person yourself. I want people to make it their own when they come here.”
And they do, often by attaching false stories or innuendo to the items in the building that were collected by Parkes or given to him.
As long as that item spoke to him, he kept it, ranging from crown moulding from Wales that brought grown men to tears when it arrived, to items ordered off Wayfair. From the 1700s to modern day — that’s Crown & Thieves.
“Everybody is making things up about the stuff that’s here,” he says.
And everyone has known not to display, install or mount anywhere without his blessing, pointing out the warning that he’s been known to issue regarding the taxidermy.
“ ‘Don’t move the animal head until Jason shows up!’ ”When it comes to what’s in the bottle, that’s when Parkes turns reflective as he draws upon experience from producing wine throughout the Okanagan for brands that include Bordertown, Perseus and Serendipity.
“We take winemaking seriously,” he says. “We’re not about gimmicks. We really don’t care about being rockstar winemakers. It’s about the quality.”
And all winemakers should be applauded for whatever they’re doing, he declares, adding, “I started with three employees, now there’s 150, and it’s the people I’m proud of. There’s no one wine that’s the best. It’s the people. I’m proud of the people.”
Angel Share casts spotlight on chef James Holmes
His roster includes executive chef James Holmes, who looks after Angel Share. Holmes is known across the Okanagan and farther afield for his insanely creative dishes and visionary approach.
“He’s a renegade,” Parkes says. “He IS the food philosophy. And when I first took my wife to his restaurant, it was cool that he recognized me.”
Wines at Crown & Thieves come with names as eclectic as setting: The Little Nipper Pinot Gris, the Pinky Blinders rosé, the Arch Doxy Cabernet Franc, the bubbly blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir dubbed Dom and Dommerer Pink.
“It became a playground for pushing the limits, being as untraditional as traditionally possible,” Parkes says. “The wines can be poured in a ruin, nestled in the middle of a vineyard.”
The JPC Trail is a self-guided tour that stops at all five of the properties for tastings, a barbecue platter, a lesson in sabering, a burger or hot dog and maybe a rooftop dinner.
“We’re being cheeky,” Parkes says. “We’re having fun with it, and I’m just a guy.”
Which is just how Parkes signs his bottles.
- Crown & Thieves, 3887C Brown Road, West Kelowna, British Columbia, V4T 2J3, CrownThieves.com, (778)754-6968.
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