Patience, Place, and the Pursuit of Real Craft

At 40 Knots, we believe great wine and cider cannot be rushed. Wine is ready when it says it is ready. That philosophy guides everything we do—from vineyard to bottle to glass.

It means choosing slower, more labour-intensive methods. Longer aging. Hands-on craftsmanship. Traditional techniques that prioritize refinement, texture, and character over shortcuts and speed.

Yes, these methods are more expensive. Yes, they take more time. And yes—we believe you are worth it.

Because when you visit 40 Knots, you are not looking for “plunk.” You are looking for quality. Traditional craftsmanship. Local ingredients. Beautiful textures. Refined bubbles. Authentic experiences. Wines and ciders made with care, patience, and intention.

Understanding Sparkling Wine

Not all bubbles are created equal.

The most luxurious and sought-after sparkling wines in the world are crafted using the French Traditional Method—the same labour-intensive process used in Champagne. In this method, a secondary fermentation takes place inside each individual bottle, creating fine, elegant bubbles and layers of complexity that serious bubble lovers seek out.

Extended aging develops notes of brioche, toast, creaminess, and texture that simply cannot be rushed.

At 40 Knots, we proudly use traditional Champagne grapes—Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—to create sparkling wines with elegance, sophistication, and depth.

40 Knots French Traditional Method Wines:

• CAVU
• Spindrift
• Soleil Rosé

Other sparkling methods, including Charmat-style production or injected carbonation, are typically designed to create wines that are lighter, simpler, and more playful in style. They often feature larger bubbles, shorter production times, and lower costs. While approachable and fun, they do not develop the same texture, complexity, or refinement found in traditional bottle fermentation.

Rosé vs. Blush

While both are pink in colour, rosé and blush wines are fundamentally different.

A true rosé is intentionally crafted from red grapes. The juice spends a controlled amount of time on the skins, naturally developing colour, structure, and texture. The result is dry, refreshing, food-friendly, and elegant.

Blush wines, often associated with large commercial production, are typically sweeter and softer. Many are made from white grapes with red wine blended in afterward simply to achieve colour. The focus is sweetness and approachability rather than structure or complexity.

In short:

• Rosé = intention, structure, and balance
• Blush = sweetness and softness

Understanding Cider

Not all ciders are created equally either.

At 40 Knots, our Knotty Ciders are made from real apples and real fruit. We produce an all-apple cider base and create our fruit additions in-house using actual fruit—never commercial syrups, artificial flavouring, or propylene glycol-based concentrates commonly found in mass-produced beverages.

40 Knots Knotty Ciders:

• Crafted from fermented apples
• Made with real fruit additions
• Naturally expressive and balanced
• Built for authenticity and food pairing

We also produce French Traditional Method ciders, where secondary fermentation occurs in bottle, creating finer bubbles, greater texture, and more complexity—mirroring premium sparkling wine traditions.

Many commercial canned ciders and coolers are designed to be lighter, sweeter, lower in alcohol, and quickly produced. They often rely on injected carbonation rather than natural fermentation, resulting in larger bubbles, simpler flavours, and less depth.

The difference is craftsmanship you can taste.

Orange is the new red

Orange wine is one of the oldest wine styles in the world—dating back thousands of years to traditional winemaking in Georgia and the Caucasus region. Unlike white wine, where grape skins are removed immediately, orange wine is made by fermenting white grapes on their skins, giving the wine its amber colour, tannic structure, and savoury complexity.

It is sometimes called:

• Orange wine (modern term)
• Amber wine (descriptive term)
• Skin-contact wine (technical term)

At 40 Knots, we produce our L’Orange using native fermentation in amphora—honouring ancient techniques while applying modern precision.

Amphora vessels are made from terracotta clay and allow gentle oxygen exchange, building texture and structure without the influence of oak.

And yes—our wines are intentionally clean, stable, and clear.

We were once told by a master winemaker that “the clarity of wine reflects the clarity of the winemaker.” We take that seriously.

We choose gold stabilization and careful handling to ensure L’Orange is bright, clear, and sparkly in the glass. Yes, that means lower yield. Yes, it means more work. But the question is simple—do you want to drink a refined wine, or its cloudy byproduct?

We choose refinement.

40 Knots Reds: No Oak, Just Amphora

At 40 Knots, we do not use oak in our red wines.

Instead, we work with amphora—a traditional, sustainable vessel used for thousands of years. Amphora is durable, reusable for decades, and allows wines to develop naturally without the influence of oak flavour.

We source our amphora from Italy, where modern terracotta production ensures purity, consistency, and safety. Concerns about contamination or deterioration are not relevant to properly produced modern amphora.

Oak, while traditional in many regions, is not our chosen path. We prefer purity over smoke, and clarity over toast. The trend of heavily oaked, smoky wines has faded for a reason—today’s palates are moving toward balance, freshness, and expression of place.

Our reds reflect the environment they come from: clean, coastal, and soft in character.

No masking. No heaviness. Just fruit, structure, and honesty.

The 40 Knots Philosophy

We believe great wine and cider cannot be rushed. The wine is ready when the wine says it is ready.

That means longer aging, more labour, traditional methods, and decisions made in service of quality—not speed.

Everything we do is guided by one principle: refinement over shortcuts.

Because at the end of the day, you are not just drinking wine. You are experiencing craftsmanship, intention, and Comox Coastal.

And just as Nature took its time forming our glacier soils, Nature takes it time making the wine.  We are simply the steward.