Photo: Lynzee Schatz (courtesy of Chronos Wines
Four years before he died in 2019, Harry McWatters launched the Time Winery in downtown Penticton, converting an old movie theatre. The facility now has a wine production area, a tasting room and a restaurant. It became what one would call a destination winery.
Unfortunately, the winery went into receivership after Harry’s death. It was purchased by Ron and Shelley Mayert. Time has been rebranded as Chronos, while the Evolve brand, created by Harry, has remained in the portfolio and now graces the separate Evolve sparkling house on Lower Bench Road.
The sparkling wine house opened with three award-winning sparkling wines made by, or finished by, Lynzee Schatz, the Okanagan-born winemaker who joined Time in late 2019, taking over from Harry’s winemaking team, Nadine Kinvig and Graham Pierce.
Lynzee trained as a winemaker in Australia and spent five years with Chandon, a French-owned sparkling wine producer in the Yarra Valley there. “Sparkling wine has been my passion since I entered the wine industry over 20 years ago,” she is quoted in one publicity release from Evolve.
She clearly has solid ability in making table wines as well. Chronos designates the well-made premium tier in what the Mayerts still call the Time Family of Wines. The more modestly priced table wines are released under the Evolve label. The portfolio is deep: the winery’s website lists 29 wines!
Here are notes on just a selection of those wines. Many are from the wonderful 2025 vintage.
Chronos Sauvignon Blanc 2025 ($29.99 for 285 cases). The fruit was fermented cool for four weeks in stainless steel. The result is a classic Sauvignon Blanc, with aromas and flavours of lime mingled with citrus and green apple. 91.
Chronos Pinot Gris 2025 ($24.99 for 580 cases). The winery remarks that the ideal growing conditions in 2025 “fostered pristine Pinot Gris grapes.” It shows in the glass where the wine has aromas and flavours of peach, pear and citrus. The bright fruit flavours persist in the crisp finish. 91.
