This year is looking like a stellar vintage
for many winegrowers in the Okanagan. A warm summer has lead to reports of
excellent phenolic ripeness and great natural acidity. BUY BC!
This week I attended a rather unique
tasting lead by Master of Wine Rhys Pender for the British Columbia Wine
Institute. The tasting included 2014 musts, the intermediate bridge between
grape juice and wine, along with examples of 2012 and 2013 vintages that are a BCLDB
focus promotion for the month of October.
Along with my colleagues it was a rare treat to taste musts for Pinot
Gris, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, and Cabernet as well as surmise their finished
fate.
Rhys Pender, winemaker and owner of Little Farm
Winery, as well as an MW; lead the seminar on winemaking basics in the Okanagan
and discussion of the flights of wine. He stated an interesting and overlooked fact that Canada has one of the few iconic wine
styles that represent a country “Ice Wine”.
Rhys also discussed Canada as a “cool climate” wine country despite having
extremely warm and cool microclimates throughout the Okanagan, The Islands, and
Fraser Valley. Time for a re-think of BC’s regions and classifications?
What I found fascinating was the tasting of
the musts and freshly picked grapes. They were in various stages of change from
juice to partial fermentation, cloudy, and full of organic matter.
Pinot Gris must | Cloudy and grapefruit/orange
juice mix in colour. Aromatic but not noticeably Pinot Gris in flavour and
aroma.
Gewurztraminer must | Less cloudy than
Pinot Gris, pink grapefruit juice colour. Subtle lychee aromas and flavours.
Noticeable varietal flavour profile.
Merlot must | vivid purple black colour
with flavours and aromas of plum, blueberry, and cocoa. Sweet and full of
particulate matter.
Cabernet Sauvignon must | violet purple
colour with aromas of cassis and red berries. Lighter than the merlot must.
Throughout October, the BCLDB is promoting
British Columbia wines, here are my notes on the ten I tasted being
featured in various retail locations.
My Ratings | * = poor ***** = outstanding
Nk’Mip Pinot Blanc 2013 $15.95
Pale green with green apple and pear
aromas. Light-bodied with apple, pear, and subtle mineral notes. ***
Sandhill Hidden Terrace Sauvignon Blanc
2013 $18.99
Straw green with herby gooseberry leaf
aromas. Medium-bodied with good concentration and acidity. A herby leafy style
of SB. ****
Gehringer Brothers Estate Pinot Gris 2013
$14.99
Straw green with glade fruit, apple, and
grapefruit notes. Medium-bodied and crisp with ripe apple and grapefruit pith
flavours. ***
Lake Breeze Vineyards Pinot Gris 2013 $19
Yellow green with Alsace style aromas
(restrained grapefruit). Medium-bodied, dry, bigger and richer than the
Gehringer. Lots of apple and grapefruit and a mineral laced finish. ****
Gray Monk Estate Winery Gewürztraminer 2013
$16.99
Straw green with lychee and subtle rose
aromas. Medium-bodied, relatively dry, with ginger and subtle lychee notes.
Wild Goose Vineyards Gewürztraminer 2013
$18.50
Straw green with a very perfumey driven
nose (sweet spices and rose). Medium-bodied, drier than Gray Monk, with good
concentration and flavours of spice, fresh ginger, and lychee. ****
Hester Creek Estate Winery Select Barrels
Merlot 2012 $18.95
Ruby red with herbal aromas and a touch of
cedar. Medium-bodied, easy to drink, with notes of plum, cocoa, spice, and a
hint of dill. **(*)
Mooncurser Vineyards Cabernet Merlot 2012
$20.90
Youthful ruby purple colour with new
oak/cedar aromas. Medium to full-bodied with cassis, blueberry, subtle vanilla
and a blackcurranty finish. ****
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Reserve
Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 $16.99
Ruby purple with aromas of herb and
blackberry. Medium-bodied, easy to drink style, and flavours of herb, chocolate,
and cassis. **(*)
Time Estate The Girls Vivacious Rose 2013
$19.99
Coppery pink with wild strawberry and
raspberry aromas. Light-bodied with a soft mid palate and clean crisp finish.
Easy to drink rose with strawberry dominate notes *** 100% of this wine sales goes to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - BC/Yukon Region (CBCF)
Looking for more information on the wines of British Columbia? Click here for the BC Wine Institute website.
The Fort-to-Fort
Trail links the original Hudson Bay Company location within the Derby Reach Regional
Park to its current historic location in Fort Langley. The walk is a splendid
mix of thicket, river views, marshes, and subtle grassy knolls along with an interesting
history involving the HBC, its fur trading route, Anglo-American tensions, and
the birthplace of British Columbia and of its original residents the Stó:lō “river” people. An interesting heritage apple tree selfguided tour is well worth part of the walk with trees planted by the HBC back
in 1827. 
