BC’s 2014 Wine Grape Harvest Has Begun
Fall has arrived in Osoyoos, BC, delivering a bountiful harvest for Summerhill Pyramid Winery. With a hot and dry summer season, Chardonnay grapes from the certified organic Sekhon Family Vineyard have ripened beautifully with a perfect balance of fresh acidity and flavour expression.
Acheiving organic status in 2012, Sekhon Family Vineyard is one of the only fully-certified organic vineyards in Osoyoos and farms premium quality grapes exclusively for Summerhill.
Accounting for more than 12% of all grape crops grown in BC last year, Osoyoos is a lush agricultural land with an increased focus on producing quality grapes.
Winemaker and viticulturalist Eric von Krosigk says “these grapes will be excellent for the Cipes Brut. It was a perfect growing season, warm here since April with a bit of rain here and there. We can’t hope for any better than that.”
On the remainder of the harvest, von Krosigk continues, “It’s been a beautifully sunkissed vintage overall. We’re harvesting about two weeks earlier than ususal and the bigger reds will not be too far behind. The colours on the grapes are amazing – especially in the Sangiovese, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. What’s even better is that the evenings have been cool, which preserves the acid, structure and flavours in the reds as well as the whites, such as Pinot Gris and Riesling. Overall, we can look forward to a superior vintage year for red, white and sparkling wines at Summerhill.”
About Summerhill Pyramid Winery:
Founded with the 1991 vintage, Summerhill Pyramid Winery, in the Okanagan Valley, BC, is Canada’s largest certified organic winery, BC’s first Demeter certified biodynamic vineyard, and Canada’s foremost producer of sparkling wine.
Winemaker Eric von Krosigk oversees the portfolio of BC VQA wines that have earned the winery the title of ‘Canadian Wine Producer of the Year’ from the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London, England. The winery, owned by the Cipes family, is also home to the Sunset Organic Bistro, a two-hundred seat restaurant with a panoramic view of Okanagan Lake, serving food grown and raised by local organic producers, including Summerhill’s own on-site permaculture-style vegetable garden.
More background reading on Summerhill Pyramid Winery’s organic and biodynamic farming practices can be found here.
For more information, visit www.summerhill.bc.ca, find Summerhill on Facebook or follow the winery on Twitter @summerhillwine.
