Colour, is the name given to the BC VQA Fall Release Tasting where BC wineries get to showcase their new wines. For wine aficionados and geeks, this event is like being a kid in a candy store. So many well-made and interesting wines to try and never, never, enough time.
People in the wine industry; be they owners, winemakers, tasting room staff or agents, are for the most part, nice friendly people who enjoy sharing their passion for BC’s amazing wines. It’s always fun for me when I run into friends and colleagues and seeing their eyes light up as they say, “Have you tried the Sauvignon Blanc at Bench 1775? It is amazing!” or “Come with me, you have to try this Merlot that Gehringer Brothers is pouring. I can’t believe the price!”
One thing that was certainly noticeable at this year’s event was that many familiar faces were absent. There were some principals there, but many had to rely on agents to pour their wines, as they were busy with harvesting and crushing. This year, once again, has seen grapes ripening much earlier than what is, or used to be, typical.
Prior to the main tasting event, I attended a special session with Master of Wine (MW) Rhys Pender titled ‘Terroir BC’ (see following article) where we sampled a variety of wines from four different regions to see the similarities and the differences. Rhys mentioned that the statement “BC does everything well,” doesn’t make for a catchy title for wine writers. Wine regions around the world tend to get known for a certain varietal or a certain style of wine. Think of Oregon Pinot Noir, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Argentinian Malbec, German Riesling or Australian Shiraz. I used to ask wine makers, “What red or white varietal do you think BC will one day become famous for?” Some time ago, a winemaker told me that it was an impossible question to answer. BC has five main wine growing regions – The Okanagan Valley, the Similkameen Valley, the Fraser Valley, The Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. In addition, there are the emerging regions of the Shuswap, Prince George, Lillooet, West Kootenays and Kamloops. These are such unique and divergent regions and each one has certain grapes that it can grow well and grapes that will not. Areas that are suitable for Cabernet Sauvignon, do not produce the best Riesling, some places make better Pinot Noir than others. The Shuswap can do very well with early ripening white wines, but cannot ripen the big reds. There are some grapes such as Pinot Gris that can be grown in many regions and will display different personalities in each region. So it might not be sexy copy, but it true. BC does it all and does it well.
As I mentioned, I only was able to make it to a few tables, so my apologies to all the other producers that were pouring some amazing wines. No one is sorrier than I am that I didn’t get to try as many as I had hoped to.
In alphabetical order, here are some notes on wines I sampled:
1st Row
I remember seeing the name of this winery some time ago, but that was it until I saw them at Colours. They are a garagiste winery in Surrey and they source their grapes from the Okanagan. I tried their Chardonnay, Syrah and Cabernet / Merlot. All were good and reasonably priced. I hope to visit their facility soon and get their whole story.
Black Hills Estate Winery
I was fortunate enough to try six vintages of Nota Bene recently that spanned fifteen years and I have to say that 2014, the most recent release, is likely their best ever. If you can find it, buy it. At Colours, I was disappointed not to be able to try their most recent Chardonnay release but very much enjoyed the 2014 Syrah which is a big, rich BC styled Syrah and a very good example of how well BC does with this grape.
Bordertown Vineyard & Estate Winery
Mohan Gill has sold grapes from these vineyards for years but only recently opened his own winery. And he did it with a bang, winning a Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence for his Living Desert Red. Give it a try and you will understand why.
Cassini Cellars
This is probably one of the only times that Adrian Cassini has not been pouring his wines at Colours, but then this isn’t usually harvest time. The 2012 Quattro Rosso is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. You’ll want to give this one a try. The 2012 Maximus is an impressive big red and I’m going to hang on to the one in my cellar for another three to five years.
Cedar Creek Estate Winery
The 2013 Meritage is a Malbec dominated Bordeaux styled blend that is very approachable now and will only get better with some time to rest in your cellar.
Church and State
Erika Schiller, one of my favourite wine reps was pouring the ever -popular Lost Inhibitions wines with the eye-catching, colourful (both figuratively and literally) labels. I quite enjoyed their Coyote Bowl Chardonnay and Syrah. Not hard to tell these big wines are from the south Okanagan.
Evolve Cellars
Christa Lee Bond McWatters was on hand to pour her two sparkling wines that were just introduced. The white bubble, Effervescence is made from a blend of Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay – Prosecco lovers, give this one a try. The Pink Effervescence is made from VV and CC. Both wines are made in the Charmat or ‘tank’ method. I’d have to say that I preferred the bright fruit flavours in the pink one.
Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards
If you have driven between Summerland and Peachland you have driven right passed this facility. For a long time, Greata Ranch was simply one of Cedar Creek’s vineyards. Then, for a while, Greata was it’s own brand and now it goes under the Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards label. The Greata name will remain on the 100-acre property (40 acres planted in vines) in honour of the original settler. They have a new tasting room opening this fall and plans for a Bistro, wedding venue and a Sparkling Wine Bar that will feature many wines other than their own. I tasted a fruit forward, medium dry Ehrenfelzer that had a fruit salad nose and palate, a Pink Mile Rosé made from Pinot Noir which displayed a lot of fruit on the palate and the 2012 Fitz Brut a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that spent 36 months resting on its lees.
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery
Gehringer Brothers have a two-fold reputation; they make affordable wines that over deliver and they win far more than their fair share of awards any time they enter competitions. The 2015 Dry Rock Merlot is a good example of this. Give their wines a try.
Howling Bluff
Howling Bluff is a small family run winery on the Naramata Bench that specializes in Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Pinot Noir. I think their wines are amazing.
Lariana Cellars
Dan and Carol Scott’s winery, along the southern edge of Osoyoos, literally hugs the US border. Here they only grow three varietals, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménere in their five-acre vineyard. Their Viognier has been rated one of the top white wines in BC and their Carménere is stellar.
Okanagan Crush Pad
This Summerland custom crush facility also produces it’s own wines under the Narrative and Haywire labels. They have gone to great lengths to move into organic and biodynamic farming and to explore which vines grow best on each site so that their wines are a pure expression of their land. This is winemaking with a passion. It was great seeing Christine Coletta, Alison Scholefield and Amy Hollenbach all there.
Painted Rock Estate Winery
John Skinner has an amazing 60-acre chunk of property along the east side of Skaha Lake, which produces incredible wines. Try anything they make – Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and the Red Icon blend.
Serendipity Winery
I am a fan of the Serendipity team, Judy Kingston, Katie O’Dell and winemaker Bradley Cooper. Their 2015 Rosé is made from a mix of five red grapes, which accounts for its flavour. This isn’t a ‘delicate’ Rosé. The 2014 Viognier, while tasty now, will definitely pay off with a few years of aging, and the 2012 Next Step, an interesting blend of Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc is a definite keeper.
The View Winery and Vineyard
I really like Jennifer Molgat and the wines she makes. Not many other wineries make Pinotage based wines. They are nice and light and packed with bright red fruit flavours. Her Fossil Fuel used to be my ‘go to’ house red and I was disappointed when that label was discontinued, though I could understand the reasoning behind that decision. The good news is that her Silver Lining Red is even better. Also be sure to try the Distraction Frizzante for a delightful glass of pink bubbles.
Time Estate Winery
This is the legendary Harry McWatters own venture. His new facility, on the main drag in downtown Penticton (how handy is that), is scheduled to open up in the spring. Besides a Cabernet Franc, Harry offers a White and Red Meritage and the ever-popular McWatters Collection Chardonnay.
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
Sandra and Ken Oldfield are Okanagan pioneers in many aspects including owning Canada’s first Carbon Neutral Winery. In addition to rock solid wines, their Miradoro restaurant with its stunning view and their summer concert series are reasons people flock to their winery. Be sure to try the Two Bench Series White and Red wines, which use grapes from both sides of the valley, which give these wines their complexity.
So many outstanding wines, so little time. Get out there and see for yourself. Cheers!
