“In this series we bring you our #FavouriteThings Holiday Gift Suggestions which we personally recommend”
Without hesitation we are recommending the wines from Wild Goose. I have been a fan for a long time. It would be hard to narrow it down to just one wine. Fortunately I don’t have to because the folks at Wild Goose have done the choosing for me. Yes, favourites all. These wines will soon be your favourites too, if they aren’t already.
Not only are Wild Goose wines great value the wines are also easy to find at numerous retailers throughout the province of B.C. Here is a link that will tell you exactly where to buy their wines.
These are bound to be popular gifts but remember to keep some for yourself to enjoy over the holiday season.
2020 Merlot
Vintage & Winemaking Notes: The 2020 growing season was a rather average one characterized by certain weather events. Spring’s arrival was delayed, followed by bouts of rain in late May and early June which led to slightly lower yields and resultingly high-quality grapes. August added ideal summer heat, ripening the grapes slowly which extended into September. Sunny, clear skies in the fall helped make up for the late start to the season and benefited flavour development in the grapes while cool nights helped retain acidity.
The 2020 Merlot grapes were harvested from vineyards in Oliver and Osoyoos in mid-October upon the fruit reaching ideal ripeness. All of the grapes were fermented in stainless steel tanks before ageing in oak barrels for 16 months. The French (58%), American (34%), and Hungarian (8%) oak barrels used were chosen for the complementary flavours, aromas and texture they would provide to the finished wine. The final Merlot blend was assembled in February and left to assimilate before later being filtered, stabilized and bottled in April of 2022.
Food Pairings: Pair this with classic asada tacos, braised lamb shank or caramelized roasted beets.
2023 Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage & Winemaking Notes: Following a winter that included a significant cold snap, the 2023 growing season itself was warm, steady,
and free of temperature extremes. Spring’s arrival was only marginally delayed while June through to the first half of August saw ideal
temperatures for ripening and flavour development in our grapes. The fruit benefited even more from sunny, clear skies in the early fall, while
the grapes’ natural acidity was preserved by the cool nights provided.
The excellent quality, ripe grapes for our 2023 Sauvignon Blanc were harvested from vineyards in Oliver and Osoyoos in the latter half of September. To preserve the fruit qualities of the wine, 100% of the juice underwent fermentation before seven months of aging, both in stainless steel tank. It was later bottled and kept to settle and relax until its release.
Food Pairings: Pair this with homemade Greek Salad, or fresh goat’s cheese rolled in fresh herbs.
2023 Pinot Gris
Vintage & Winemaking Notes:
Following a winter that included a significant cold snap, the 2023 growing season itself was warm, steady,
and free of temperature extremes. Spring’s arrival was only marginally delayed while June through to the first half of August saw ideal
temperatures for ripening and flavour development in our grapes. The fruit benefited even more from sunny, clear skies in the early fall, while
the grapes’ natural acidity was preserved by the cool nights provided.
The Pinot Gris grapes for this 2023 vintage were harvested in September from vineyards between Summerland and Osoyoos, with the majority coming from the Eden Heart Vineyard in Kaleden. Sixteen percent of the juice was fermented and aged in barrel for four
months with weekly bâtonnage, while the other eighty-four percent was vinified and aged in stainless steel tanks. After four months, the wines were blended and aged in tank for an additional month before bottling.
Food Pairings: Pair this with prawn gyoza, seafood paella or pear, parmesan and arugula salad with a lemony vinaigrette.
2023 Riesling
Vintage & Winemaking Notes:
Following a winter that included a significant cold snap, the 2023 growing season itself was warm, steady,
and free of temperature extremes. Spring’s arrival was only marginally delayed while June through to the first half of August saw ideal
temperatures for ripening and flavour development in our grapes. The fruit benefited even more from sunny, clear skies in the early fall, while
the grapes’ natural acidity was preserved by the cool nights provided.
Fruit for our 2023 Riesling came from two longstanding farmer blocks as well as our own vineyard in Okanagan Falls, where the winery is
situated. The fruit was praised for its perfect maturity and inherent acidity when it was harvested in late September and early October. The quality Riesling grapes were pressed before the juice was vinified in stainless steel tank and subsequently aged for 7 months before
being bottled and held prior to its release.
Food Pairings: Pair this with crispy coconut prawns or honey, garlic chicken wings.
2020 Cabernet Merlot
Vintage & Winemaking Notes:
The 2020 growing season was a rather average one characterized by certain weather events. Spring’s arrival was
delayed, followed by bouts of rain in late May and early June which led to slightly lower yields and resultingly high-quality grapes. August added
ideal summer heat, ripening the grapes slowly which extended into September. Sunny, clear skies in the fall helped make up for the late start
to the season and benefited flavour development in the grapes while cool nights helped retain acidity.
All of the grapes for this blend were picked at their peak ripeness with an excellent balance of acidity and tannins in October and November
of 2020. They were hand-sorted and then gently crushed before being dropped into tanks for alcoholic fermentation. At completion, the wine
was transferred into oak barrels for malolactic fermentation to occur. It was then racked and barreled down for ageing in majority French,
mostly neutral oak barrels, complemented by a touch of American and Hungarian for added complexity of flavour and texture. After 14 months,
the Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon wines were blended along with an added splash of Malbec, Syrah, and Petit Verdot.
Food Pairings: Pair this with grilled Chorizo, short ribs or eggplant parmigiana.
2020 Red Horizon
Wild Goose’s Classic Red Blend
Vintage & Winemaking Notes:
The 2020 growing season was a rather average one characterized by certain weather events. Spring’s arrival was delayed, followed by bouts of rain in late May and early June which led to slightly lower yields and resultingly high-quality grapes. August added ideal summer heat, ripening the grapes slowly which extended into September. Sunny, clear skies in the fall helped make up for the late start to the season and benefited flavour development in the grapes while cool nights helped retain acidity.
Included for the first time in this blend is Dunkelfelder, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. All the grapes are harvested by hand from vineyards in Oliver and Osoyoos. Vinified and barrel-aged separately for 16 months, in 25% French and 75% American oak, the wines were then assembled with great care to create the ideal blend.
Food Pairings: Pair with braised short ribs or mushroom & black bean burgers.
Blend: 58% Merlot, 13% Petite Verdot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Dunkelfelder, 5% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc.
40 years of Wild Goose Winery
Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery’s award-winning approach to winemaking has been to grow the highest quality fruit and then transform this quality into ultra-premium wines. This is made possible by way of prioritizing innovation in viticulture and viniculture technology. Year after year Wild Goose wines have exhibited the best that Mother Nature has to offer. From carefully tended vines to delicately harvested and vinified grapes, Wild Goose wines are benchmarks of British Columbia winemaking at its best.
It all began in early 1983 when founder Adolf Kruger purchased a promising piece of land east of Okanagan Falls. Upon his return to his newly-purchased property he discovered a large flock of Canada geese feeding amongst the local flora on the rocky terrain. As he approached, the flock of geese took flight. This vision inspired Adolf to call the property Wild Goose Vineyards.
Adolf first planted Riesling and Gewürztraminer with the intention of selling the grapes grown. Over the next few years, outstanding wines were produced by purchasers of these aromatic grapes. In the late eighties Adolf and two other parties formed a plan that would allow smaller wineries to make wine using grapes grown on site that could be sold through the “farm gate”. After much lobbying and persistence, the farm gate winery was born in British Columbia.
Wild Goose Winery became the seventeenth winery in BC and was established in June 1990. The winery started producing Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Maréchal Foch. Over time Wild Goose would establish itself as a premium small producer of VQA wines.
In July of 2021, the Wyse family of Burrowing Owl Vineyards proudly announced their acquisition of the tremendously popular Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery’s knowledge and experience in producing ultra-premium wines provide a solid platform for Wild Goose products to continue delivering excellence for years to come.
