It takes more than a vine to craft a great wine…
From the beginning, we made the decsion to be transparent in our storytelling of the Columbia Valley Collection. The transparency is prevalent in the story of where the grapes come from, truth in labelling, and in the pride of our winemaking team at Hester Creek who created the wines from this incredible vintage.
It was clear from the beginning that the only way we could continue crafting your favourite wines – like the Rosé Cabernet Franc – was to purchase grapes, not juice or unfinished wine. In doing this, we gave freedom to our winemakers to create the wines in true Hester Creek fashion.
Our Winemaker, Mark Hopley, has always said that quality wine comes fom quality grapes, and this vintage was no exception. In leading the winemaking team at Hester Creek, they were able to hone in on the richness of the fruit and create a new collection of wines that they’re proud to put the Hester Creek name on.
Truth in the Label
The design of the Columbia Valley Collection meets the pillars of brand integrity by displaying a clear call out to who we are, as well as truth in where the grapes were sourced.
STORIED SERIES
These fine wines tell the unique story of their distinctive terroir, meticulous viticulture and innovative winemaking practices at Hester Creek.
2024 Riesling Columbia Valley Collection
WINE PROFILE
Tasting Notes
A mélange of aromas greets the nose with touches of green apple, apricot, white peach and a hint of minerality. On the palate, crisp notes of citrus fruits blend with bright apple to create a mouthwatering tartness. A dish of sweet and sour chicken with chilli-ginger vegetable skewers would make an excellent pairing for this wine.
Vineyard Notes
The 2024 vintage from Hester Creek was sourced from just south of the border in the Columbia Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA). This AVA and its sub-AVAs were chosen for the proximity and similarities to the South Okanagan with respect to terroir, varietals and viticultural history. We chose the vineyard blocks based on our quality standards and all the winemaking was done in-house by our winemaking team. Across the sub-AVAs, bud break began in late March with a cool spring. By July, temperatures climbed to above average and balanced out the Growing Degree Days. The season produced large grape clusters with small berry sizes, leading to great quality fruit for winemaking. Each cluster of grapes for Hester Creek was hand harvested, starting with our Sauvignon Blanc on September 2, and ending with Cabernet Sauvignon on October 11. The grapes were brought to our crush pad in recyclable containers and hand sorted by our team before continuing the winemaking process.
Winemaker Notes
The grapes for our 2024 Riesling were farmed in the Ancient Lakes AVA of the Columbia Valley. They were hand harvested on October 1 and loaded into temperature-controlled trucks to be delivered to the Hester Creek crush pad that same day. Our winemaking team hand sorted the clusters, destemmed them and whole berry pressed the juice off the skins. The juice was cold settled for two days, racked off lees and inoculated. It was then fermented for 20 days racked and aged for five months in stainless steel tanks. The resulting wine was bottled on February 7, 2025.
Harvest Date October 1, 2024
Bottling Date February 7, 2025
Grape Variety 100% Riesling
Vegan Yes
Ageability Enjoy now or cellar up to 3 years
Alcohol 12.2%
Availability Wine Shop, Bench Club, online
$24.99 available online or at the winery
2024 Rosé Noir Columbia Valley Collection
HARVEST & VITICULTURE REPORT
The 2024 vintage from Hester Creek was sourced from just south of the border in the Columbia Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA). This AVA and its sub-AVAs were chosen for the proximity and similarities to the South Okanagan with respect to terroir, varietals and viticultural history. We chose the vineyard blocks based on our quality standards and all the winemaking was done in-house by our winemaking team. Across the sub-AVAs, bud break began in late March with a cool spring. By July, temperatures climbed to above average and balanced out the Growing Degree Days. The season produced large grape clusters with small berry sizes, leading to great quality fruit for winemaking. Each cluster of grapes for Hester Creek was hand harvested, starting with our Sauvignon Blanc on September 2, and ending with Cabernet Sauvignon on October 11. The grapes were brought to our crush pad in recyclable containers and hand sorted by our team before continuing the winemaking process.
WINEMAKING
Crafted using 100% Pinot Noir grapes farmed in the Ancient Lakes AVA, each cluster was hand harvested and brought to Hester Creek’s crush pad in temperature-controlled trucks. Once here, the grapes were hand sorted and left on the skins for three hours to extract the light, rose-gold hue. Our Winemakers used a combination of whole berry and whole cluster pressing to extract a clean juice. It was then cold settled for two days, racked off the lees and inoculated. After 20 days of fermentation, the wine was racked and aged for four months in stainless steel tanks before being bottled on February 7, 2025.
TASTING NOTES
On the nose, a light whiff of orange pith blends into rich tones of wild berries. On the palate, an entry of clean minerality leads the way to tart strawberry and a touch of vanilla cream for a lengthy finish. Light, yet with a sense of gravitas, this wine would make the perfect pairing for sushi or a bowl of steamed mussels.
Harvest Date September 10, 2024
Bottling Date February 7, 2025
Grape Variety 100% Pinot Noir
Clone 777
Vegan Yes
Ageability Alcohol 11.7%
Enjoy now or cellar up to 2 years
Availability Wine Shop, Bench Club, online
$27.99 available online or at the winery
“This is giving us the best opportunity to craft wines of distinction while ensuring our local BC farmers and their vineyyards can recover fr0m the cold weather challenges.” Mark Hopley, Winemaker, Hester Creek Estate Winery
Our Story
Our story begins with a harmony between earth and family. Our roots run deep in tradition, passion and historic excellence with vine plantings dating back to 1968. The wines we craft are made from grapes farmed by people with true grit and expertise; and as a family-owned winery, we put the community first.
We craft wines for you, our guests, so you can trust that the Hester Creek wine you open for your next dinner with family, gift to a friend, or enjoy in the peace of your own home is one of quality and distinction.
We invite you to join us at the winery for one of our incredible estate experiences. Our passion is to create an atmosphere of gracious hospitality for our guests by bringing together food, accommodation and award-winning wines.
Wine notes and winery information courtesy of the winery, or provided notes. Images: MyVanCity. I received complimentsary wine to facilitate this feature.
