“In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.”
Lord Tennyson
This may be true but for BC Wine lovers we are much more interested in the new releases from our favourite wineries. So this is the first of the new release features that I know you will be looking forward to learning more about and tasting the wines for yourself.
These are wines that we all look forward to every year, consistently good drinkable wines that also represent good value. Enjoy these wines with friends.
AT HESTER CREEK, OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP…
2022 Character White
WINE PROFILE
Tasting Notes
Our 2022 Foundation Series Character White is exceptional in its refined complexity. Floral aromas mingling with grapefruit, citrus and fennel lead to an elegant palate with opulent notes of peach, pear, melon and fresh-cut herbs. A wine for sharing with friends, pair the Character White with a baked Brie, maple walnut appetizer.
Winemaker Notes
Uplifted and fresh, our 2022 Character White was crafted from approximately two thirds Pinot Gris and one third Gewürztraminer. The grapes were hand picked from three vineyards: the Pinot Gris component came from our Road 7 Vineyard and Vineyard Manager, Iqbal Gill’s, Road 8 property, and the Gewürztraminer came from our historic Golden Mile Bench Estate as well as the Gill Vineyard on Road 8. The grapes were sorted, destemmed and whole berry pressed prior to going through a cold settle and cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Following fermentation, the lots were blended to create an elegantly balanced white wine. After blending, the Character White is further aged in stainless for four months prior to bottling in early 2023. This wine represents the characteristics of the South Okanagan terroir, where the floral and aromatic Gewürztraminer compliments the structure that the Pinot Gris provides.
$17.99 online and at the winery; $18.79* at select Save-On-Foods
2022 Pinot Gris
WINE PROFILE
Tasting Notes
Elegant and nuanced, our 2022 Old Vine Pinot Blanc displays captivating aromas of melon, apple, stone fruits and honeysuckle, with an herbaceous note of fresh-cut alfalfa. Crisp with a pleasing mouth weight, the palate features complex notes of tart green apple with a honeyed texture and stoney minerality. Pair the Old Vine Pinot Blanc with crab cakes or a chicken and Brie sandwich.
Winemaker Notes
Balanced and complex, the 2022 Old Vine Pinot Blanc was hand harvested from Blocks 4 and 9 of our historic Golden Mile Bench vineyard. Our roots run deep with these Block 4 vines that were planted in 1968, adding to the intensity and overall structure of this crisp white wine. Following harvest, the grapes were meticulously sorted, destemmed and whole berry pressed into stainless steel tanks. Following a long, cool fermentation for 28 days at 12°C, the wine was racked, blended with fine lees, and aged to further develop a pleasing mouth weight before being bottled in mid-January of 2023.
$18.99 available online, at the winery or $19.99* at select Save-On-Foods locations.
2022 Pinot Blanc
WINE PROFILE
Tasting Notes
Our 2022 Foundation Series Pinot Gris presents fragrant aromas of nectarine, apricot and pear. The palate is greeted with flavours of the Okanagan: crisp apple, candied pear and a touch of herbaceous sage. A streak of minerality lends to a finish that lingers on the palate making this wine both delightful and refreshing. Pair the Pinot Gris with fresh-steamed mussels in a garlic and herb broth.
Winemaker Notes
A beautiful representation of the South Okanagan, the 2022 Pinot Gris was hand harvested from four vineyards in mid to late September: Block 5 of our Golden Mile Bench Estate property, our Road 7 vineyard, the Chahal Family Vineyard in Oliver and our Vineyard Manager, Iqbal Gill’s, vineyard on Road 8. The grapes were then hand sorted, destemmed, and left whole for a light pressing, which resulted in clean juice with reduced solids. After pressing, the juice was cold settled for three days and racked before heading into stainless steel tanks for a long, cool fermentation of 30 days at 12.5°C. The cool fermentation allowed the wine to retain its natural, vibrant aromatics and lively acidity. Following fermentation, the wine was blended and aged for four months before being bottled in early 2023.
$19.99 available online, at the winery and $19.99* at select Save-On-Foods
2022 Rosé Cabernet Franc
WINE PROFILE
Tasting Notes
Our 2022 Rosé Cabernet Franc is a wine to please the senses. A vibrant ruby colour greets the eyes, followed by a hint of white pepper on the nose with aromatic notes of ripe stewed rhubarb and strawberry. Lively and fresh, the palate has an initial tart, fruit-forward entry. This is followed by concentrated cranberry and dried cherry flavours with a lingering, mild tannin on the finish. Enjoy this wine on any occasion as an aperitif or paired with a charcuterie board, complete with cured meats, smoked salmon and an assortment of fine cheeses.
Winemaker Notes
The 2022 Rosé Cabernet Franc was crafted entirely from Cabernet Franc grapes hand picked from four vineyards in the South Okanagan: Star Vineyard in Osoyoos, Pandher Farms Vineyard south of Oliver, the Chahal Home Vineyard and the Gill Vineyard on Road 8. The grapes were hand sorted, destemmed and cold soaked on the skins for three days to extract the notably vibrant pink hue. Once the desired colour was achieved, the juice was pressed off the skins in preparation for a long, cool fermentation. The fermentation was interrupted just prior to dryness to retain the expressive aromatic nose of the Cabernet Franc. The lots were then cross blended and allowed to age on fine lees for four months. This refreshing and luscious Rosé was bottled in early 2023.
$19.99 available online, at the winery or $20.39* at select Save-On-Foods
2022 Viognier
WINE PROFILE
Tasting Notes
Brimming with sumptuous notes of an Okanagan summer, our 2022 Storied Series Viognier leads with aromas of stone fruit, wildflowers and lime pith. Bright and dynamic notes of peach, pineapple and nectarine greet the palate, rounding out on the mid-palate with honeysuckle and a clean minerality. Pair the 2022 vintage with west-coast seafood or a mild Szechuan sweet pepper and tofu stir fry.
Winemaker Notes
The grapes from our 2022 Storied Series Viognier were grown on the Stone’s Throw Vineyard south of Oliver and Pandher Farms on Road 15. The fruit was hand harvested on October 3rd and 4th of 2022, sorted, then pressed using a combination of whole-berry and whole-cluster pressing. This method of pressing resulted in a clean juice with few solids. Our 2022 Viognier was then cold settled for two days before being racked and inoculated for a 31-day fermentation at 13°C. The resulting wine was then racked off heavy lees and allowed to age in stainless steel for four months before being bottled on February 22, 2023.
$23.99 available online or at the winery
2022 Old Vine Trebbiano
WINE PROFILE
Tasting Notes
Renowned for its excellence, our Source Collection Old Vine Trebbiano is full of luscious, fruit-forward notes. The 2022 vintage has enticing aromas of grapefruit, white peach and dried apple with a hint of rose water. On the palate, crisp notes of fresh lime zest blend with subtle sage to balance the full-bodied passion fruit on the finish. Pair our Trebbiano with fresh oysters or peach and Okanagan goat cheese crostinis.
Winemaker Notes
Our 2022 Old Vine Trebbiano originates from Block 16 of our historic Golden Mile Bench estate vineyard. The grapes were hand harvested on October 22nd, 2022, sorted then destemmed in preparation for whole berry pressing. The resulting juice was cold settled in stainless steel tanks for three days, then racked to undergo a cool month-long fermentation. Upon completion of fermentation, the wine was allowed to age for four months before being bottled on February 7th, 2023.
$24.99 available online or at the winery
Vineyard Notes
The 2022 season at Hester Creek will be remembered as one of the most challenging, yet productive years on record. With the addition of new vineyards, the 2022 harvest yielded a larger crop than average. Due to coolerthan-expected spring temperatures and more rain than is typical of the South Okanagan, the season was off to a late start. By summer, temperatures rose and lasted into the autumn, extending the season with the warmest September and October on record. Growing degree days reached 1676 on average. This longer growing season led to longer hang times for the fruit as they developed phenolic ripeness. Harvest began on September 9th with our Ti Amo and finished on December 1st with our Old Vine Cabernet Franc. For the white varietals, longer hang times resulted in delicate aromatics. The red varietals hung on the vine throughout November allowing the grapes to concentrate their colours and flavours. The 2022 vintage will be remembered as a milestone year for producing exceptional, fruit-forward and age-worthy wines.
- Save-On-Foods 10% off any four bottles of wine, twelve bottles of wine an additional 10% off
Wine profiles courtesy of the winery. Images: MyVanCity. I received complimentary wine to facilitate this feature.
