2020 Blanc de Blancs Sandhill Kelowna, BC $34.90 This is Sandhill’s first venture into sparkling wine production. Sydney Valentino can be mighty proud of her debut traditional method bubble. It has been a three-year project that was kept under wraps until its release. The chardonnay grapes for this wine came from the Naramata Bench and … Read more
When the cold winter weather sets in, many people enjoy opening a big flavourful red wine to while away the dark winter evenings. And what better than one of these offerings from Fort Berens? The 2023 harvest resulted in smaller yields than is the norm, which was expected after the devastating cold winter of … Read more
2019 Sparkling Rosé Monte Creek Monte Creek, BC $23.99 Cherry red with medium intensity. Strawberries, cream, cherries, cranberries, and delicate dusty wild herbs on the nose. Very good balance with good mousse. Refreshing on the palate with bright fruit shining through. Cherries linger on the medium-plus finish. A versatile sparkler well suited as a … Read more
Wine grape growing and wine making are not for the faint of heart.
In addition to the weekly wine review and the various other, usually wine-related, articles I write for My Van City, I am including a new one that will appear from time to time. I’m calling it, ‘From the Cellar’. It will be much like the wine reviews, except that it will feature wines that have … Read more
Wine Reviews June 28, 2022 2021 Rosé Fort Berens Lillooet, BC $21.99 This is a Pinot Noir dominant blend (79%), with small amounts of Merlot (13%), and Cabernet Franc (8%), all of which were estate grown. Winemaker Alex Nel felt that the small additions helped to boost the colour and add a note of … Read more
We are very optimistic for the future, as Alex further raises the bar on our winemaking. We are thrilled with the development of the wines from our 2021 vintage, and we can’t wait to share them with you.
This fall saw the release of three new releases from Lillooet’s Fort Berens winery, a 2020 Chardonnay, a 2019 Cabernet Franc, and the 2019 Merlot dominant Meritage.
2020 Sauvignon Blanc Mayhem Okanagan Falls, BC $20.00 Pale straw with medium-light intensity. The nose shows aromas of peach, grass, gooseberry, minerality, lime zest, and delicate banana notes. Good balance. Refreshing on the palate followed by a medium-plus finish with flavours lingering. Tasting this makes me think of seafood, salmon, white fish, and prawn and … Read more
Fort Berens have expanded their estate vineyards to 38 acres with the addition of the 18-acre Red Rock Vineyard. This brings 6 acres of Merlot, 5 acres of Cabernet Franc, 3.5 acres of Riesling, 2 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and 1 acre of Grüner Veltliner.