Taste & Terroir

Photo: Blue Grouse Estate Vineyard & Winery, Vancouver Island

I am always in awe every chance I get to travel through BC wine country.  Whether it is a quick hop over to Vancouver Island, a lazy drive through the dramatic landscape of the Similkameen Valley, or a wistful drop in to Kelowna for a nostalgic lake visit.  Each experience reminds me how lucky I am to live in this province and be an ambassador for its wines.

Our BC producers have shown an unbelievable level of resilience over the last handful of vintages whether it be battling heat domes or plummeting temperatures.  The wines they release year after year are an expression of those hardships and the grace and determination with which they continue to serve us.

April is BC Wine Month, so find every way you can to celebrate these farmers, winegrowers, winemakers and their families who stake their livelihood on the whims of mother nature, while working tirelessly to ensure we have something exceptional to sip on every year.  Cheers to all of them!

WHAT 2024 VINTAGE?

This was a particularly challenging vintage for many BC wine producers but fear not!  There were vines that survived the intense cold snap, and there was wine made.  Keep an eye out on shelves for those who are putting their best foot forward from 2024.  There were some grape varieties that were hit harder than others (like Syrah & Merlot), but many fared well like Riesling – a hallmark grape for our province.

Those on Vancouver Island did not experience the same severe weather event many did on the mainland, so if you have not made the move to try some Island wine, this could be a sign.  The early adopters of BC VQA set the quality bar high, and us wine consumers reap those benefits today.  As someone who travels regularly and gets asked often about BC wine, I am proud to have the foothold of consistently high quality made all over the province.  Although we are small in relation to the world of wine, we are mighty.

Charme de L’Île (translates to the Charm of the Island) describes sparkling wines made by Gulf Island and Vancouver Island wineries using the Charmat method and that reflect their terroir.  A delightfully delicious style of bubbles, when made by an Island producer makes, represents their unique expression of what a sparkling wine from the Island should be. With no restrictions on grape varieties, we have the inaugural Charme de L’Île Rosé release from Blue Grouse Estate Winery, a fresh and zippy bubble made from 100% Gamay Noir (all the fruit being from the Cowichan Valley).  Ridiculously food friendly, and a great start to what we can expect from the 2024 vintage!

Searching for other 2024 wines:

Moraine Estate Winery Riesling 2024

8th Generation Vineyard Riesling Classic 2024

LOOKING BACK

We are a young wine making region(s) in the grand scheme of things. But we have caught up quickly and some of our established producers have some serious library wines for your drinking and thinking pleasure.

With some recent vintages producing less and less, it’s a privilege to peek back in time to some spectacular growing years.  Every wine gets one shot. Having the luxury to look back on the conditions and the resulting expression of a vintage is a gift.  Thank you to the producers who have been able to hold back wines for future storytelling endeavours.

Tightrope Winery is everything you could ever want from a BC winery.  Based on the Naramata Bench, they grow and make punchy whites alongside thoughtful reds.  Lyndsay & Graham O’Rourke have held back their 2016 Pinot Noir for your drinking pleasure.  You can follow the tasting notes online of this wine year-to-year and it continues to knock it out of the park.  An outstanding example of the ageability of BC wines.

Wines to continue to carefully consider:

Poplar Grove Winery ‘The Legacy’ 2014

Spearhead Winery ‘Saddle Block’ Pinot Noir 2018

Le Vieux Pin Winery ‘Ava’ 2017

JOYFUL WINES

In wine, the more you come to know, the more you realize how little you actually know.  It’s a welcome surprise to discover new or unfamiliar grapes and styles. The upside of BC being a younger wine growing region is that we embrace exploration and experimentation.

The pleasure of encountering an unknown or less-familiar grape variety is exciting. It can enhance the experience as there are few preconceived notions of “how the wine is supposed to be”.  Many BC producers are experimenting with lesser-known varieties or even hybrids.

Monte Creek Ranch Winery, only a 10-minute drive from Kamloops is one of those brave producers working with grapes like, Frontenac Blanc and La Crescent, which make up the majority of their ‘Hands Up White’ blend.  A tasty and quaffable wine, which only evokes one feeling – joy.  Search out the unexpected and be delightfully surprised.

Seeking more joy:

Terravista Vineyards Albariño 2023

Stag’s Hollow Winery Dolcetto 2022

Whispering Horse Winery Sparkling ‘Cavallo Rosso’ 2019

Have fun exploring new and rare older vintages of BC wines this April BC Wine Month!

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JENNA BRISCOE (SHE/HER)

Jenna has worked in various areas of the wine industry from hospitality to business consulting. She successfully completed the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Diploma in 2018 and is an instructor for the program in Vancouver.

Her time as a sommelier has been spent working in several restaurants, including Vancouver’s own Hawksworth and Elisa and abroad at Medlar and Lorne in London, England. Jenna’s home is as the General Manager of Café Medina in Vancouver, Canada, where she has built an award-winning team over the last 9 years. In 2016, she was recognized by Vancouver Magazine as one of the top six front-of-house ‘All-Stars ’in the Vancouver scene.