Vitis • Issue 12 • Fall/Winter 2023

FREE FALL/WINTER 2023

Issue 12

THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER (WINE)

THE GLOBAL GLORY OF GRENACHE

ONES: B.C.’S ZERO-PROOF PIONEER

DJ KEARNEY DIPS INTO TOP TRENDS

INSIGHTS FROM VANCOUVER SOMMS

HANGING WITH MARK AND OLIVIER

PRIMED FOR B.C.’S BEST STEAKHOUSES

GOING GAGA FOR GLOU-GLOU

WINE NEWS

B.C. WINERY LISTINGS

06 – SIPS & NIBBLES

News and trends from wine country

14 – WINE LIFE

Hanging out with two wine legends at Phantom Creek by Joanne

Sasvari

18 – PIPETTE

Dipping into the wide world of wine by DJ

Kearney

22 – OENOPHILE

We check in with Ones, B.C.’s zero-proof pioneer by Charlene

Rooke

PUBLISHER: Gail Nugent • gnugent@glaciermedia.ca

EDITOR: Joanne Sasvari • jsasvari@glaciermedia.ca

DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER: Tara Rafiq • trafiq@glaciermedia.ca

24 – IN THE VINEYARD

We savour great Grenache from around the globe by Daenna Van

Mulligen

28 – WHAT SOMMS SAY

The experts reveal how and what we’re drinking now

Contents 22 36

by Joanne Sasvari

32 – WORLD OF WINE

It’s oyster season! What to sip as you slurp by Tim Pawsey

36 – FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Primed for the best cuts at B.C.’s steakhouses by Joanne

Sasvari

39 – LISTINGS

Your guide to B.C.’s wineries

50 – WINE GEEK

Glou-glou: The gluggable wines we love by Christine Campbell

COVER IMAGE: Getty Images

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR: Valeria Remizova Vitis.ca

@VitisMag • @VitisMag

PUBLISHED BY: Glacier Media Group 303 W. 5th Ave., Vancouver, BC V5Y 1J6 778-240-4010

© Vitis 2023 This issue is complimentary.

High steaks around B.C. Getty Images photo

Contributors

JOANNE SASVARI is editor of Vitis, The Alchemist and YAM magazines. She is a WSET-certified writer who covers food and drink for publications including Food & Wine and Shondaland, and is the author of Island Eats and Okanagan Eats cookbooks.

CHRISTINE CAMPBELL is a Vancouverbased freelance and travel writer, educator and host of the Wine Soundtrack Canada podcast. She is WSET certified and is a French Wine Scholar. Follow Christine’s adventures in wine and abroad at girlsgogrape.com.

DJ KEARNEY is a Vancouver-based wine educator, consultant, speaker, judge and global wine expert. Creator of the New District Wine Club, she is also Terminal City Club’s director of wine and vice-president of CAPS-BC, responsible for the Best Sommelier of BC competition.

TIM PAWSEY writes and shoots at hiredbelly.com as well as for publications including Quench, TASTE and Montecristo. He’s a frequent wine judge and is a founding member of the B.C. Hospitality Foundation.

CHARLENE ROOKE is WSET certified in wine and spirits, and an educator for Taste of Legacy, adjacent to Vancouver’s Legacy Liquor Store. She is also the drinks editor of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s customer magazine, Food & Drink

DAENNA VAN MULLIGEN is a sommelier, educator, keynote speaker and radio host who launched WineDiva.ca 16 years ago, and WineScores.ca soon after. She is also a regular contributor to TASTE, Vines and Montecristo magazines.

SAVOURING A WORLD OF AUTUMNAL FLAVOURS

Welcome to the Fall/Winter 2023 issue of Vitis, the magazine of British Columbia’s wine culture.

Since we launched Vitis in the spring of 2018—has it really been more than five years?—we’ve been champions of our local wines and the people who make them. And while that will never change, we also recognize that British Columbia doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and neither should we. We’ve always covered other wine destinations, but with this issue we’re expanding that coverage, and have even more exciting plans in the works.

That means sharing more international wine news, tasting notes, experiences and conversations with winemakers and sommeliers from around the world.

In this issue, Tim Pawsey travels the world to find the best wines to sip with your oysters, which are back in season again after a not-so-great summer. Daenna Van Mulligen samples Grenache from France, Australia, Sardinia and B.C., reminding us just why it’s “one of the world’s most-enjoyed wines.” In Pipette, DJ Kearney offers a taste of what’s happening on the global scene, from stone labels to the destruction of French wines. And Christine Campbell explains what “glou-glou” means, which will be handy for you to know for the Beaujolais Nouveau release on November 16.

Closer to home, Charlene Rooke chats with the folks at Ones, the B.C.-made zero-proof wine. Vancouver somms share their insights. And we check out steak-forward restaurants in Victoria, Whistler, Vancouver and the Okanagan Valley so you can indulge in all your favourite big reds. Plus I get to hang out with the legendary winemakers Mark Beringer and Olivier Humbrecht at Phantom Creek, which is like a master class in wine, only way more fun.

On a more serious note: As you almost certainly know, it has been a rough year in B.C. wine country. Following a brutal winter kill, this summer’s busy tourist season was disrupted by devastating wildfires in the Okanagan, Thompson, Similkameen and Shuswap. Our thoughts are with everyone in those regions, and we hope you will join us in supporting their wineries, restaurants, hotels and other businesses this fall and winter.

Meanwhile, let’s raise a glass of something deep, delicious and autumnal to the cozy months ahead.

—Joanne Sasvari, editor

Harvest season is our favourite time of year. Wines of British Columbia photo

Sips & Nibbles

Vitis Staff

HELP WHEN IT WAS NEEDED MOST

IN A REALLY BAD YEAR, B.C. WINERIES WERE THERE TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER

It’s fair to say that 2023 will be a memorable year in BC wine country, but for all the wrong reasons.

It began with the worst winter in recent memory—plummeting temperatures killed up to 29 per cent of vines, according to Wine Growers BC, and devastated as much as 65 per cent of some red varieties—and continued with the worst wildfire season on record.

We don’t yet know how badly grapes were affected by the smoke from the fires in West Kelowna, the Similkameen and Osoyoos, but we do know that the fires turned thousands of tourists away at what should have been the busiest, most lucrative time of year. We also know that some of our favourite wines will be in short supply for a while.

But anyone who deals with leaf hoppers and hen party buses on the regular is a pretty resilient sort

of person, and if there is a silver lining to this dark cloud of a year, it’s how the wine community has stepped up to help.

Many wineries, including TIME Family of Wines, Tantalus, Painted Rock and Rust Wine Co., donated a portion of wine sales to wildfire relief through organizations such as Red Cross Canada and Mamas for Mamas.

Blasted Church Vineyards, which had to cancel its beloved Seven Deadly Sins party scheduled for September 9, instead donated all tasting fees for the weekend to Red Cross Canada. And over at Quails’ Gate, during the worst days of the McDougall Creek Wildfire in August, the culinary team prepared more than 600 meals a day for firefighters across five local stations.

There are countless stories of kindness and generosity across this province. Thank you to everyone who stepped up, in ways big or small, just when we needed it most.

Photo courtesy of Blasted Church Vineyards

A BRAND-NEW BUBBLE HOUSE

When Christa-Lee McWatters told us she was planning to open a new tasting room that would focus just on sparkling wine, we were pretty intrigued. When she told us it would also feature gourmet bites to pair with bubbles (think: oysters and potato chips) in a beautiful architectural space on the Naramata Bench, we got pretty darn excited.

The Evolve Cellars bubble house is expected to open sometime next spring. It will be the first winery on the bench as you head up the hill out of Penticton, with stunning views over the valley. Most importantly, it will feature sparkling wines, both Charmat and traditional method, from a label that has been scooping up all sorts of awards. We can’t wait to check it out. timewines.ca/evolve/

SAVOUR THE OKANAGAN

Dining in BC wine country is all about casual grazing with a glass of something delicious, and that’s just what a new cookbook is all about. Okanagan Eats: Signature Chefs’ Recipes from British Columbia’s Wine Valleys, by Dawn Postnikiff and Vitis editor Joanne Sasvari (Figure 1 Publishing), features restaurants from Kamloops to the Shuswap to Osoyoos and the Similkameen. It’s filled with beautiful photos and tested recipes you will want to make for all your friends. Plus a portion of sales from the book will support the Central Okanagan Food Bank in its wildfire relief efforts. Find it at the participating restaurants as well as bookstores and other retailers.

CHIANTI’S CONTEMPORARY COOL

Chianti wines have been made in Tuscany since at least 1716, and for many years were associated with budget-friendly spaghetti dinners and the cute straw basket known as a “fiasco” that the bottle was wrapped in. They are predominantly made from Sangiovese grapes, which have cherry and other red fruit notes, as well as savoury flavours like roasted pepper, tomato, leather, tobacco, earth and thyme.

In August, BC Liquor Stores did a Chianti promotion that allowed us to taste through a bunch of wines, and we were delighted by what we discovered. For one thing, Chianti isn’t cheap spaghetti vino any more, but elegant and well-structured wine that offers good value for high quality. For another, the distinctive fruit and savoury notes of contemporary Chianti are beautifully integrated, making them versatile and food friendly.

THREE CHIANTIS TO TRY

Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro Gran Selezione Chianti Classico 2017 (Tuscany, Italy, $48.99)

Ripe plum, black cherry, violet, chocolate, spice.

GLAMPING IN OK FALLS

Rocca delle Macìe Chianti Classico Riserva 2019 (Tuscany, Italy, $28.99)

Juicy, dark, complex; blackberry, plum, earth, tobacco.

Barone Ricasoli Rocca Guicciarda Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2018 (Tuscany, Italy, $34.99)

Ripe red fruit, chestnut, floral and woodsy notes.

One of the most romantic ways to visit the Okanagan Valley is to book your stay at the luxurious “tenthouse” eco-accommodations at Nighthawk Vineyards. Or, as some might call them, yurts. They nestle among the trees overlooking this boutique, family-run winery. Each has a locally crafted king-sized platform bed and high-thread-count bedding, three-piece bathroom plus a soaker tub on the private deck, and hand-crafted amenities, including sparkling artisan water carafe. A bottle of Nighthawk wine will be awaiting you and a daily continental breakfast is delivered to your suite. And you only need to meander over to the winery to enjoy chef Carson Bibby’s fresh wine-country cuisine. nighthawkvineyards.com

EVENT CALENDAR

Clear your schedule for these essential experiences

VICTORIA INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL

September 24 to 30

This year the grand tasting moves into the Victoria Convention Centre, where guests can sample over 400 wines from 16 different countries and, of course, the theme region, California. Plus there will be master classes, seminars and wine dinners at venues around town. Tickets and information at vicwf.com

WINE CAPITAL WEEKEND

September 22 to 24

Swing by Oliver for three days of live music, dancing, good food, good wine and loads of fun. It all begins with the Kick-Off Party at District Wine Village, continues with the Cask & Keg Festival and wraps up with the family-friendly Festival of the Grape, which features the hilarious Grape Stomp, food trucks, interactive Kids Zone and artisan Merchant Market. It’s the most fun you can have in wine country. visitoliver.com

MICHELIN GUIDE VANCOUVER LAUNCH

October 5

All Vancouver foodies will be eagerly awaiting the announcement of the 2023 entries into the prestigious guide. Catch the latest at: guide.michelin. com/ca/en/british-columbia/cavancouver/restaurants

WHISTLER CORNUCOPIA

November 9 to 19

TERROIR SYMPOSIUM

September 30 to October 2

Some of the most important discussions around culinary culture happen at this Calgary event, where top names in food and drink engage in transformative discussions, workshops and some terrific dinners. terroirsymposium.com

OKANAGAN FALL WINE FESTIVAL EVENTS

October 27 to November 3 Valley First presents Après Crush–South Okanagan on October 27 and North on November 3; these lively grazing events showcase harvest-inspired culinary bites and B.C. wines. Also, back by popular demand are two trade tastings, one in the south and one in the north. Look for other events through the season, too. thewinefestivals.com

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL

February 24 to March 3, 2024

Whistler’s annual celebration of food and drink returns this November with all the signature events, seminars, dinners, parties and tastings you love, including the flagship CRUSH Grand Tasting. whistlercornucopia.com

It’s never too soon to start planning for VIWF, especially as it moves back to February with beautiful and intriguing Italy as its theme region. One of the oldest, biggest and most prestigious wine festivals in the world, it’s an absolute must for any wine lover, with a plethora of seminars, winemaker’s dinners, trade days events and tastings to explore. vanwinefest.ca

Peak Terroir

AT CULMINA FAMILY ESTATE WINERY, WINEMAKER JEAN-MARC ENIXON CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF THE GOLDEN MILE

Jean-Marc Enixon has only one goal as the winemaker and vineyard manager at Culmina Family Estate Winery: “I try to put the terroir of the Okanagan in every bottle,” he says.

Of course, it helps that the terroir he is working with is among the best in the valley.

These 56 storied acres at the very top of the Golden Mile Bench were the dream property for Don and Elaine Triggs, who bought it in 2007 after decades of working in the wine industry. Joined by their daughter Sara in 2012, they named the estate “Culmina,” Latin for the “peak” or “apex.” In 2019, the Triggs family sold the estate to Arterra Wines Canada, which is committed to building on the founders’ legacy and crafting some of B.C.’s most iconic wines.

“We are owned by Arterra, but we manage everything on our own. They are very respectful. They are here to support us,” says Enixon.

A classically trained French vigneron and winemaker, Enixon grew up in the village of Manot near Bordeaux, studied winemaking in France and worked in Sonoma and China before becoming the winemaking director at the Château Puy Guilhem in Saillans. He spent 10 years there, producing top-rated estate wines.

But the New World beckoned and, in 2016, he found himself in the Okanagan Valley and eventually at Culmina, where he has been crafting unique, highly awarded wines ever since.

“On 56 acres, I have a bunch, a bunch of possibility,” he says. He now produces some 15 different wines,

Jean-Marc Enixon, the winemaker and vigneron at Culmina, handles grapes with utmost gentleness to capture their truest flavours.

including whites, rosés and reds, both single varieties and blends. “In France, I had the same size vineyard, but I only produced two red wines. It’s a fun challenge. I try a lot of different things, like carbonic maceration and orange wine.”

He laughs a little.

“When you arrive from France and they tell you there is no wine for two or three months, you think it’s going to be so easy to manage the vineyard. And it’s not so easy. I’m having to learn everything again,” he says. “For 10 months, I try to grow the best grapes in the vineyard and for two months I play in the cellar.”

His winemaking is based on two principles: gentle handling of fruit and minimal intervention of wine. The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand, then gently crushed in the Bucher Oscillys destemmer, the first of its kind in Canada. The team also uses a basket press, gravity flow and peristaltic pumps, all designed for the most delicate handling of the grapes, then fermented in coneshaped, French-made stainless steel tanks.

“All my wines are very long fermentation because I don’t like to push them. I’m a lazy winemaker, I don’t have to do any bâtonnage. We take our time. It’s working well,” Enixon says.

“I’m a very old school guy in my winemaking. I like a well-balanced acidity in my white wine and a classic red wine. I’m never proud of my work, it’s very French, we are never happy, but I like our Grüner because it’s fun to make and I discovered it here. And for the red, of course I like the Hypothesis because it’s our Bordeaux blend. Every year it’s a surprise.”

All that said, he is at least a little proud that in 2021, the vineyard was certified organic, even if that makes an already challenging terroir even more difficult to handle.

“Every year in the Okanagan, we are never bored. It’s always a new challenge. We never have any normal years. Last year we finished harvest with 30 centimetres of snow,” Enixon says, noting that his vineyards at least survived last winter’s killing cold reasonably intact.

“We fight a lot because we are organic. We fight against the leaf hopper, we fight against the mildew,” he adds. “But it’s worth it.”

For more information, visit culmina.ca

Culmina Family Estate Winery

The Culmina vineyards sit at the very top of the Golden Mile Bench south of Oliver, where the terroir is ideal for producing expressive, well-balanced Bordeaux and other varieties.

For 10 months, I try to grow the best grapes in the vineyard and for two months I play in the cellar.

From Alsace to Oliver

WE SPEND A WEEKEND AMONG WINEMAKING LEGENDS AT PHANTOM CREEK ESTATES

Joanne Sasvari

Not long after we meet, Mark Beringer tries to get his friend and colleague, Olivier Humbrecht MW, to admit that he’s a little bored, what with his family making pretty much the same wines in the same place for the last 400 years or so. Humbrecht just shakes his head, smiling.

We’re hanging out at Phantom Creek Estates, the winery on B.C.’s Black Sage Bench where Beringer is director of winemaking, with an affinity for red wines, and Humbrecht is consulting winemaker for the white wine program.

To say that these two men are legends in the industry is an understatement. Beringer is the great-great-grandson of that Beringer, Jacob Beringer, Napa Valley royalty.

He was previously, among other things, director of winemaking at Duckhorn Vineyards and chief winemaker at Beringer Vineyards.

Humbrecht, meanwhile, is not only the owner and winemaker of Zind-Humbrecht, which produces some of the world’s best Pinot Gris and Riesling and has been in his family since 1620, he is also France’s first Master of Wine, a champion of biodynamics and president of Biodyvin.

So what are they doing so far from home? They are, of course, making exceptional wine. But they are also having fun exploring what a new region can do. For a couple of memorable days, a few of us got to tag along for the ride.

Mark Beringer, left, and Olivier Humbrecht pause to sample white wines in the cellar at Phantom Creek Estates. Photo by Tania Veitch

THURSDAY

It’s mid-July and it’s not only hot, but weirdly humid for the south Okanagan Valley. “Actually, today it is exactly the same temperature in Alsace as it is here,” Humbrecht tells a slightly sticky gathering at the Restaurant at Phantom Creek.

We’re indulging in an Alsatian-themed dinner as envisioned by the talented chef Alessa Valdez, which means perfect little onion tarts, seared foie gras on pain d’épice, Road 17 char with choucroute and spaetzle, truffled Cornish hens and, for dessert, kouglof, a kind of fancy brioche, paired with a luscious 2018 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewürtztraminer.

“To make good wine you need good people. You need the proper climate. And you need good soil,” Humbrecht says. All of these, he suggests, are what he’s found here in Oliver. “I’m not trying to replicate Alsace. I’m not trying to make Alsace wine.”

FRIDAY

The next day, we get a better idea of what these two are trying to achieve. François Mateo, the winery’s managing director, who has worked at top wineries in France, Chile and Oregon, describes how their goal is

not just to promote Phantom Creek, but to support other independent wineries by putting the entire region on the world map.

But first, they are working to identify what grows best here.

Beringer and Humbrecht lead us on a tour of the winery, from the Kobau Room where Beringer goes over the history of the famous vineyards, through the crush pad with its dazzlingly expensive gear, into the cellar and the famous octagonal tasting room. Under a magnificent golden Dale Chihuly sculpture, we taste through a lineup of Phantom Creek wines while the winemakers explain how the terroir in each of the historic vineyards the grapes come from—Kobau, Becker, Phantom Creek, Evernden— affects their flavour.

“It’s the mix of soils that makes a region unique,” Beringer says, noting that we are standing on a rare mix of tectonic, volcanic and sedimentary soil. One of Humbrecht’s goals is to transform that soil—some of which is so depleted, Beringer says, “even weeds don’t grow”—to biodynamic.

“The biodynamic is not that complicated,” Humbrecht says. “It’s complicated to understand, but it’s not that complicated to put into the ground. What’s really complicated is going organic.” It’s as clear that he has his work cut out for him as it is that he relishes the challenge.

To make good wine you need good people. You need the proper climate. And you need good soil.

Chef Alessa Valdez created tiny, gourmet versions of the classic onion tart for Phantom Creek's Alsatian dinner. Joanne Sasvari photo

The tasting in the barrel room featured a range of wines from the delicate rosé to bold cuvée. Joanne Sasvari photo

SATURDAY

Our last night is the Soirée en Rouge, Phantom Creek’s signature summer event, where guests decked in crimson finery party throughout the winery. Beringer is unmissable in a scarlet sequinned dinner jacket; Humbrecht casual in a rosy shirt. A band plays in the amphitheatre as we meander throughout the grounds, grazing on gourmet bites and sipping cool rosé in the sweltering heat.

As the guests start to leave, we gravitate to the restaurant patio, where Humbrecht magics up a a magnum of Kobau Cuvée and we chat about wine and family and travel, and what they see for the future of Phantom Creek and the Okanagan Valley. Humbrecht muses about working with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; Beringer with more Rhône varieties and maybe some Gamay.

Mostly, they are excited to discover what this young region can do.

“It’s intellectually challenging and it makes your brain work,” Humbrecht says. “And I was a little bored.”

Beringer crows: “He said it!” Humbrecht just smiles serenely, and tops up our glasses.

THREE TO TRY

Phantom Creek Estates Riesling (Black Sage Bench, $33) Apple, lime zest, lemongrass, sweet spice, flinty minerality, petrol.

Phantom Creek Estates Organic Pinot Gris 2020 (Okanagan Valley, single vineyard, club exclusive) Crisp pear, white peach, white floral notes, juicy.

Phantom Creek Kobau Cuvée 2019 (Golden Mile Bench, $80) Ripe black plum, dark chocolate, earth, refined.

During the Soirée en Rouge, guests gather in the amphitheatre where a band plays with the South Okanagan Valley as its beautiful backdrop. Joanne Sasvari photo

What in the world?

VINOUS INSIGHTS FROM HIGH-TECH THEFT PROTECTION TO THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FIZZ

DJ Kearney

trace food. The study they co-conducted showed that 84 per cent of Canadians emphatically want to know where their food comes from, and only 40 per cent believe any labelled claims. So along came the chip … as small as a grain of salt and entirely safe to eat.

The scannable digital labels are included in the casein rind of the cheese (the part not usually consumed) and should help thwart counterfeit versions that cost the legitimate industry billions of euros.

There are dozens of regionally protected foodstuffs (truffles, peppercorns, saffron, sausages, hams, olives, even breads) that might follow suit, embedding traceable microchips to ensure consumer safety, quality and, perhaps most importantly (and just like wine!), provenance.

BOOST YOUR BUBBLE IQ

It’s well established that wine bottles have means for fraud and counterfeit protection, including special inks, holograms and computer tagging. Now the food industry has joined in with high-tech, food-safe microchips.

Why? Well, just like designer handbags and fine wine, the premium cheeses of the world are becoming the objects of fraudulent imitation. It’s no surprise that the king of cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, has been the first to take action.

The Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano actually used the Canadian market to make the final decision to

Have you ever pondered bubbles? The drinkable kind, of course, in sparkling wine, beer, colas, carbonated water… any beverage that contains dissolved carbon dioxide gas. (Make ours Champagne!) A remarkable chemical physicist (and member of an acclaimed Burgundian wine family) has made bubbles the object of his study for decades now, starting with his PhD. Gérard Liger-Belair’s findings have helped the world understand the fizzy wonders of Champagne, as well as sea spray, cloud formation and hydrogen bubbles on Saturn’s moon, Titan.

FIGHTING FAKES WITH HIGH TECH

Scannable chips will be integrated into the top layer of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Photo courtesy of Parmigiano-Reggiano Consorzio

Each wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano is wrapped in plastic casing with braille-like lettering that identifies it as authentic. Now researchers are testing whether a tiny microchip made of protein and embedded in the QR plate can prevent impostors. Supplied photo

Chemical physicist Gérard Liger-Belair, professor and Champagne researcher at University of Reims Champagne has helped the world understand the science of bubbles.

Photo courtesy of Gérard Liger-Belair

Try dropping some of his fizz tidbits at your next social gathering, especially if bubbles are served:

• Liger-Belair has calculated there to be about 10 million potential bubbles in a 750 mL bottle of Champagne.

• A good sparkling wine cork (one that is made of small cork particles and adhesive) will keep bubbles in the bottle for at least 70 years (if you can be that patient).

• The number of bubbles that actually form in the glass is a complex interaction between dissolved CO2 gas, minute gas pockets trapped within particles acting as bubble sites, and ascending bubble dynamics.

• Your pouring technique definitely matters—pouring straight down into a flute (just as you would pour still wine) will give you about a million bubbles in a 100 mL glass. But employ a beer-style pour down the side of the glass, and you’ll get to enjoy tens of thousands more bubbles. By tipping the glass, you are preventing the bubbles from bursting on impact.

• For maximum bubbles, make sure you avoid soap on your Champagne glasses. Soap is a surfactant and quells carbonation; conversely, polishing with a soft cloth will boost bubble creation as the microscopic dust and fabric filaments left inside the glass will act as a site for bubble formation.

• Pre-etched sparkling wine glasses have a nucleation site invisibly scratched into the bottom of the glass by a laser.

• Coupe or flute: Gas chromatography has definitively shown that the coupe loses CO2 gas and therefore bubbles a third faster than a flute.

• Warmer sparkling wine is fizzier; thorough chilling depresses carbonation and results in fewer bubbles forming.

DRINK WINE, GET STONED

There are stony wines, and then there are stone labels. Only a few wineries have adopted eco-friendly stone paper labels, but look for that to change.

About as sustainable as it gets, the mineral paper production process uses no trees, no water and no chemicals. It requires significantly less energy in manufacturing and is endlessly recyclable. Additionally, stone paper does not generate any toxic emissions during incineration and degrades under UV light. It’s chlorine-free, grease-proof, tear- and weather-proof. Stone paper labels stand up well in an ice bucket, too.

They can be made from mining waste products or raw stone crushed into powder, mixed with a non-toxic and recyclable binder, and rolled into something that looks and feel just like, well, paper. A German printing company is even including recycled polythene. The concrete-crazy folks at Summerland’s Okanagan Crush Pad use stone labels in their Free Form range. and a smattering of wineries around the world have also joined this eco-friendly movement.

EAU DE VIN?

Can you imagine 302,832,942 litres of wine flowing into industrial stills across France?

The world’s second-largest wine producer (just behind Italy) is set to destroy the equivalent of 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools, helping to deal with a huge surplus of vin. Surplus because people are buying less and drinking less. From a peak in 1926 of 136 litres of wine per capita to just 40 today, it’s clear the French are choosing beverages other than wine.

The European Union and French government have stepped in to fund the destruction and prop up prices by limiting quantity. Over €200 million are being doled out to producers to distill their excess wine into pure alcohol, allowing them to sell it for everything from perfume to cleaning products and hand sanitizer.

Micro-gas chromatography shows the loss of carbonation in sparkling wine when it is served in a coupe versus the flute.

Source: The Verge

This buyback program has happened before, but watch out for long-term strategies like production controls and funded vine-pull schemes. This past June the government revealed it would fund an uprooting of 9,500 hectares of vines in Bordeaux, at the cost of €57 million. Other crops are being encouraged instead. Perhaps the future will see olive oil instead of Côtes du Rhône and hops rather than Saint Émilion!

Casale del Giglio

ROME'S OWN ICONIC WINERY

Grapes have been grown in Lazio, the region surrounding Rome, since Julius Caesar’s time. But despite a lengthy winemaking history few others can lay claim to, and despite being a major wine producing region— and one that is home to Italy's capital city—Lazio was a virtual unknown in the wine world.

But today, Lazio is attracting plenty of attention, in part because of a renewed interest—both at home and abroad—in the region’s indigenous varieties, including Bellone and Cesanese, which have been a hallmark in recent years for the ground-breaking Casale del Giglio.

Credit goes in large part to respected oenologist Paolo Tiefenthaler, who has worked with the winery since the 1980s to forge a new direction.

In 1967, Dino Santarelli, a third-generation Rome liquor and olive oil retailer, was lured by the uncharted territory of Agro Pontino, a valley about 50 kilometres south of the Italian capital, to establish Casale del Giglio. Santarelli had grown up around vineyards. However, viticulture was not commonplace in this southern enclave of Lazio. In fact, the land was a reclaimed former swamp.

Still, he was convinced that Lazio could achieve far more than its lagging post-war reputation suggested. He initially planted 57 international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot and, later, Tempranillo.

The grapes had been approved by the European Union as “new recommended varieties,” the first of several to come. Santarelli’s primary goal was to identify which might produce the best possible quality available. The

ambitious research project encompassed planting some 60 different trial varieties. This visionary undertaking, truly well ahead of its time, set Casale del Giglio firmly on the path to being a top-tier producer—and those now-old vines are today the foundation for several notable Casale blends.

Casale del Giglio is now in the hands of Dino’s son, Antonio Santarelli, who has purposefully continued his father’s quest. In the 2010, Tiefenthaler approached Santarelli, encouraging him to make wines with the indigenous varieties that had originally played such an important role in Lazio’s winemaking history.

In close collaboration, they decided to focus on Bellone and Cesanese, as well as, notably, Biancolella, albeit grown in far smaller quantities.

Bellone is a survivor of devastating the phylloxera epidemic of the 1870s, when a few vines managed to survive in the sandy soils of nearby coastal Anzio. Poured at many a Rome table over the centuries, the variety is widely believed to be the same grape that produced a popular food wine referred to in the writings of Pliny the Elder (AD24 to AD79).

This drought-resistant variety, used in Casale de Giglio’s flagship Anthium, significantly benefits from the constant sea breezes the area enjoys, yielding good sugars, high acidity and pronounced minerality. All of which makes this much celebrated and multi-award winning wine an excellent pairing with “minestra di sgavajone,”

At Casale del Giglio, Paolo Tiefenthaler, left, and Antonio Santarelli are celebrating indigenous varieties.

Bellone is an ancient variety that is experiencing a very modern revival.

a regional fisherman’s soup made with the broth of a fish native to the region.

The indigenous Italian variety Cesanese, the winery’s hallmark red grape, is grown more inland at higher elevations on volcanic limestone soils. Its origins can be traced back to Rome’s Appenine conquests in the second century BC, but by the Middle Ages bordered on extinction. It thrives on infertile lands and in difficult conditions. Its spicy hints and balance of elegant ripe fruit with a lingering mineral close makes it an excellent match for a “gnocchi ricci di amatrice,” another regional specialty, made with a rich mutton and pork rib sauce.

Hard to find Biancolella, meanwhile, is a rare white grape that was introduced in the 18th century, brought to the region originally from an island in the Bay of Naples in neighbouring Campania. It is grown exclusively on nearby Isola di Ponza, at the base of a sheer cliff below the historic Il Faro della Guardia lighthouse. It’s a perfect match for linguine c’o Fellone, a celebrated local pasta dish from Ponza made with the rare Granseola crab, known locally as “o Fellone.”

While international grapes made up Casale’s initial trial, both Antonio Santarelli and Paolo Tiefenthaler always felt the indigenous grapes to be not only supremely undervalued, but also worth celebrating for their di-

versity—as well as for their adaptability and affinity for Rome’s regional cuisine.

But, at the end of the day, Tiefenthaler insists he’s rarely concerned as to whether the variety is “international’ or “indigenous.” Of far greater consequence is how well the grape grows in its specific site, truthfully represents the region—and contributes to Casale del Giglio’s uncompromising quest for superior quality. Not to mention its highly regarded reputation as Rome’s iconic

Casale del Giglio | Contact local import agency: World Wine Synergy, info@worldwinesynergy.com For more information, visit casaledelgiglio.it

FIVE TO TRY FROM CASALE DEL GIGLIO

Casale del Giglio Anthium Bellone di Anzio (Bianco Lazio IGT/IGP, SKU +241604)

Casale del Giglio Faro Della Guardia Biancolella (Bianco Lazio IGT/IGP, SKU +207558)

Casale del Giglio Satrico (Bianco Lazio IGT/IGP, SKU +207551)

Casale del Giglio Matidia Cesanese (Rosso Lazio IGT/IGP, SKU +392960)

Casale del Giglio Mater Matuta (Rosso Lazio IGT/IGP, SKU +263954)

Biancolella is another indigenous variety, but at Casale del Giglio only grows in small quantities on Isola di Ponza.

Lazio producer.

These spec products can be ordered and purchased by the case at any government liquor store with the SKU number of the product.

Your new plus-Ones

B.C.’S FIRST PREMIUM NON-ALCOHOLIC WINE IS DESIGNED TO MAKE EVERYONE FEEL INCLUDED

Charlene Rooke

Fans mourned when winemaker Tyler Harlton closed his Summerland-based TH label shortly before the pandemic. Now Harlton is back, but making a very different product.

“Tyler and I have been so surprised about the response,” says Chris Pagliocchini, a wine-industry veteran and Harlton’s longtime pal. “We knew that there would be something here. But we never would have guessed that it would have been this quick, with so much demand out there.”

The product in question is the first non-alcoholic wine made from B.C. grapes, called Ones. “We wanted inclusivity to be part of it, so whether people choose to drink

some alcohol or not, it’s called Ones wines: for everyone,” Pagliocchini explains.

Though the non-alcoholic beverage industry is projected for double-digital growth annually in the coming years, and research shows that every younger generation is drinking less, no B.C. company had yet embraced the challenge of non-alcoholic wine.

“I think there’s kind of the romance of winemaking, and in its most pure form that’s making alcoholic wine in the traditional fashion, as it’s been done for thousands of years,” Pagliocchini says. “With non-alcoholic wines, people tend to view it as a trend, not as a craft of its own.”

The Ones Pinot Noir has all the red fruit and spice notes you'd expect—but not the alcohol. Photo courtesy of Ones

Having Harlton on board powered Ones with wine-industry cred from the start, he adds. “We didn’t come into this as a couple of business folks taking advantage of an opportunity. Our seeds are in winemaking and making quality products you’d pair with good food.”

After shuttering his own label, Harlton spent time in the U.S. studying techniques for de-alcoholization, and then back home in Summerland on R&D and trials. The first, small, 1,000-litre batch of Ones was released last summer. “The response from customers was great. So last November we dove in, quadrupled the volume, and ever since then it’s just been exponential growth,” says Pagliocchini.

Non-alcoholic wines are similarly priced to traditional wines, because the process is nearly the same—with an extra step. Grapes are crushed, fermented and matured as normal, then Ones uses reverse osmosis for de-alcoholization, leaving a trace amount of ethanol (around 0.5 per cent), complying as a non-alcoholic product by law. “If for medical reasons people have an allergy, we always advise to talk to your doctor, because this does have a very small amount of ethanol,” says Pagliocchini.

Since drinking wine is not just a physical act, but is also about the cultural ritual of opening, sharing and pairing it with food, the Ones team envisions that “you can participate in a gathering or celebration.” Premium bottles, elegant labels and a high-quality cork and cage mean “you can bring the bottle to the dinner table, and it looks, smells, tastes like wine. You can still have that experience.”

Because anyone reducing alcohol consumption likely doesn’t want to replace it with another vice, like a sweet tooth, Ones is also mindfully sugar-free—unlike many other non-alcoholic wines, which replace some of ethanol’s mouthfeel with plenty of sugar. “Some are as sweet

as a soda. That was a huge surprise to us, once you start reading labels,” says Pagliocchini. Ones uses light effervescence to create texture, complementing the wine’s complex aromas and helping to give it structure.

Ones has limited-edition, beautifully bottled and labelled releases of varietal wines, from Cabernet Franc to Pinot Noir. This summer, Ones in cans have taken off. “The sparkling rosé and red have been the most popular, so we’re definitely going to continue with those,” says Pagliocchini, who notes that Ones is in trials with de-alcoholized white wine as well.

Ones started out pouring samples at Okanagan festivals and farmers markets, and now has a robust online presence selling direct to consumers plus bricks-andmortar retail partners, including Nature’s Fare Markets and some private liquor stores across B.C., as well as many national locations.

“A non-alcoholic is definitely easier to ship and sell” cross-country than traditional wine, Pagliocchini says. “If people have a chance to go to a local shop and buy a single bottle to try we still think that’s the best.”

At home in Summerland, he’s noticed that non-traditional retail locations, like the local flower shop, have been great sellers for Ones. It’s easy to picture a customer, on the way to a baby shower or dinner party, stopping for flowers and picking up a bottle, perfectly keeping with the brand’s accessible, for-everyone ethos. “If you are reducing or eliminating alcohol,” says Pagliocchini, “this is another option for you.” drinkones.com

TASTING NOTES

Ones Sparkling Red (Okanagan, $7.50/250 mL can or $25/750 mL bottle) Blackberry, pomegranate, herbs, bright acid.

Ones Sparkling Rosé (Okanagan, $7.50/250 mL can or $25/750 mL bottle) Strawberry, watermelon, grapefruit, minerality.

Winemaker Tyler Harlton, left, and Chris Pagliocchini bring years of experience in the wine industry to their non-alcoholic wine. Photo courtesy of Ones

Grenache the great

JUICY, FOOD FRIENDLY, EASY TO DRINK—

WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THIS CHEERFUL GRAPE?

Daenna Van Mulligen

to be the birthplace of the variety. Lledoner Pelut in the Roussilllon and the more tannic, black-fleshed Garnacha Tintorera (a.k.a. Alicante Bouschet) are also members of the Grenache family.

There are white and grey (reddish-grey-skinned) versions as well—Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris in France, or Garnacha Blanca and Garnacha Roja in Spain.

And while Grenache expresses itself differently depending on where it’s grown, we can all agree it’s one of the world’s most-enjoyed wines, blended or not. When blended, it’s usually partnered with Syrah and to some extent Mourvèdre (a.k.a. Monastrell or Mataro), Carignan and Cinsault.

Because Friday, September 15, is International Grenache Day, we reached out to four winemakers around the globe to share their thoughts on this beloved grape.

WHY WE HEART GRENACHE

British Columbia’s Michael Bartier of Bartier Bros. Vineyard & Winery has more than 30 years’ experience in the wine industry and has been growing and making Grenache wines since 2017 in the southern Okanagan Valley.

Bartier shares what he loves about Grenache: “The flavours and its soft texture. The ripe cherry and blackberry notes are so appealing.”

There is something especially compelling about the expressiveness of Grenache. A variety ubiquitous to both Southern France and Spain, it’s also embraced elsewhere. In fact, it’s the seventh most planted grape variety in the world, but 97 per cent is rooted in Europe—primarily France—and North Africa.

Grenache—in this situation we are referring to red Grenache, known as Grenache Noir in France and Garnacha, Garnacha Tinta or Garnatxa in Spain—is a medium-bodied dark-skinned grape with light-coloured flesh. The wines are usually dry, but sometimes sweet, like those from Banyuls or Maury in Southern France’s Roussillon region.

While it’s believed to have originated in northern Spain more than 2,000 years ago, Grenache goes by many names depending on its location. For example, it’s known as Vernaccia Nera in parts of mainland Italy or Cannonau on the island of Sardinia, which also claims

In Italy, 87 per cent of Grenache is grown on the island of Sardinia. Valentina Argiolas is the third generation involved in the family estate, which was established in 1938 in Serdiana. Argiolas says 27 per cent of the vine plantings on the island are Grenache/Cannonau.

“I love its versatility, from fresh rosés to wines capable of aging for decades. It produces soft, balanced wines with intense notes of morello cherry, red fruits and jam,” she says.

Meanwhile, Nathalie Bonhomme asserts: “Garnacha always delivers. She takes her space and place on the nose

Grenache is one of the world's most popular grape varieties and for good reason: It makes delcious wine. Getty Images photo

She is the diva of Spanish grape varieties with her avalanche of red fruits.

or the palate. For me she is the diva of Spanish grape varieties with her avalanche of red fruits.”

At the age of 20, the Quebec-born Bonhomme moved to London and then to Cape Town before settling in Spain. Bonhomme has built an impressive resumé of industry credentials, having worked with some of Spain’s most prestigious producers (including Dominio de Pingus) while establishing her own wine brand, Les Vins Bonhomme, more than 15 years ago.

El Petit Bonhomme wines are made in Jumilla, initially from high-altitude abandoned bush vine Garnacha vineyards co-planted with Montastrell. From their initial four hectares, they have cloned vines into 23 hect-

ares. Bonhomme now lives between Spain and France’s Rhône Valley, where she and her husband André Tremblay make Grenache-infused wines at Domaine du Tix in Ventoux.

TO THRIVE AND SURVIVE

Where is Grenache best suited—and what about the climate crisis? The effect of drought and heat on vines is a timely topic with wine producers of all varieties worldwide. Where does Grenache fit into the puzzle? And where is it best suited to grow?

South Australia is home to perhaps the oldest Grenache vines in the world. Yalumba, Australia’s oldest family-owned winery, has a Grenache vineyard in the Barossa that was planted to bush vines in 1889. Chief winemaker Louisa Rose, who has been with Yalumba for more than three decades, explains.

“Grenache does well in a range of soils in the Barossa (and around the world), but what the sites have in common is the climate—dry warm summers with low humidity and lots of sunshine,” she says. “Old vines, particularly in this area, have roots that make the most of the deep and cool sands. After 130 years, with so much of the biomass of the vines underground, they are well buffered against the vagaries of day-to-day weather.”

Bonhomme adds: “Jumilla has always suffered from heat and drought, so Garnacha has adapted and frankly I think the world should study those regions where this survival mode is ‘normal mode.’ ”

“Cannonau is particularly sensitive to soil type and climate,” Argiolas weighs in. “To prevent this problem, in 2010 we started a biodiversity program. The aim was to select the best combination of clones and rootstocks to have plants capable of resisting heat and drought. We planted the first Cannonau vineyards using these combinations in 2020.”

Winemaker Michael Bartier, pictured in his Oliver-area vineyard, likes “the soft texture” of Grenache. Photo by Jon Adrian

In Sardinia, Grenache is called Cannonau. Valentina Argiolas loves the grape for the soft, balanced wines her family estate, Argiolas, makes with it. Photo courtesy of Argiolas

The flavours and its soft texture. The ripe cherry and blackberry notes are so appealing.

maine du Tix, we made a cuvée in 2020 from 100 per cent Garnacha called Nata Grappa, and it became one of my favourite wines ever made.”

WHAT TO EAT WITH IT

“Because of its natural sweetness, especially a young Garnacha, I would pair it with spicy food and tomato dishes. Also, lamb chops and sausages and Spanish cured cheeses,” Bonhomme says.

Argiolas likes hers with medium-aged cheeses, red meat and Sardinian suckling pig.

But for Rose, anything goes with Grenache. “Slightly chilled in summer it pairs with seafood and salads, white or red meats, or spicy foods … it’s the red variety I would be happy pairing to any menu.”

TO BLEND OR NOT TO BLEND

While we love Grenache’s unique fruity character, in reality, most of it is found in blends. Our winemakers ante up.

“For us, we need to blend it with Syrah to get the tannin structure,” Bartier says.

Argiolas also blends, usually adding a small percentage of the dark-skinned Sardinian variety Bovale and Carignan to the Cannonau.

Not so Rose, who chimes in, “It is so good on its own—why would you blend it?”

Bonhomme loves it both ways. “We blend in Jumilla as El Petit Bonhomme was made initially to see if we could make a Spanish Côtes du Rhone,” she says. “At Do-

FOUR GRENACHE-BASED WINES TO TRY

Bartier Bros. Vineyard & Winery

Grenache-Syrah 2021 (Black Sage Bench, B.C., $45) Cherry, floral, anise; stylish; 61 per cent Grenache.

El Petit Bonhomme Tinto 2021 (Jumilla, Spain, $17.99) Strawberry, licorice; fragrant, fresh; Monastrell, Garnacha, Syrah blend.

Yalumba “Tri-Centenary” Grenache 2019 (Barossa Valley, Australia, $85) Juicy berries; profound, radiant; 130-year-old vines.

Argiolas “Costera” Cannonau di Sardegna 2020 (Sardinia, Italy, $32) Cherry, licorice, espresso; spicy and savoury.

Nathalie Bonhomme, Quebec-born founder of El Petit Bonhomme wines from Spain, says, “Grenache always delivers.” Photo courtesy of El Petit Bonhomme

Louisa Rose, chief winemaker at Yalumba in Australia’s Barossa Valley, notes that Grenache loves “dry warm summers with low humidity and lots of sunshine.” Photo courtesy of Yalumba

What somms say

FOUR VANCOUVER WINE PROS EXPLAIN HOW— AND WHAT—WE’RE DRINKING NOW

Joanne Sasvari

As wine director for Osteria Savio Volpe and its sister restaurants, Kristi Linneboe assembles wine lists featuring Italian varieties from around the world. Photo by Hakan Burcuoglu

If you’ve been out to dine recently, you may have noticed that something has changed in the way we order and enjoy wine. So we decided it would be a good time to check in with some of our favourite sommeliers to see what the heck is going on out there.

The first thing we noticed is how much many of them have moved around the last few years. Before the pandemic hit, L’Abattoir head somm Andrew Forsyth was still at The Keg, which he credits for being “the best place to learn and develop.” Brittany Hoorne was at Dachi, where she developed a passion for natural wine; she’s been wine director at Bar Susu since it opened in 2022. Matthew Jacobson, meanwhile, has only been in his role as Botanist’s head sommelier for a few months.

And, since early 2020, Kristi Linneboe bopped from L’Abattoir to Elisa to Como, and also worked harvests in Kelowna, Oregon and Jura, France. Now she’s wine director for the Savio Volpe group of restaurants. “I’m loving it,” she says. “People who love wine really, really love wine. I love the storytelling so much. I love the hustle and bustle of the restaurant scene.”

All that bouncing around has given these somms a unique perspective on the scene out there. Here’s what they’re seeing.

THE CUSTOMER HAS CHANGED

The pandemic changed our relationship to everything, including wine. “That was the most strained social envi-

ronment any of us could have ever imagined,” says Forsyth. “There’s a lot more joy in Gastown these days.”

One positive outcome of COVID times was that people had time to learn more about the things they love, including wine.

“I definitely feel like there’s more savvy guests. People had more time to read about wine during the pandemic,” says Linneboe, who also notes that people are using apps like Vivino to catalogue what they are drinking. “I find the staff is really savvy and people know their wine really well.”

Customers are not just better educated about wine, they are not afraid to speak up. “I find the average consumer is also getting a bit more confident about sharing and expressing what their preference is,” Hoorne says. “They are less scared of the sommelier.”

That customer base is changing, too, from older, wealthier and white to a much more inclusive cohort. “It really makes me really happy and proud to look around

At Botanist, consumers are a lot better informed. Photo courtesy of Botanist Restaurant

At Bar Susu, wine director Brittany Hoorne loves serving natural wines from lesswell-known regions. Photo by Sarah Annand

People who love wine really, really love wine. I love the storytelling so much. I love the hustle and bustle of the restaurant scene.

the room and see a variety of people of all ages and demographics,” Hoorne says.

WE’RE MORE ADVENTUROUS … SOMETIMES

Where once consumers would pick a lane—Bordeaux red, say, or California Chardonnay—and stay in it, now we’re meandering all over the place. Sometimes, though, we need a little help with directions.

“People seem pretty open to trying new things,” says Linneboe. “They just need someone to tell them a story. They just need a little guidance for those lesser-known varieties.”

Hoorne has become expert at gauging whether guests are willing “to go down this rabbit hole” of trying little-known varieties from even less-well-known regions— the kinds of wines she loves best. “I think we do ourselves a real disservice if we don’t try new things,” she says.

“The people who come into L’Abattoir are really game for an adventure,” adds Forsyth. “You usually see a sparkle of excitement when they hear the word ‘journey.’ ”

But there are still plenty of people who don’t want to step out of their comfort zone. “Yes, there’s brand loyalty,” says Jacobson. “You have sentimentality in people. But then you have these people where COVID really changed their lives.”

He adds: “The worst thing that can happen, if I offer you something and it’s not your thing, I can just take it back. But what if you love it? What if it really pairs well with your meal? But some people are just afraid of change.”

WE’RE WORRIED ABOUT MONEY

Inflation, rising interest rates and uncertainty are making many consumers more cautious about how they spend, especially for a luxury product like wine.

The best way to handle it is to be open and up front, says Jacobson. “I have seen more people not willing to have a bottle of wine, but drinking a glass of wine instead,” he says, noting that a consumer who doesn’t want to drop $150 on a bottle of wine might consider $30 for a glass of that same wine an affordable luxury. “It allows a bit more flexibility.”

“I’m really being conscious of making an accessible wine list at an accessible price point,” says Linneboe. “I want people to be able to look at a list and think, ‘Wow, I can order a bottle of wine.’ $100 is kind of the sweet spot on the list. Between $90 and $110 people feel like they are splurging, but it’s still affordable.”

WE’RE GOING NATURAL … SLOWLY

So what are customers actually drinking these days? When we spoke to the somms, summer was slowly drifting into fall, so people were still going for lighter-bodied, chilled wines in every hue. “But after the sun goes down, they are drinking big red Syrahs and Merlots and I’m, guys, it’s still August,” Hoorne says with a laugh.

“Somms always love crunchy light reds, but at the end of the day, guests like something more structured,” says Linneboe. “People associate those big, bold wines with celebrations and splurging.”

At L’Abattoir, Forsyth says, “Right now there’s a huge push for B.C. wine in no small part because we’re in a tourist hub down here. There’s a real interest in what’s in our own backyard.”

In general, Jacobson notes, “People are leaning away from oak and toward minerality. They want crisp, fresh and mineral. I’ve also had people coming and asking me which wine is clean because Gwyneth Paltrow tells them to drink clean wine.” Perhaps in part because of that, he adds, “I feel people are moving toward the natural movement.”

Natural wine is what Hoorne is all about at Bar Susu, and she’s a little surprised there’s not more demand for it in B.C. “We’re in a place where we should be further along because we’re in a region where people care so much about how their food and wine is produced,” she says. “It’s a natural progression from plate to glass.”

When it comes right down to it, Linneboe says, “People’s palates are all over the place, and they are excited to try something new.” And that’s why the somm’s role is so important. As Linneboe notes, “Everybody wants to talk to the somm these days.”

At L'Abattoir, head sommelier Andrew Forsyth is seeing a happier crowd eager to try B.C. wines. Photo by Eric Milic

EXPERIENCE SANDHILL

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Indulge in exceptional wine tastings, savor our seasonal small bites menu, join us for a glass of wine during happy hour, or plan your next event with us. Choices are endless.

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For the love of oysters

HOW TO ENJOY AND PAIR THE BIVALVE'S DELICATELY BRINY AND MINERAL FLAVOURS

Summer’s relentless shift into fall isn’t welcomed by everyone—unless, perhaps, you’re an oyster lover. Fall is when the oyster comes into its own. And those of us with a penchant for oysters on the half shell are primed to slurp and sip one of nature’s most extraordinary food and wine matches.

From nectared and plump Kusshi to saline-kissed Chef Creek, British Columbia is blessed with a remarkable array of oysters. Not to mention an unlimited range of wines, local and international, with which to perfectly pair them. Here’s what you need to know about enjoying our beautiful bivalves.

WHY THE “R” MONTHS STILL MATTER

Even though most of the oysters we consume today are farmed and available year-round, we still heed the traditional notion of the “R” month. It has its roots in longstanding traditions dating back to a time when oysters were grown on shore, mainly at the confluence of fresh water and tidal estuaries.

Millennia before over-production (and later, industrial pollution) hastened the decline of many of the world’s great oyster beds, people knew the once-abundant bivalve was at its best when enjoyed between September and April—and ideally avoided in summer. Coincidental-

Tim Pawsey

What grows together goes together—and that includes Bouziques oysters and Picpoul wines in the coastal areas of France’s Languedoc region. Photo by Tim Pawsey

From nectared and plump Kusshi to salinekissed Chef Creek, British Columbia is blessed with a remarkable array of oysters.

ly, these and all the months in-between sport at least one R in their spelling. If only for boasting two Rs, February might well mark the zenith of the oyster year.

When Pacific wild oysters spawn in mid-summer (and deftly change their sex in the process), they develop an overt creaminess that some find disconcerting.

Warmer waters have contributed to a rise in the bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vibrio for short), which can make you seriously unwell, especially when the oyster is eaten raw—as most prefer.

Both deterrents still make the cooler months more appealing for serious bivalve lovers.

The notion of the ‘R’ months also hails from an era of pre-refrigeration, when it was challenging to keep oysters fresh and transport them to distant markets. The Romans, who were among the most successful early oyster farmers, overcame the problem by towing them behind their galleons from then-prolific oyster beds of England’s south coast to the continent and other parts of the empire. Britain’s early colonizers were also the first to adopt the technique, now widely used, of seeding oysters into waters elsewhere.

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

While you might not possess the appetite (or perhaps even the libido) of the 18th-century adventurer Casanova—who was rumoured to have slurped his way through

four dozen or so oysters daily for breakfast—there’s no reason why you can’t consume farmed oysters yearround. Although, over the last few years, increasingly hotter summer months have proved challenging for shellfish producers.

Oysters in particular have suffered under the impact of extreme temperatures, including B.C.’s catastrophic 2021 heat dome that killed off millions of bivalves and other shellfish along every kilometre of B.C.’s vast inter-tidal zones.

Many growers lost between 50 and 80 per cent of their stocks and, even two years later, are still struggling to recover. Not only oysters were scorched. Whether farmed or wild harvested, just about every shoreline species was affected, including clams and mussels, as well as non-shellfish species such as the oyster’s arch predator, the sea star. (In one of nature’s more disturbing feats, the sea star actually temporarily expels its stomach outside the body to wrap around its prey.)

FROM TERROIR TO MERROIR

Not to be outdone by the wine world, in recent years oyster producers have introduced the concept of “merroir,” coined from “la mer,” French for “the sea.” According to Cortes Island “Oysterman” Brent Petkau, one thing that his northern Gulf Island has in common with “the finest wine-producing regions of the world” is “a natural

Oysters hang in nets at the Maison Tarbouriech oyster farm in France’s Languedoc region. Photo by Tim Pawsey

environment that produces distinctive premium-quality wines and shellfish.” A smart, worthy local pairing for Petkau’s Royal Courtesan is almost local Unsworth Cuvée de L’îsle Extra Brut, a traditional method blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley.

In Languedoc, the expansive Thau Lagoon (not far from Montpellier) is home to the Maison Tarbouriech oyster farm. This shallow inland sea is fed by fresh waters (including a limestone hot spring), which the producer says creates a merroir with “a rare balance between seawater and freshwater, a rich and varied biotope and a southern climate where the sunshine accentuates exchanges and photosynthesis.”

All of these factors, Tarbouriech suggests, contribute to the fine flesh and iodized flavours of their Bouziques oyster. No surprise, perhaps, that Tarbouriech bivalves pair swimmingly with crisp, refreshing and unique Picpoul de Pinet, in the heart of whose DOC the oyster farm is situated.

Usually unassuming Kiwis like to boast that their Bluff oysters are among the world’s best. “Bluffies” come from the treacherous Foveaux Strait in the country’s southernmost extremities. Farmed commercially and dredged from shallow waters since the 1860s, these are some of the very few remaining native natural oyster beds anywhere. To prevent over-fishing and to preserve the beds for posterity, since the 1960s oysters have been harvested under a strict quota.

Over the last few decades, excessive harvesting has all but decimated the U.K. industry. However, the Wild Oysters Project is working to restore native species by recreating 114 oyster reefs near six ports around the country. To create the reefs, the project is employing similar techniques introduced by the Romans to anchor cages of breeding stock near masses of old shells. Some older beds (mainly on the east coast) do survive and are still successfully harvested. No question, increasingly popular British sparkling wines make for an excellent pairing.

IDEAL OYSTER WINES

While (in our humble opinion) oysters are best enjoyed freshly shucked and raw on the half shell, others prefer their bivalves cooked, perhaps barbecued in their shell on the grill, in a chowder or as “angels on horseback,” wrapped in bacon, skewered and grilled or baked.

The best oyster wines fit into the “less is more” category, where the fruit is present but not overt, the acidity prevalent, and the finish bone dry, with perhaps some

mineral notes. Champagne remains a classic pairing, as are Chablis and Sancerre. But there’s also no shortage of other wines that make for seriously good matches. Different garnishes, from horseradish to mignonette, will also influence your choice.

At the end of the day, as long as it’s crisp and white or rosé, the best oyster wine may well be the one that’s chilled and close at hand—along with a good shucker.

FOUR WINES TO SIP WHILE YOU SLURP

Unsworth Cuvée de L’île Extra Brut Traditional Method 2018 (Cowichan Valley, B.C., 1.5 L, $94) Pinot Noir and Gris; leesy, toasty, brioche, apple and citrus.

Picpoul de Pinet Ormarine (AOP Picpoul, Languedoc, France, $19) Floral aromas, citrus and piquant acidity.

Tohu Single Vineyard Marlborough

Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand, $30) Apple, gooseberry, Meyer lemon and fresh herbs.

Henners NV Rosé (East Sussex, U.K., $75)

Saignée Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier; creamy, raspberry and red currant

Not to be outdone by the wine world, in recent years oyster producers have introduced the concept of “merroir,” coined from “la mer,” French for “the sea.”

Steak Out

GREAT PLACES AROUND B.C. FOR PRIMO CUTS— AND THE BIG REDS THAT GO WITH THEM

Joanne Sasvari

The cooler days of fall make us crave big, bold, heartwarming red wines. And all those Cabs and Merlots and Bordeaux-style blends in turn make us crave a steak with all the fixin’s. Bring on the cheese toast and creamed spinach, the bordelaise sauce and chimichurri, the potatoes fried, mashed, puréed or pavéd. Given the cost of beef these days, though, if you’re going to indulge, you might as well make it worthwhile.

Here are seven great steak restaurants around the province that do just that.

VANCOUVER:

Steak lovers have nothing to beef about in B.C.’s biggest city, given the large number of places that can sear a sirloin with flair (and, if you’ve ever watched the grill master at Hy’s Encore, plenty of flare, too). From chain restaurants like The Keg—which began in North Van 52 years ago as The Keg n’ Cleaver—to upscale eateries like Black & Blue, from the Art Deco splendour of Gotham to the updated-chophouse fun of Riley’s Fish & Steak, there’s a steak joint for every kind of steak lover.

But Elisa, Toptable Group’s modern take on the steakhouse, kicks it all up one very meaty notch. It offers an almost overwhelming number of choice cuts from premium producers across Canada and beyond. Craving a 30-ounce bone-in ribeye from PEI? Or a Wagyu tenderloin, imported from Japan, for an eyewatering $38 per ounce? They’ve got you covered. Whatever you order, it arrives grilled to perfection on chef Andrew Richardson’s prized Grillworks Infierno. Alongside, order from the selection of updated classic steakhouse sides and sauces, and dip into an international wine cellar of unusual breadth and depth.

WHISTLER:

There’s nothing like a day on the slopes to build your appetite, and Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar knows just what you’re hungry for. This award-winning, year-old restaurant from some of the region’s most expert hospitality pros takes its steaks seriously. Executive chef Derek Bendig offers classic cuts like tenderloin, ribeye and New York as well as Wagyu imported from Japan, and caters to the “surf ‘n’ turf” set with sides that include seared scallops and lobster prepared a la plancha. The restaurant’s focus on food and wine pairing means the sips will be equally compelling.

VICTORIA:

Vancouver Island isn’t really steak country, but if you find yourself in the provincial capital with a hankering for a slab of beef done rare, the best place to satisfy it is at The Courtney Room, located at the pretty Magnolia Hotel.

Chef Brian Tesolin offers a selection of premium cuts, including a giant daily bone-in steak to share, along with optional sides and add-ons such as the swoony duckfat-rich Potatoes Courtney, a gourmet take on mac ’n’ cheese, seasonal truffles and seared foie gras. Plus sommelier Colin Davidson will happily unearth some treasures in his Aladdin’s cave of a cellar.

OKANAGAN VALLEY:

Oddly, given its cattle-ranching past and huge annual influx of Albertans, the Okanagan wasn’t much of a destination for steak lovers until fairly recently. Then Mt. Boucherie in West Kelowna was purchased by new owners, who built a glamourous tasting room with a restaurant overlooking the lake.

And with a name like “boucherie”—which means “butcher shop” in French—what else would it serve besides steak? At The Modest Butcher Kitchen + Market, executive chef Dan Carkner offers generous cuts of beef (the tomahawk is a sheer drama of presentation) with not-so-modest sides like the pint o’ bacon, duck fat fries or smoked gorgonzola steak topper. They pair beautifully with the winery’s lush red wines, especially the opulent Summit blend of Merlot, Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Malbec and Syrah.

Walk into OROLO in Penticton and you’re sure to think, “At last!” After five years of oh-so-close-but-notquite concepts, the TIME Family of Wines (comprising Chronos, Evolve Cellars and the McWatters Collection) has truly nailed its urban winery restaurant. The room is glamorous, the service warm and welcoming, and the food just what you’d hope it would be.

Culinary director Kirk Morrison has the valley’s only dry-aging cooler, where he is perfecting cuts of beef and racks of lamb. But he’s also having fun with steakhouse traditions—for instance, offering a tableside salad, but instead of a Caesar, making it a wedge with buttermilk-blue cheese dressing. There’s also a smashed potato side that should make traditional pommes purée and fries sit up and take notice. And, of course, there is a terrific selection of wines to choose from, as well as an exciting cocktail program.

Finally, no look at the valley’s steak restaurants would be complete without stepping into the past at the Diamond Steak & Seafood House in Osoyoos. Look for the turret on the main drag and you’ll find this old-school joint where you can get classic fare like baked pastas, chicken cordon bleu and Greek souvlaki, as well as steaks cut to order with an encouraging note on the menu saying, “If you would like a bigger cut, please ask your server.” Oh, OK, if you insist.

GARLIC & HERB BUTTER FOR STEAK (AND EVERYTHING ELSE)

Compound butters are a cook’s secret weapon. You can make them ahead of time and have them ready in the fridge, and all you need to do is slice off a piece and pop it on a steak or whatever you like for a boost of complex flavour. This garlicky herb butter is a classic, delicious on meat, poultry, fish, bread or potatoes—you could even melt a pat of it in a fry pan to cook shrimp or delicate white fish. Feel free to adjust the herbs to your liking, and see below for more variations.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 garlic clove, grated on a Microplane or minced

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 Tbsp minced parsley or chives, or a combination

1 tsp finely grated lemon peel

¼ tsp black pepper, or to taste

¼ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste

METHOD

In a bowl, mash all the ingredients together. Scrape the butter onto a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap, form into a log and wrap well. Chill for at least 3 hours before using. Serves 8

Note that a compound butter will last for maybe a week in the fridge; any longer and you will want to freeze it. Make sure it is wellwrapped, and use within three months.

VARIATIONS:

Smoked Paprika & Rosemary Butter

Serve with: Steak, chicken, pork, fish or grilled veggies.

1 stick unsalted butter

1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp salt

Cinnamon Maple Butter

Serve with: Toast, pancakes, baked sweet potatoes.

1 stick unsalted butter

1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

¾ tsp ground cinnamon

Jalapeño Lime Butter

Serve with: Grilled meat, chicken, fish, shrimp or veggies, especially on tortillas.

1 stick unsalted butter

½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced

Finely grated peel of ½ lime

½ tsp salt

Vancouver Island

From the Saanich Peninsula to the Comox Valley, the Island has several pockets of microclimates that are ideal for growing grapes, especially cooler climate varieties such as Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. The wineries are mostly smaller, family-owned properties located in seductively beautiful landscapes and surrounded by bountiful farms.

Divino Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Muscat, Trebbiano, Pinot Noir, white and red blends divinowine.ca

Emandare Vineyard and Winery

Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine emandarevineyard.com

Enrico Winery

COURTENAY/ COMOX

40 Knots Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Auxerrois, Siegerrebe, Schönberger, Pinot Noir, sparkling wine, white and red blends, rosé, orange, fruit wine, fortified wine 40knotswinery.com

Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery

Ortega, Petite Milo, Pinot Gris, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, sparkling wine, rosé, vermouth beaufortwines.ca

Coastal Black Estate Winery

Fruit wines, honey wines coastalblack.ca

COWICHAN VALLEY

Alderlea Vineyards

Bacchus, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé alderlea.com

Averill Creek Vineyard

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer,

Pinot Noir, Cabernet Foch, white and red blends, sparkling wine, rosé, vermouth, fortified wine, piquette averillcreek.ca

Blue Grouse Estate Winery

Siegerrebe, Pinot Gris, Ortega, Bacchus, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Black Muscat, Gamay Noir, sparkling wine, white and red blends, rosé, orange, fortified wine bluegrouse.ca

Cherry Point Estate Wines

Ortega, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Siegerrebe, Agria, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, sparkling wine, red blends, rosé, fruit wine, dessert wine, fortified wine cherrypointestatewines.com

Damali Lavender & Winery

Pinot Gris, white and red blends, fruit wines damali.ca

Deol Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, Gamay Noir, red blends, rosé deolestatewinery.com

Ortega, Pinot Gris, Petit Milo, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Libre, red blends, sparkling wine, rosé, fortified wine enricowinery.com

Rocky Creek Winery

Pinot Gris, Cabernet Foch, sparkling wine, white and red blends, rosé, fruit wine rockycreekwinery.ca

Unsworth Vineyards

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignette, Petit Milo, Auxerrois, Amiel, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, sparkling wine, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wine unsworthvineyards.com

Venturi-Schulze

Vineyards

Madeleine Sylvaner, Kerner, Pinot Noir, sparkling wine, orange wine, dessert wine venturischulze.com

Zanatta Winery

Pinot Gris, Ortega, Pinot Noir, Moscato, sparkling wine, rosé, white blends zanatta.ca

NANAIMO

Chateau Wolff Estates

Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Franc,

white and red blends, rosé chateauwolff.com

Millstone Estate Winery

Ortega, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, fruit wine millstonewinery.ca

SAANICH PENINSULA

Church & State Wines (Saanich)

Muscat, Chardonnay, Marsanne, Rousanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, rosé, white and red blends, sparkling wine churchandstatewines.com

Deep Cove Winery

Ortega, Schönberger, red and white blends, rosé deepcovewinery.ca

Invinity Sparkling Wine House

Sparkling wine invinity.ca

Rathjen Cellars

Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, white and red blends rathjencellars.com

Symphony Vineyard Ortega, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, white blends symphonyvineyard.com

The Roost Farm Centre & Highland House

Farm Winery

Siegerrebe, sparkling wine, red blends, rosé, fruit wines roostfarmcentre.com

Photo courtesy of Averill Creek Vineyard

Gulf Islands

The Gulf Islands dot the Strait of Georgia that separates Vancouver Island from the mainland. Salt Spring, Pender, Saturna, Quadra, Hornby, Denman and Thetis islands boast a laidback lifestyle and an oceanic climate ideal for the increasing number of wineries producing cool-climate wines.

DENMAN ISLAND

Corlan Vineyard & Farm

Ortega, Siegerrebe, Marechal Foch, fruit wines corlanvineyard.ca

HORNBY ISLAND

Hornby Island Estate

Winery

Fruit wines hornbywine.com

Isla de Lerena Vineyard

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Agria, white

and red blends, sparkling wine, orange wine, fruit wine lerenavineyards.com

PENDER ISLAND

Sea Star Estate Farm and Vineyards

Ortega, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine seastarvineyards.ca

QUADRA ISLAND

SouthEnd Farm Winery

Siegerrebe, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine,

Fraser Valley

fortified wine, piquette southend.ca

SALT SPRING ISLAND

Garry Oaks Estate

Winery

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wine

garryoakswinery.com

Kutatás Wines

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Ortega, Pinot Noir, white blends, rosé kutataswines.com

Salt Spring Vineyards & Winery

Ortega, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fruit wines saltspringvineyards.com

SATURNA ISLAND

Sage Hayward

Vineyards

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, white blend, rosé sagehaywardvineyards.com

It comes as something of a surprise to many people to learn that there are more than two dozen wineries right on the doorstep of B.C.’s biggest city—including one right in Greater Vancouver itself. Wineries in Surrey, Richmond, New Westminster, Delta, Langley, Aldergrove and Abbotsford produce wine from everything from rice to berries to vitis vinifera. Most are small, family-owned properties and several offer additional attractions such as farm tours or bistros.

ABBOTSFORD

Cannon Estate Winery White and red blends, rosé cannonwinery.ca

Maan Farms Estate

Winery

Fruit wine, dessert wine maanfarms.com

Mt. Lehman Winery

Ehrenfelser, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, red blends, rosé, orange wine, sparkling wine, fortified wine mtlehmanwinery.ca

Ripples Winery

Muscat, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends, rosé, fruit wines, fortified wines rippleswinery.com

Seaside Pearl

Farmgate Winery

Petite Milo, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, red blends, sparkling wine seasidepearlwinery.ca

Singletree Winery

Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner, Siegerrebe, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends, sparkling wine singletreewinery.com

CHILLIWACK

Whispering Horse

Winery

Pinot Gris, L’Acadie Blanc, Epicure, sparkling wine whisperinghorsewinery.com

LANGLEY/ ALDERGROVE

Backyard Vineyards

Bacchus, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot

Gris, Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, rosé, white and red blends, sparkling wine, fortified wine backyardvineyards.ca

Chaberton Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Bacchus, Madeleine Sylvaner, Siegerrebe, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wine, fortified wine chabertonwinery.com

Glass House Estate Winery

Muscat Ottonel, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Bacchus, Madeleine Sylvaner, Madeleine Angevine, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine glasshouseestatewinery.com

Krause Berry Farms & Estate Winery

Fruit wines, dessert wines krauseberryfarms.com

The Fort Langley Wine Co.

Fruit wines thefortwineco.com

Township 7 Vineyards & Winery (Langley)

Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine township7.com

Vigneti Marchetto

Pinot Noir, white and red blends vignetimarchetto.com

Vista D’oro Farms & Winery

Siegerrebe, Schönburger, Pinot Gris, Marechal Foch, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine, fortified walnut wine, piquette vistadoro.com

NEW WESTMINSTER

Pacific Breeze Winery

Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, red blends, rosé, orange wine, dessert wine pacificbreezewinery.com

NORTH VANCOUVER

Garden of Granite Winery

Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Kerner, Viognier, Gamay,

Okanagan

Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine gardenofgranitewinery.com

RICHMOND

Isabella Winery

Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, red blends, rosé, fruit wines, dessert wines, icewine isabellawinery.com

Lulu Island Winery

Viognier, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Merlot, Syrah, blends, fruit wine, icewine luluislandwinery.com

Richmond Country Vines

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Schönburger, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine countryfarms.ca/ country-vines-winery

SURREY

1st R.O.W. Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, red blends, rosé, dessert wine, fruit wine 1row.ca

Cityside Winery

Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, white blends citysidewinery.com

Vinoscenti Vineyards

Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Marechal Foch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, white and red blends, dessert wine vinoscentivineyards.ca

VANCOUVER

Vancouver Urban Winery

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Merlot, rosé, white and red blends, sparkling wine vancouverurbanwinery.com

When most people think B.C. wine, they think of the Okanagan Valley, which produces 84 per cent of the province’s wine. This is one of the most varied wine regions in the world, stretching from cool-climate Lake Country in the north to the blistering-hot desert around Osoyoos in the south. Everything from ice wine to big, tannic, fruit-driven reds is produced at wineries that range from small family-run boutique vineyards to big global players, many of them featuring fine restaurants, guesthouses and cultural experiences.

GOLDEN MILE BENCH

CheckMate Artisanal Winery

Chardonnay, Merlot checkmatewinery.com

Culmina Family Estate

Winery

Chardonnay, Grüner

Veltliner, Riesling, Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, red blends, rosé culmina.ca

Fairview Cellars

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé fairviewcellars.ca

Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery

Auxerrois, Sauvignon Blanc, Ehrenfelser, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert

wine, icewine gehringerwines.ca

Hester Creek Estate

Winery

Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Trebbiano, Chardonnay, Viognier, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine hestercreek.com

Road 13 Vineyards

Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Malbec, Cabernet

Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, red blends, sparkling wine road13vineyards.com

Rust Wine Co.

Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, Gamay Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé rustwine.com

Tinhorn Creek

Vineyards

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Roussanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine tinhorn.com

KALEDEN

Anthony Buchanan Wines

Muscat, Chardonnay, Gamay Noir, rosé, sparkling wine, piquette anthonybuchananwines.ca

Birch Block Vineyard

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine birchblockvineyard.com

Black Market Wine Co.

Bacchus, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, piquette blackmarketwine.ca

Farm Gate Winery

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Chardonnay, Merlot, Malbec, Zweigelt,

white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine, dessert wine, fruit wine farmgatewinery.com

Lakeboat Vineyard & Winery

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine lakeboatwinery.com

Skaha Vineyard at Kraze Legz Winery

Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, fortified wine, icewine krazelegz.com

KELOWNA

Ancient Hill Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Lemberger, Pinot Noir, Baco Noir, rosé ancienthillwinery.com

Camelot Vineyards

Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, white blends, rosé camelotvineyards.ca

CedarCreek Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris,

Pinot Noir, red blends, rosé, cedarcreek.bc.ca

Kitsch Wines

Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Syrah, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine kitschwines.ca

Martin's Lane Winery

Riesling, Pinot Noir, icewine martinslanewinery.com

Meadow Vista Honey

Wines

Fruit wines, honey wines meadowvista.ca

Mirabel Vineyards

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine mirabelvineyards.com

Nagging Doubt Winery

Chardonnay, Siegerrebe, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends naggingdoubt.com

Priest Creek Family

Estate

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé priestcreekwinery.com

Sandhill Wines

Sovereign Opal, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Barbera, red blends, rosé sandhillwines.ca

Scorched Earth Winery

Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, rosé scorchedearthwinery.ca

SpearHead Winery

Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, dessert wine spearheadwinery.com

Sperling Vineyards

Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, white blends, orange, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine sperlingvineyards.com

St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery

Riesling, Chasselas, Gewürztraminer, Schönburger, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé st-hubertus.bc.ca

Summerhill Pyramid Winery

Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Marechal Foch, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine summerhill.bc.ca

Tantalus Vineyards

Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, rosé, sparkling wine, piquette, dessert wine, icewine tantalus.ca

The Vibrant Vine

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Merlot, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine thevibrantvine.com

The View Winery

Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Ehrenfelser, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, sparkling wine theviewwinery.com

LAKE COUNTRY

50th Parallel Estate

Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine 50thparallel.com

Arrowleaf Cellars

Riesling, Pinot Gris, Bacchus, Chardonnay, Petite Arvine, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine arrowleafcellars.com

Blind Tiger Vineyards

Riesling, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine blindtigervineyards.ca

Ex Nihilo Vineyards

Pinot Gris, Riesling,

Piinot Noir vines at Tinhorn Creek. Gail Nugent photo

Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine exnihilovineyards.com

Gray Monk Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Ehrenfelser, Auxerrois, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Siegerrebe, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine graymonk.com

Intrigue Wines

Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine intriguewines.ca

O’Rourke Family Estate

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir ofestate.com

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine orourkespeakcellars.com

NARAMATA

BENCH

1 Mill Road Vineyard

Pinot Noir, rosé 1millroad.ca

Bella Wines

Sparkling wine bellawines.ca

Bench 1775 Winery

Roussanne, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Marechal Foch,. Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine, icewine bench1775.com

Black Widow Winery

Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Schönburger, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine blackwidowwinery.com

Chain Reaction Winery

Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine chainrectionwine.com

Coolshanagh Wines

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir coolshanagh.ca

D’Angelo Estate Winery

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine, dessert wine dangelowinery.com

Da Silva Vineyards & Winery

Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Fumé Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine dasilvavineyards.com

Daydreamer Wines

Pinot Gris, Riesling, Syrah, red blends, rosé daydreamerwines.ca

Deep Roots Winery

Chardonnay, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Malbec, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine deeprootswinery.com

Elephant Island Winery

Viognier, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fruit wines elephantislandwine.com

Four Shadows Vineyard & Winery

Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Pinot Noir, sparkling wine fourshadowsvineyard.com

Fox and Archer Wines

Sémillion, Pinot Noir, Malbec, rosé, sparkling wine foxandarcherwines.com

Foxtrot Vineyards

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, rosé foxtrotwine.com

Hillside Winery & Bistro

Pinot Gris, Muscat Ottonel, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Gamay Noir, Syrah, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends, rosé, fortified wine, icewine hillsidewinery.ca

Howling Bluff Estate Winery

Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, fortified wine howlingbluff.ca

JoieFarm

Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Chardonnay, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine joiefarm.com

Kettle Valley Winery

Chardonnay, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, white and red blends, dessert wine kettlevalleywinery.com

La Frenz Winery

Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Sémillon, Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, white and red blends, sparkling wine, fortified wines lafrenzwinery.com

Lake Breeze Vineyards

Rousanne, Chardonnay, Ehrenfelser, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Pinot Noir, Pinotage, Syrah, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé,

sparkling wine, fortified wine lakebreeze.ca

Lang Vineyards

Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Merlot, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, port-style wine, dessert wine, icewine langvineyards.ca

Laughing Stock Vineyards

Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé laughingstock.ca

Lock & Worth Winery

Sémillon, Merlot, rosé lockandworth.com

Marichel Vineyard and Winery

Viognier, Syrah, red blends, rosé marichel.ca

MOCOJO Wines

Viognier, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Malbec, Merlot, rosé mocojowines.com

Monster Vineyards

Chardonnay, Merlot, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine monstervineyards.ca

Moraine Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine morainewinery.com

Nichol Vineyard

Pinot Gris, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, sparkling wine nicholvineyard.com

Origin Wines

Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Malbec, red blends, rosé originwines.ca

Poplar Grove Winery

Pinot Gris, Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine poplargrove.ca

Red Rooster Winery

Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Petit Verdot, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine redroosterwinery.com

Roche Wines

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Schönberger, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé rterroir.ca

Ruby Blues Winery

Riesling, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine rubyblueswinery.ca

Serendipity Winery

Pinot Noir, Merlot, red blends, sparkling wine serendipitywinery.com

Terravista Vineyards

Albariño, Roussanne, Viognier, Syrah, white blends terravistavineyards.com

Therapy Vineyards & Guest House

Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Merlot, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine therapyvineyards.com

Three Sisters Winery

Pinot Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, orange, sparkling wine 3sisterswinery.com

Tightrope Winery

Muscat, Riesling, Sémillon, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc,

Merlot, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine tightropewinery.ca

Township 7 Vineyards & Winery (Naramata)

Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine township7.com

Upper Bench Estate Winery

Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zweigelt, red blends, rosé upperbench.ca

Van Westen Vineyards

Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends vanwestenvineyards.com

Wesbert Winery

Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Merlot, Pinotage, Gamay, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, piquette, dessert wine wesbertwinery.com

OKANAGAN FALLS

BC Wine Studio

Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé bcwinestudio.ca

Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars

Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, sparkling wine bluemountainwinery.com

Bonamici Cellars

Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Barbera, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine bonamicicellars.com

Echo Bay Vineyard

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, red blends echobayvineyard.ca

Liquidity Wines

Chardonnay, Viognier, Riesling, Merlot, Pinot Noir, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine liquiditywines.com

Mayhem Wines

Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Merlot, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine mayhemwines.com

Meyer Family Vineyards

Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine mfvwines.com

Montakarn Winery

Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé montakarn.ca

Nighthawk Vineyards

Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, sparkling wine nighthawkvineyards.com

Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine nobleridge.com

Rigour & Whimsy

Pinot Blanc, Gamay Noir, white and red blends, orange, sparkling wine rigourandwhimsy.ca

See Ya Later Ranch

Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot

Noir, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine sylranch.com

Stag's Hollow Winery & Vineyard

Albariño, Pinot Gris, Vidal, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Dolcetto, Syrah, Teroldego, Merlot, red blends, rosé, dessert wine, icewine stagshollowwinery.com

Synchromesh Wines

Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, red blends, rosé synchromeshwines.ca

Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, fortified wine wildgoosewinery.com

OLIVER

Bartier Bros. Winery

Muscat, Sémillon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, rosé, red blends, sparkling wine, piquette bartierbros.com

Black Hills Estate Winery

Viognier, Roussanne, Chardonnay, Syrah, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine blackhillswinery.com

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery

Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah, red blends, rosé, fortified wine burrowingowlwine.ca

Cassini Cellars

Chardonnay, Cabernet

Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, white and red blends,

dessert wine cassini.ca

Castoro de Oro Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Merlot, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé castorodeoro.com

Church & State Wines (Okanagan)

Muscat, Chardonnay, Marsanne, Rousanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, rosé, white and red blends, sparkling wine churchandstatewines.com

Covert Farms Family Estate

Roussanne, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine covertfarms.ca

Desert Hills Estate Winery

Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet

Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, fortified wine deserthills.ca

District Wine Village

Featuring: Apricus Cellars, Canter Cellars, Eau Vivre Winery, Foolish Wine, Gneiss Wines, JoiRyde Winery, Nk’Mip Cellars, One Faith Vineyards, Silhouette Estate Winery, TIME

Family of Wines, Uppercase Winery, Valley Commons, Winemaker’s CUT districtwinevillage.com

French Door Estate Winery

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé frenchdoorwinery.com

Gadzook Vinery

Merlot, Cabernet Franc, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine gadzookvinery.com

Gold Hill Winery

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé goldhillwinery.com

Here’s the Thing Vineyards

Chardonnay, Viognier, Rousanne, Orange Muscat, Gamay Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, red blends, rosé heresthethingvineyards.com

Hidden Chapel Winery

Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, white and red blends hiddenchapelwinery.com

Inniskillin Okanagan

Vineyards

Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Fumé Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, sparkling wine, icewine inniskillin.com

Intersection Estate Winery

Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Riesling, Merlot,Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends xwine.ca

Jackson-Triggs

Okanagan Estate

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine jacksontriggswinery.com

Kismet Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine

kismetestatewinery.com

La Casa Bianca Winery

Riesling, red blends, fruit wines, dessert wines lacasabianca.ca

Le Vieux Pin Winery

Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Viognier, Syrah, Merlot, white and red blends,rosé levieuxpin.ca

Maverick Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine maverickwine.ca

Nostalgia Wines

Pinot Gris, Kerner, Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Petit Verdot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine, port-style wine nostalgiawines.ca

Phantom Creek Estate Winery

Riesling, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot, red blends, rosé phantomcreekestates.com

Pipe’Dreams Vineyard and Estate Winery

Grüner Veltliner, Kerner, Merlot, Gamay, Zweigelt, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine pipedreamswinery.com

Platinum Bench Estate Winery

Viognier, Pinot Gris, Gamay Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé platinumbench.com

Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery

Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carménère, Malbec, Zinfandel, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé quintaferreira.com

Rainmaker Winers

Rousanne, Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, red blends, sparkling wine rainmakerwines.com

Ramification Cellars

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, sparkling wine, fortified wine ramwine.com

Red Barn Winery at Jagged Rock

Sémillion, Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, red blends, rosé redbarn.wine

Red Horses Vineyard

Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, red blends, rosé redhorsesvineyard.ca

River Stone Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine riverstoneestatewinery.ca

Second Chapter Wine Company

Rousanne, Viognier, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec scwines.ca

Silver Sage Winery Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, red blends, sparkling wine silversagewinery.com

Squeezed Wines

Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Syrah, red blends, rosé squeezedwines.ca

Stoneboat Vineyards

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinotage, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine stoneboatvineyards.com

vinAmité Cellars

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, Gamay Noir, Petit Verdot, white and red blends vinamitecellars.com

OSOYOOS

Adega On 45th Estate

Winery Viognier, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, fortified wine adegaon45.com

Blue Sky Estate Winery

Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé blueskywinery.ca

Bordertown Vineyards

Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Grüner

Veltliner, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé bordertownwinery.com

Lakeside Cellars

Orange Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine lakesidecellars.com

Lariana Cellars

Viognier, Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends larianacellars.com

LaStella Winery

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Muscat, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends, rosé lastella.ca

Liber Farm & Winery

Chardonnay, Riesling, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé liberfarm.com

Moon Curser

Vineyards

Viognier, Cabernet

Sauvignon, Carménère, Syrah, Dolcetto, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Tannat, Tempranillo, Touriga

Nacional, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine mooncurser.com

Nk'Mip Cellars

Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, icewine nkmipcellars.com

Osoyoos Larose Estate Winery

Bordeaux blend osoyooslarose.com

Sonora Desert Winery

Viognier, Merlot, Syrah, red blends, rosé sonoradesertwinery.ca

Young & Wyse Collection

Pinot Gris, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, red blends, orange youngandwysewine.com

PEACHLAND

Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards

Chardonnay, Ehrenfelser, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Gamay, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine fitzwine.com

Hainle Vineyards Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine hainle.com

PENTICTON

Little Engine Wines

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé, fortified wine littleenginewines.com

Play Estate Winery

Sémillon, Moscato, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine playwinery.com

TIME Family of Wines

Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Riesling, Chardonnay, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot, Grenache, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, port-style wine

timewinery.com

SKAHA BENCH

Black Dog Cellars

White blends, rosé, sparkling wine blackdogcellars.ca

Blasted Church

Vineyards

Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Lagrein, Syrah, Malbec, Refosco, Teroldego, Nebbiolo, Petit Verdot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine blastedchurch.com

Crescent Hill Winery

Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Malbec, Zweigelt, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine crescenthillwinery.com

Painted Rock Estate

Winery

Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, red blends, rosé paintedrock.ca

Pentâge Winery

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blacn, Viognier, Gamay, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine, dessert wine, icewine pentage.com

SUMMERLAND

8th Generation Vineyard

Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Merlot, rosé,

sparkling wine, dessert wine 8thgeneration.com

Back Door Winery

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Muscat, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Pinotage, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine backdoorwinery.com

Dirty Laundry Vineyard

Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Fumé Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Viognier, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Malbec, Dolcetto, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, port-style wine dirtylaundry.ca

Garnet Valley Ranch Winery

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, sparkling wine okanagancrushpad.com/ garnet-valley-ranch-winery

Giant Head Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine giantheadwinery.com

Haywire Winery

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Gamay, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine haywirewinery.com

Heaven's Gate Estate Winery

Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Gamay Noir, Marechal Foch, Merlot, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine heavensgatewinery.ca

Lightning Rock Winery

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine lightningrockwinery.ca

Lunessence Winery & Vineyard

Viognier, Chardonnay, Gamay, Merlot, red blends, rosé

lunessencewinery.com

Sage Hills Organic Vineyard & Winery

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, sparkling wine, fortified wine sagehillswine.com

Savard Vines

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé savardvines.ca

Saxon Estate Winery

Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine saxonwinery.com

Silkscarf Winery

Muscat, Chardonnay, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine silkscarf-winery.com

Sleeping Giant Fruit Winery

Fruit wines, dessert wines sleepinggiantfruitwinery.com

Solvero Wines

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, rosé solverowines.ca

Sumac Ridge Estate Winery

Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé sumacridge.com

SummerGate Winery

Muscat Ottonel, Kerner, Riesling, Pinot Noir, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine summergate.ca

Summerland Estate Winery

Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine summerlandestatewinery.com

Thornhaven Estates Winery

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine thornhaven.com

WEST KELOWNA

Beaumont Family Estate Organic Winery

Pinot Gris, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine beaumontwinery.com

Black Swift Vineyards

Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, red blends, rosé blackswiftvineyards.com

Ciao Bella Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine ciaobellawinery.com

Crown & Thieves

Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine crownthieves.com

Frind Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine frindwinery.com

Grizzli Winery

Muscat, Siegerrebe, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, red blends, dessert wine, icewine, fruit wine grizzliwinery.com

Indigenous World Winery

Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Malbec, Petit Verdot, white and red blends indigenousworldwinery.com

Kalala Organic Estate Winery

Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zweigelt, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine kalalawines.ca

Little Straw Vineyards

Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine littlestraw.bc.ca

Mission Hill Family

Estate Winery

Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine missionhillwinery.com

Mt. Boucherie Winery

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Sémillon, Chenin Blanc, Syrah, Carménère, Sangiovese, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Blaufränkisch, white and red blends, orange, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine mtboucherie.com

Niche Wine Company

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine nichewinecompany.com

Off The Grid Organic Winery

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zweigelt, white blends, rosé, dessert wine offthegridorganicwinery.com

Quails' Gate Winery

Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wine, icewine quailsgate.com

Rollingdale Winery

Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, sparkling wine, dessert wine, icewine, fortified wine rollingdale.ca

Tender Hope Winery

Riesling, Rousanne, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine tenderhopewinery.com

The Hatch

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Merlot, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine thehatchwines.com

Volcanic Hills Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Gamay Noir, Syrah, Merlot, Zweigelt, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine volcanichillswinery.com

Similkameen

Known both as Canada’s organic capital and its best-kept-secret wine country, the sun-soaked Similkameen produces everything from fruit-driven reds to bright, flinty whites. Surrounded by rugged mountains that trap the heat and funnel mildew-banishing winds through the vineyards, the valley features a variety of soils including stone, gravel and silty loam from glacial rock formations. Although there are relatively few tasting rooms here, there are many vineyards that grow grapes for wineries in other regions.

S’milka Vista

Viognier, Syrah, red blends, sparkling wine, rosé smilkavista.com

Vanessa Vineyard Estate Winery

Viognier, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends, rosé vanessavineyard.com

KEREMEOS

Clos Du Soleil Winery

Viognier, Pinot Gris, Fumé Blanc, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé closdusoleil.ca

Corcelettes Estate Winery

Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine corceletteswine.ca

CAWSTON

Bottega Wine Studios

Viognier, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé bottegawinestudio.ca

Crowsnest Vineyards

Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white blends, rosé, dessert wines crowsnestvineyards.com

Eau Vivre Winery & Vineyards

Riesling, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, white and red blends eauvivrewinery.ca

Forbidden Fruit Winery

Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé, fruit wines forbiddenfruitwine.com

Horseshoe Found Winery

Muscat, Viognier, Pinot Noir, white blends horseshoefoundwinery.com

Hugging Tree Winery

Viognier, Merlot, red blends, rosé huggingtreewinery.com

Little Farm Winery

Riesling, Chardonnay, red blends, orange, rosé littlefarmwinery.ca

Orofino Vineyards

Muscat, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine orofinovineyards.com

Rustic Roots Winery

Fruit wines, dessert wines rusticrootswinery.com

Scout Vineyard

Riesling, Syrah, rosé scoutvineyard.com

Seven Stones Winery

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, red blends, rosé sevenstones.ca

Robin Ridge Winery

Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Gamay, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine robinridgewinery.com

The tasting room at Orofino Winery. Gail Nugent photo

Other regions

Some of B.C.’s most exciting wines are being produced in regions that are so new, few people have heard of them. But given the awards they’re pulling in, these wineries will become famous soon enough. And who knows where vintners will be planting grapes next?

THOMPSON VALLEY

Harper's Trail Estate Winery

Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Cabernet Franc, red blends harperstrail.com

Monte Creek Winery

Chardonnay, Frontenac

Gris, Riesling, La Crescent, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, piquette, fruit wine montecreekranch.com

Privato Vineyard & Winery

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine privato.ca

Sagewood Winery

Pinot Gris, Kerner, Riesling, Ortega, Gewürztraminer, Siegerrebe, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine sagewoodwinery.ca

LILLOOET

Cliff and Gorge Vineyards

Marechal Foch, Petite Milo, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, white blends, rosé cliffandgorge.com

Fort Berens Estate Winery

Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Grüner

Veltliner, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé,sparkling wine, dessert wine fortberens.ca

SHUSWAP

Baccata Ridge Winery

Marechal Foch, red blends, fruit wines, honey wines baccataridgewinery.ca

Celista Estate Winery

Ortega, Siegerrebe, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wines, fortified wines celistawine.com

Edge Of The Earth Vineyards

Ortega, Marechal Foch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine edgeearth.ca

Larch Hills Winery

Ortega, Sémillon, Siegerrebe, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Malbec, Merlot, Marechal Foch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lemberger, red and white blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine larchhillswinery.com

Marionette Winery

Riesling, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white blends, rosé, dessert wine marionettewinery.com

Ovino Winery

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, white and red blends,rosé, dessert wines ovinowinery.com

Recline Ridge Vineyards & Winery

Ortega, Bacchus, Siegerrebe, Kerner, Pinot Gris, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wines reclineridgewinery.com

Sunnybrae Vineyards & Winery

Siegerrebe, Ortega, Kerner, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé sunnybraewinery.com

Waterside Vineyard & Winery

Siegerrebe, Pinot Gris, Ortega, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wines watersidewinery.com

KOOTENAYS

Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, white blends, orange, rosé bailliegrohman.com

Columbia Gardens Vineyard & Winery

Gewürztraminer, Marechal Foch, Merlot, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, fortified wine cgwinery.com

Red Bird Estate Winery

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, piquette redbirdwine.com

Skimmerhorn Winery & Vineyard

Pinot Gris, Ortega, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé skimmerhorn.ca

Valley of the Springs Winery

Rivaner, Gewürztraminer, Marechal Foch, Gamay, Zweigelt, red blends, sparkling wine, rosé valleyofthespringswinery.com

Wynnwood Cellars

Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot,Pinot Noir, rosé wynnwoodcellars.com

PRINCE GEORGE

Northern Lights Estate Winery Ltd. Fruit wines northernlightswinery.ca

Glou-glou

IT’S THE WAY WE WANT TO DRINK NOW

Christine Campbell

We are in the middle of a wine word renaissance. Glou-glou, you say? Yes, please.

Glou-glou is a French noun-turned-adjective that imitates the word “glug-glug.” It is a 1600s wine term that was brought back to life by the natural wine movement, morphed into a trend and is now firmly rooted in today’s wine culture.

A wine that is glou-glou is one that invites glugging. Think of the term as representing the sound of liquid leaving a wine bottle and the rapid gulping of said wine. Glou-glou wines are easily quaffable and seductively delicious. They are young and fresh, unpretentious, approachable, relatively low in alcohol (10 to 12 per cent ABV), with high acidity making them ideal for pairing with food or enjoying on their own. Enjoying glou-glou wines upon release is optimal.

Beaujolais, France, is the birthplace of the term, and Gamay wines from Beaujolais are typically light bodied with fruit-forward flavours or, in other words, glou-glou. (The most glou-glou of all the wines is Beaujolais Nouveau, which is officially released on the third Thursday of November each year. Look for it on November 16.)

Now entire winemaking regions in France, Italy, Spain, Australia, the U.S. and Canada boast many vignerons producing easy-drinking, glou-glou wines.

Glou-glou wines can be red, white, rosé or sparkling and are often made using natural winemaking techniques that emphasize the flavours and aromas of the grapes.

Wine brands, wineries and wine bars are all on the glou-glou bandwagon to celebrate natural wine. Glouglou’s joyous energy is an intentional detour from the perceived formality of traditional wine cultures and captures the free spirit of natural wine. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy the promising sound of a bottle of wine being opened and swirling into your glass?

FOUR GLOU-GLOU WINES TO TRY

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais (Beaujolais, France, $22.99)

Juicy, with flavours of cherry and fresh strawberry.

Paper Label Beaujolais Nouveau 2022 (Beaujolais, France, $24.99)

Tart raspberry with mouth-watering acidity.

Les Ligérierns Rosé D’Anjou (Loire Valley, France, $20.99)

Refreshing flavours of red currant and watermelon.

Summerhill Pyramid Winery Alive Organic White (BC VQA Okanagan Valley, B.C., $23)

Honeydew melon, lime and Granny Smith apple.

“

Think of the term as representing the sound of liquid leaving a wine bottle and the rapid gulping of said wine.