SIPS & NIBBLES

Vitis Staff

HEAT, SMOKE, FIRE—2021’S LINGERING EFFECT

Getty Images photo

It’s not a decision anyone wants to make. After a year of record-breaking heat, wildfires and floods, Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars has made the difficult call not to bottle their 2021 vintage due to damage from the smoke that covered the Okanagan Valley in a heavy pall for weeks last summer.

“Obviously, we’re very disappointed, and it was a tough decision, but we’re not willing to compromise the reputation we’ve worked hard to establish over the past 30 years,” says Christie Mavety, Blue Mountain’s co-owner and director of sales and marketing. The Okanagan Falls estate is located near where Thomas Creek wildfire burned an estimated 11,755 hectares just east of Skaha Lake. It was just one of more than 1,600 fires that erupted across the province in the wake of an unprecedented heat dome that shattered temperature records, especially in sun-drenched wine-growing regions. According to the Wine Growers BC 2021 vintage report, that heat has resulted in smaller berries and lower yields—down as much as 30 per cent in the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys. It also contributed to an early and condensed harvest in every region, made more difficult by the chronic staffing shortage and more urgent because of the need to get fruit out of the smoke. The full impact of all that smoke may not be seen for months, if not years, and other wineries will surely be affected as well. But not all the news is bad. Yields may be low, but according to early reports, the wines that are made will be ripe, intense, full-bodied and extremely high in quality. Even the Mavety family at Blue Mountain sees a bright side to all this. “We’re focusing on the fact that while the grapes had smoke taint, the vines were unaffected, so the future is bright,” Mavety says. “Although Blue Mountain won’t produce a 2021 vintage, we’re in the process of releasing wines from the 2020 vintage, which was excellent.” She adds: “Ultimately. the most important thing is that people can count on us to deliver top-quality wines.”

Blue Mountain Vineyard owners, from left: Matt, Jane, Ian and Christie Mavety. Photo courtesy of Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars.

TOUR NARAMATA VIA TROLLEY THIS SPRING

We love touring the Naramata Bench, but we don’t always love driving from winery to winery along that winding road. And cycling can get a bit wobbly after a few samples. So we were thrilled to see a new hop-on-hop-off tour planned for the bench—and even more excited to discover that it involves a vintage-style trolley bus. The Grape Savvy Trolley Co. is set to start rolling from Penticton to Naramata this May, stopping at wineries along the way. It’s the latest venture from Savannah Swaisland, who has been running Grape Savvy Wine Tours for the past four seasons. She has purchased two vehicles from the Vancouver Trolley Company. They will get a stylish refresh with new branding and are expected to hit the road by May 1. Each holds 35 passengers (with room under the seats for wine purchases) and will run on a loop, stopping at all the privately owned wineries along the way for people to hop on and hop off all day. A full-day ticket costs only $39 and can be ordered through an online app, which will also show where the trolley is on the route, as well as how many seats are left on the bus. Plans are for the trolleys to run seven days a week, from around 10:45 a.m. until after 5 p.m., until Oct. 31. grapesavvyexpress.wine

THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER

If you’ve got a natural amphitheatre, might as well use it, right? That’s the plan this summer for at least two of the Okanagan Valley’s wineries. From its scenic perch on the Black Sage Bench, Phantom Creek Estates is launching a summer music series from May 20 to September 2. On Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m., the winery will offer fine wine and live music in its amphitheatre overlooking the South Okanagan Valley. Bring a blanket, buy a bottle and enjoy the sounds of performers like Moving Lines, Badgentina, Mandy Cole and Sean Waters. Those who reserve a seated tasting at the winery can also take in the music from the patio tables. And wine club members will be able to experience the show from the Club Members’ Terrace (reservations required).

phantomcreekestates.com

Meanwhile in West Kelowna, after a two-year hiatus, Mission Hill Family Estate is bringing back its own summer concert series with three great shows and an elevated listening experience. There are now three tiers of tickets, all with assigned seating, and each including food and drink: a three-course wine-paired dinner party; gourmet patio picnic with a bottle of wine; or a sampler of snacks and two glasses of wine. As for the concerts, they feature alt-country-rockers Blue Rodeo on July 6, country-Celtic star Johnny Reid on July 29 and multi-genre trumpet virtuoso Chris Botti on August 30. missionhillwinery.com

Photo courtesy of Mission Hill Family Estate

WHAT’S IN A LABEL? PLENTY

Photo courtesy of Monte Creek Winery

It’s one thing to have a kitschy label when you’re just starting out and your winery’s brand is cheap and cheerful and fun. But when your wine starts winning major awards and you want to attract the attention of serious sommeliers and consumers, that piece of paper needs to tell a whole different story. And so Monte Creek Winery—formerly Monte Creek Ranch—in Kamloops has just been through a rebranding that has exchanged the old label, with its image of train robber Bill Miner, for a new one that elegantly evokes the terroir of the Thompson Valley. The winery worked with designer Adrienne Van Haeren of Signify Design, who created a new logo and design that better refl ect the team’s commitment to quality, innovation and sustainable practices. For instance, the centre of the new logo illustrates an M, symbolic of both Monte Creek and the rows of the vineyard, while the monogram resembles a thumb print, to refl ect the winery’s intentional handcrafted process. To complete the rebrand, Monte Creek’s wines are now divided into three series: Ancient Waters, Living Land and entry-level Pioneer, where you will fi nd the popular Hands Up red and white. Meanwhile, the fi rst release in the Ancient Waters series, the 2019 Ancient Waters Chardonnay, has already scooped several major awards, including Double Gold at the 2021 All Canadian Wine Championships. Monte Creek is not the only winery to make over its label in the last couple of years. Hillside Estate Winery on the Naramata Bench recently replaced its decade-old labels. They were not only tired looking, but also had the disadvantage of not distinguishing clearly between entry-level and premium wines like the fl agship Mosaic. The new labels, created by a California designer, feature a stylized silhouette of the winery, with different colours for different tiers of wine.

And West Kelowna’s Mt. Boucherie Estate has replaced the fancy, swirly, somewhat outdated serif font with a clean, crisp modern san-serif, and created clever, stylized labels to refl ect its different tiers: the cheeky Modest Wines, elegantly simple White Label and intriguingly complex Original Vines. Next is likely to be Road 13, which is now part of Anthony von Mandl’s Iconic Wineries of British Columbia. While its new branding embraces the rugged western heritage of the property, we can expect it to be as sleek, sophisticated and well-thought-out as the rest of the wineries in the group. Wine can—and should!—be enjoyable and fun. But sometimes, it needs to get serious, too.

THREE TO TRY

Monte Creek Living Land Series Riesling 2021 (British Columbia VQA, $22) Lime, pear, mineral, racy acidity, vibrant.

Hillside Winery Unoaked Pinot Gris 2021 (Naramata Bench, $24) Juicy stone fruit, peach, nectarine, green apple.

Mt. Boucherie Modest Wines La Graves Robber Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon 2021 (Okanagan Valley, $28) Herbaceous, citrus, honey, crisp, elegant.

EVENT CALENDAR

Events are back! Plan accordingly

COWICHAN OYSTER FESTIVAL

April 27 to May 1

Terroir meets merroir when the Cowichan Valley holds its first festival celebrating the beloved bivalve. The event is a partnership between the Cowichan Valley Wineries and the BC Shellfish Growers Association, and is sponsored by Wandering Mollusk Oyster Co. Local restaurants will compete to create the best oyster dish and the fest will wrap up with Sip, Swirl and Get Shucked on April 30 at Enrico Winery, where guests can wander from station to station enjoying freshly shucked oysters and wine pairings. tourismcowichan.ca

MUSIC AND MARKETS AT DISTRICT WINE VILLAGE

May 4 to September 14

From 4 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday this summer, the wine village just north of Oliver features a market supporting local farmers, crafters and bakers in the Centre Plaza. Sample some great wine, have some fun and fill your cooler with veggies while you do. Also at the village: Things are rockin’ this summer with an exciting lineup of performers including: Aaron Pritchett (May 7), 54-40 (June 18) and Kim Mitchell (August 19). Tickets are selling fast, and some events are already sold out, so get yours right away. districtwinevillage.com

OKANAGAN SPRING WINE FESTIVAL

May 5 to 15 The 26th Annual Spring Okanagan Wine Festival will feature more than 70 events over 10 days throughout the Okanagan Valley. Among them are signature events including the Valley First Spring Wine Tastings on May 7, when guests can taste over 130 wines from 35 wineries, as well as the new Blush & Bubbles, celebrating rosé and sparkling wine at Summerland Waterfront Resort on May 15. thewinefestivals.com

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL

May 16 to 22

Canada’s premier wine festival was the last big event many of us attended back in 2020 before the world shut down. So its return means more than just another chance to catch up with friends and sample as much as we can on the tasting floor. The 43rd Vancouver International Wine Festival will have no theme region, but 101 producers from 14 countries will present their wines, including 41 from British Columbia. Plus there will be many of the events we love best, including seminars, dinners, trade days and the Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction to benefit Bard on the Beach. And, of course, the four days of International Festival Tastings will still be the centrepiece of the event, so start practising your spitting technique now. winefest.ca

Become a BC Wine Ambassador

THIS NEW CERTIFICATION PROGRAM BOTH EDUCATES AND CELEBRATES

The Wines of BC Ambassador Program Level One is designed for for both consumers and industry professionals. Photos courtesy of WineBC.com

Do you know what year Father Charles Pandosy planted the fi rst grapevines in B.C.? What the province’s most widely planted white grape is? How many wine regions it has?*

If you do—or if you just wish you did—you, too, can become an ambassador for our world-class wines thanks to an innovative new certifi cation program from Wine Growers British Columbia.

The Wines of BC Ambassador Program is unique in the world, a one-of-a-kind series of educational courses designed to educate both consumers and industry professionals about what makes B.C. wine unlike any other.

“We’ve always had the concept in mind of creating ambassadors among the industry and consumers who love B.C. wine,” says Laura Kittmer, communications director at WGBC. “It’s a relatively young region and there is so much innovation going on.”

The program was created by WGBC and curated by Master of Wine Rhys Pender in consultation with industry experts, scientists, geologists, educators and regional winery associations.

“There is some pretty exciting stuff happening in B.C. wine and it seems the world is taking notice,” says Pender. “It was great to be part of bringing all the information on B.C.’s climate, regions, sub-regions, soils

We’ve always had the concept in mind of creating ambassadors among the industry and consumers who love B.C. wine.

and statistics together and to help create this new certifi cation for the wine community. It is an excellent resource for wine professionals and wine lovers to access all they need to know about B.C. wine.”

The ambassador program, which is part of the Wine BC 2030 strategy to “build a world-class brand for Wines of British Columbia,” features three levels of education from introductory to expert.

Level One had previously been offered as an informal, in-person seminar; it is now a certifi cation program developed in partnership with Okanagan College and is offered virtually, making it available to participants anywhere in the world.

“Level One is for everyone making, selling, growing or even just enjoying B.C. wine,” Kittmer says. “I look at Level One as an entryway for people to enter the industry or even just to be an ambassador for BC wine at home.”

The multimedia course focuses on the basics, including history, grape varieties, sustainability and food pairing, taught through interactive learning modules, topographic maps, historical timelines and more. Those who successfully complete it can consider themselves certifi ed Level One B.C. Wine Ambassadors.

Level Two, on the other hand, is an in-person program that takes a deeper dive into the subjects introduced in Level One; it also includes a tasting component that compares B.C. wines with similar international ones. “The purpose is to situate B.C. within the international wine world,” Kittmer says.

It is designed mainly for industry professionals, with registration for spring programs now open, and more classes expected in fall.

Looking ahead, WGBC is working on plans for Level Three, which will only be offered to a small group of applicants once a year. This in-depth, comprehensive program will be more “boots on the ground” learning in the wine regions themselves, looking at topics such as soils and geology. This intense, hands-on course will be designed for serious professionals.

“Ultimately,” says Miles Prodan, WGBC president and CEO, “the ambassador program is positioned to become the premier certifi cation of exclusively B.C.-focused wine knowledge for B.C. wine lovers and wine-career-oriented individuals, as well as a tool to promote and uplift all businesses within the sphere of B.C. wine and hospitality.” *The answers are: 1859, Pinot Gris and nine.

Learn about the history, styles and regions of B.C. wine.

BECOME AN AMBASSADOR FOR BC WINE

In celebration of BC Wine Month, WGBC is offering complimentary access to the Level One BC Wine Ambassador course, valued at $75+GST, until April 30. Use promo code: BCWINEMONTH.

As well, WGBC is extending complimentary access to the program for Vitis readers from April 20 to May 30, 2022. Use promo code: VITISBC.

Register at winebc.com.

Wine Growers British Columbia – Wines of BC Ambassador Program For more information, visit winebc.com