Vintage 2018 : Senka Tennant, Howard Soon, Grant Stanley & Bailey
Williamson
THE SHOW
First – a couple of quotes
“These wines will go down as classics” David Paterson Winemaker & General
Manager, Tantalus Vineyards
Bailey, Laura, Grant, Sharon McLean, Senka, Howard
“Overall I’m excited for the wines to come – bright acid, full flavour
development without some of the surprising potential alcohols we’ve had in
recent years.” Chris Turyk Sommelier, General Manager Unsworth Vineyards
Overall the 2018 vintage is one of freshness and elegance with slightly
cooler temperatures in most regions making wines of vibrant acidity, lower
alcohol and intense fruit character.
High quality was ensured by the trademark long, sunny Okanagan fall with warm days to ripen the fruit
balanced with cool nights to maintain the characteristic crisp BC acidity.
(Media Preview)
It was a very specific gathering in Victoria organized by Laura Kittmer of
the BC Wine Institute.
Have a look at the Vintage 2018 in BC from a winemaking viewpoint.
The discussion included all 9 regions of BC.
We took our seats at the Victoria Marriott, opened our notebooks and the
winemaking panel took over the room.
The Winemakers on the panel and on the show
Bailey Williamson -Blue Grouse
Bailey Williamson
In the heart of Vancouver Island Blue Grouse Estate Winery is a
family-owned Cowichan Valley gem. The estate-grown wines are made by
winemaker Bailey Williamson from transitional organic vineyards, and a
second label, Quill, combines Island fruit with Okanagan fruit.
Varietal wines include Ortega, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, and there is also a
traditional method sparkling wine, “Paula” named after winery owners Paul
and Cristina Brunner’s daughter. The wines are bright, crisp, and
well-balanced, showcasing where they are grown.
Bailey talks about his vineyards, the BG philosophy and these wines..
2018 Rose(Gamay)
2018 Pinot Gris
Howard Soon – Vanessa Vineyard
Howard Soon
Vanessa Vineyard is located in one of the finest wine regions in Canada and
is dedicated to producing wine that is true to the heritage of its terroir.
Situated on the hillside overlooking the Similkameen Valley, Vanessa
Vineyard grows its grapes on 75 acres of sloping, well drained rocky
terrain. The vines grow in rows of rock, stressing the plants while
absorbing the day heat and imparting that warmth during the cooler nights,
contributing to the grapes’ unique character.
Howard talks about …um…everything. That’s what we love about him.
2018 Rose (Syrah and Merlot)
2018 Viognier
Grant Stanley – Spearhead Winery
Grant Stanley
Spearhead Winery is located near the top of Spiers Road on the bench lands
of South East Kelowna. The focus is on premium quality wine which they
produce from grapes grown on their estate vineyard and from selected
Okanagan Valley vineyards. On our estate vineyard we grow Pinot Noir,
Chardonnay and Riesling.
About 80% of 15 acres of vines is comprised of
Pinot Noir including four different Dijon clones, 2 California heritage
clones and Pommard. They also draw from a number of other vineyards in the
Okanagan including Golden Retreat in Summerland and Coyote Vineyard in West
Kelowna. Our vineyard and winemaking teams are led by Grant Stanley.
His commitment to showcasing specific terroirs of the central Okanagan Valley is
evident in the ‘single vineyard’ program they have developed for their Pinot
Noir releases. They also produce blended Pinot Noirs which combine the
characteristics of different vineyards, including their benchmark Cuvée.
Grant poured
2018 White Pinot Noir
218 Pinot Gris
Senka Tennant – TerraVista
Senka Tennant
TerraVista Vineyards was started in 2008 by Bob and Senka Tennant. Their
farm is located on a rocky south-west facing bowl above the benches that
characterize the Okanagan’s Naramata area. Bob and Senka are the former
owner/developers of Sharp Rock Vineyards and Black Hills Estate Winery.
Senka was born in Zagreb, Croatia where she spent her first 13 years before
moving to Canada.
The focus at TerraVista is white wines. After much
research the two chosen grape varieties for the home vineyard were Albariño
and Verdejo, white varieties that have been grown in north western Spain and
Portugal for over nine centuries.
From these varieties they are now producing the sensational white wine they call FANDANGO! Grapes purchased
from a few dedicated growers allow for the production of their other white
wine. It is a delicious blend of the grape varieties Roussanne, Viognier and
Marsanne that they call FIGARO.
Senka poured
2018 Fandango ( Albarino and Verdejo)
2018 Albarino
Many thanks to the winemakers and to Laura Kittmer and team at BC Wine
Institute.
STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:
Melissa Etheridge infuses wine with cannabis!
NEXT- The Naramata Bench pours new releases in Victoria
Top Drop 2019
BC Cider Festival – The Pipe Shop Finale
One on One with the Kiwi’s.
