May 11th, 2019 – Vintage 2018- Senka Tennant, Howard Soon, Grant Stanley & Bailey Williamson
Summary: <br> Vintage 2018 : Senka Tennant, Howard Soon, Grant Stanley & Bailey<br><br> Williamson<br> <br> THE SHOW<br> <br> First – a couple of quotes<br> “These wines will go down as classics” David Paterson Winemaker & General<br><br> Manager, Tantalus Vineyards<br> “Overall I’m excited for the wines to come – bright acid, full flavour<br><br> development without some of the surprising potential alcohols we’ve had in<br><br> recent years.” Chris Turyk Sommelier, General Manager Unsworth Vineyards<br> Overall the 2018 vintage is one of freshness and elegance with slightly<br><br> cooler temperatures in most regions making wines of vibrant acidity, lower<br><br> alcohol and intense fruit character.<br> High quality was ensured by the trademark long, sunny Okanagan fall with warm days to ripen the fruit<br><br> balanced with cool nights to maintain the characteristic crisp BC acidity.<br><br> (Media Preview)<br> It was a very specific gathering in Victoria organized by Laura Kittmer of<br><br> the BC Wine Institute.<br> Have a look at the Vintage 2018 in BC from a winemaking viewpoint.<br> The discussion included all 9 regions of BC.<br> We took our seats at the Victoria Marriott, opened our notebooks and the<br><br> winemaking panel took over the room.<br> The Winemakers on the panel and on the show<br> Bailey Williamson -Blue Grouse<br> <br> In the heart of Vancouver Island Blue Grouse Estate Winery is a<br><br> family-owned Cowichan Valley gem. The estate-grown wines are made by<br><br> winemaker Bailey Williamson from transitional organic vineyards, and a<br><br> second label, Quill, combines Island fruit with Okanagan fruit.<br> Varietal wines include Ortega, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, and there is also a<br><br> traditional method sparkling wine, “Paula” named after winery owners Paul<br><br> and Cristina Brunner’s daughter. The wines are bright, crisp, and<br><br> well-balanced, showcasing where they are grown.<br> Bailey talks about his vineyards, the BG philosophy and these wines..<br> 2018 Rose(Gamay)<br> 2018 Pinot Gris<br> <a title="Click to open in a new window or tab www.bluegrouse.ca" href="http://www.bluegrouse.ca/">www.bluegrouse.ca</a><br> Howard Soon – Vanessa Vineyard<br> Vanessa Vineyard is located in one of the finest wine regions in Canada and<br><br> is dedicated to producing wine that is true to the heritage of its terroir.<br><br> Situated on the hillside overlooking the Similkameen Valley, Vanessa<br><br> Vineyard grows its grapes on 75 acres of sloping, well drained rocky<br><br> terrain. The vines grow in rows of rock, stressing the plants while<br><br> absorbing the day heat and imparting that warmth during the cooler nights,<br><br> contributing to the grapes’ unique character.<br> Howard talks about …um…everything. That’s what we love about him.<br> 2018 Rose (Syrah and Merlot)<br> 2018 Viognier<br> <a title="Click to open in a new window or tab www.vanessavineyard.com" href="http://www.vanessavineyard.com/">www.vanessavineyard.com</a><br> Grant Stanley – Spearhead Winery<br> Spearhead Winery is located near the top of Spiers Road on the bench lands<br><br> of South East Kelowna. The focus is on premium quality wine which they<br><br> produce from grapes grown on their estate vineyard and from selected<br><br> Okanagan Valley vineyards. On our estate vineyard we grow Pinot Noir,<br><br> Chardonnay and Riesling.<br> About 80% of 15 acres of vines is comprised of<br><br> Pinot Noir including four different Dijon clones, 2 California heritage<br><br> clones and Pommard. They also draw from a number of other vineyards in the<br><br> Okanagan including Golden Retreat in Summerland and Coyote Vineyard in W...
