94 Points.

A selection of wines from the Okanagan Valley. There are over 60 different varieties of wine grapes grown in the Okanagan Valley. This is a largely desert region, which averages less than 12 inches of rainfall a year. I didnt know BC cold make such powerful wines I expected them to be more in the 13.0% 13.5% range.

If you are not familiar with the wines of the Okanagan, they are certainly worth exploring and often represent exceptional values. 18 months in French and American oak.

See also the Canyonview Wines, Giant Head Winery, 2016 Pinot Noir, BC VQA, Okanagan Valley 14.7% ABV, 750 ml. Perpetua Chardonnay, 2019 Chardonnay, BC VQA, Okanagan Valley, 12.9% ABV, 750 ml is produced by BC wine entrepreneur Anthony von Mandl at his Mission Hill Family Estate Winery.

Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir also has the potential to emerge as one of the regions signature varietals. Based on a mean of critics scores, updated monthly, To see how Wine-Searcher uses average pricing and professional wine critic scores on this page, From north to south these eight wine producing areas are: Grapes were first planted in this region in 1859. Flavours of toasted oak and black cherry, dark plum, blackberries, black olive and sage. The finish is long, with lingering notes of slightly bitter grapefruit pith intertwined with peach and lemon notes. The wine was aged for 8 months on Hungarian and French oak, then spent 10 months in bottles before release.

There are intense flavours of black cherry,olive tapenade, cedar, leather and dark chocolate and black pepper when first opened. The black cherry fruit penetrates from start to finish, with ample acidity A vineyard selection from the Sunset Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench, Four Wine Vacations That Fit EveryBudget, Welcome to winemag.com! There is also a notable mineral backbone. 93 Points. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, oak, graphite and mint. Privacy Policy, By continuing to use our Services and/or submitting the above information, you agree to our use of cookies and the terms of ourPrivacy Policy. How many wineries are in the Okanagan region?

The principal grape varieties cultivated are Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Merlot. Only the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario is larger. On the palate, the wine is dry with a notable acidity. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links. The finish is very long, with lingering notes of black cherry and plum. Soils here are a mix of volcanic soils and very fertile ice age clays. The cherry notes are more pronounced and the alcohol clocks in at a robust 14.7% while the acidity is a little less. The pronounced diurnal variation typical of desert climates preserves acidity, even among well-ripened grapes.

The region averages around 1,407 growing degree days (measured in centigrade), which puts it on par with Frances Bordeaux or Italys Piedmont. In addition to being a major wine producing area, the region also exports red grapes to other producers in the Okanagan Valley and elsewhere in BC. On the nose, there is the classic Pinot profile of red fruits featuring cherry, raspberry, strawberry and cranberry, along with notes of earth and spice notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Oliver, called the wine capital of Canada, hosts 40 wineries and, with 3,543 acres of vineyards, represents roughly half of British Columbias grapevines. This is a robust, full-bodied wine that offers up prominent notes of red cherry, raspberry and strawberry, along with a bit of red currant on the nose. Its a great food wine that will pair well with a variety of foods, especially seafood, cured meats and soft cheeses. Hester Creek Vineyards date back to 1968, making them among the oldest vineyards in the Okanagan Valley. Anthony Gismondi is a Canadian wine journalist and one of North America's most influential voices in wine. The extended low temperature fermentation produces a powerful wine that, on the nose, offers up concentrated flavors of both green and tropical fruit accompanied by citrus zest set against a background of wet stone minerality and a hint of the petroleum note often found in Riesling. Flavours of ripe dark plum, black cherries, cassis, dark chocolate, vanilla with a hint of black and green peppercorns and caramel, firm tannins and a long finish. This is a single vineyard Cab from a single block with very limited production. Unfortunately, Silkscarf Winery is not planning to release a single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2017 vintage. Both wines are very Burgundian in character and could easily pass for an inexpensive offering from the Cte de Nuits.

Dense and ripe tannins ensure it will age well. Stylistically, the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc is on the cusp between a cool climate Sauvignon Blanc and a warm climate one. The vines for this wine dig deep in the parched Canadian landscape to produce a robust red wine brimming with flavour and character. Alcohol 13.9% |TA 4.4 gm/L | RS 5.6 gm/L.

The BC grapes are more than 30% more expensive than Washington State where Cabernet Sauvignon is the most popular red grape.

It delivers a wine exploding with blackberries, black currants and a hint of liquorice and bell pepper and mint. The valley has approximately 9,000 acres of vineyards, making it Canadas second largest wine producing region. The region has a continental climate, but its extremes are moderated by the presence of a series of deep, interconnected lakesOkanagan Lake, Skaha Lake, Vaseux Lake and Osoyoos Lake. The steeply sided slopes and surface geography create a range of aspects and produce varied microclimates across the valley. Soils here tend to be heavier, consisting of a mix of sandy loam, clay and limestone. The palate is smooth with medium tannins. He launched Gismondionwine.com in 1997, attracting one million users a month from 114 countries. The majority of the BC Cabernet Sauvignon grows in Oliver, Osoyoos and the Similkameen Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the third most popular red grape in BC and represented 12% of the red wine grape crop in 2019. The malolactic influence seems slightly less pronounced on the palate than on the nose, notwithstanding the mouth coating palate weight. The 2017 Canyonview is, in my estimation, of comparable quality.

Principal grape varieties include Riesling, Gewrztraminer and Pinot Noir. Okanagan Falls is, along with the Naramata Bench, Skaha Bench and the Golden Mile Bench, a sub-geographical indication (a sub-appellation) of the Okanagan Valley. Soils consist of well-drained fluvial fans, consisting of a mix of stony gravels and sandy loams.

Many wines also have faint vegetal notes reminiscent of Burgundian Pinot noir, a characteristic that is usually lacking in Pinot noir wines from the Northwest. The finish is long with lingering, tart red fruit notes. There are additional notes of lemon and lime, some grapefruit and an herbaceous note of fresh mint.

Winters can be cold here, with temperatures falling to below 10 degrees Fahrenheit, but they are generally short. The region runs from the Golden Mile Bench in the west to the Black Sage Bench in the east. Below are tasting notes on a selection of Okanagan Valley wines from some of the regions leading wine producers.

Liquor Stores. The Okanagan Falls sub-appellation runs from the shores of Skaha Lake to the tip of Vaseux Lake. The resulting wines vary from Mosel style Rieslings to concentrated Bordeaux inspired red blends.

Quails' Gate Vineyard in the Central Okanagan, Quails Gate, 2020, Okanagan Valley Dry Riesling, BC VQA Okanagan Valley, 12% ABV, 750 ml. There are additional notes of well-seasoned oak, vanilla and chocolate, along with some herbaceous tobacco leaf and cola notes. Try a gently seasoned BBQ steak, with grilled vegetables and spring potato salad. Our latest is an inside look at mostly new releases or soon-to-be-released B.C. The result is a series of ancient soils composed of glacial till and eroded bedrock that are very heterogenous.

Charred toastiness, espresso and cocoa add flavours to a focused structure with supple tannins. On the nose, it has the herbaceous notes and lemon and lime notes typical of cool climate Sauvignon Blanc, but it also expresses the stone fruit and tropical notes typical of warmer climate Sauvignon Blanc. and available as a podcast on Spotify, Apple and iHeart Radio and more. For over 30 years, he has been the wine columnist for The Vancouver Sun. Hangtime can be a factor however, although it tends to impact Pinot Noir more so than the traditional warm climate red varietals. Enjoy with braised or grilled meats, strong cheeses and dark chocolates. Golden Mile Bench was the first sub-appellation created in the Okanagan Valley.

Jackson-Triggs, 2019 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, BC VQA, Okanagan Valley, 14% ABV, 750 ml. It dates to 2015. GET your FREE eBook - 10 Best Kept Secrets of BC Wineries! Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. There is a notable wet stone minerality and a bit of the petroleum/diesel note that Riesling is known for. Its too early to speak of an Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir style, but the region clearly has the potential to develop a signature style. Inniskillin Winery, one of the best-known BC wineries, was established here in 1980. This is a smooth, velvety, full-bodied, fruit forward wine with well-integrated tannins and pronounced acidity. This a Bordeaux left-bank style Cabernet Sauvignon. There is a total of 791 acres in vineyards across nine wineries. The wine is off-dry with a pronounced but balanced acidity and an oily, viscous mouthfeel. Black cherry and cassis fruit flavors come wreathed in ash and tobacco.

1177 Esplanade Avenue Its located approximately 240-miles east of Vancouver, BC, between the 49th and 50th parallel. A full-bodied red with a core freshness of blueberries and black currant that is surrounded by notes of cedar and nutmeg spice. See Ya Later Ranch, originally founded as Hawthorne Mountain Winery, dates back to 1986. Janice Robinson scored the Giant Head 2016 Chardonnay, produced at the same winery, one of the top 10 wines in Canada. Its located on the western slope of the Okanagan Valley, south of Oliver and across from the Black Sage Bench. 91 Points, Make sure you aerate or open the wine an hour before serving. Stylistically, these are concentrated, fruit forward wines that are reminiscent of the village level appellations in Burgundys Cte de Nuit. Please decant and aerate before drinking if you are not going to cellar the wine. Try also the Canyonview Wines, Giant Head Winery, 2017 Chardonnay, 14% ABV, 750 ml. On the palate, there is more of the same with distinctive ripe apple and pear notes, along with stone fruit notes of peach and nectarine and tropical fruit notes of pineapple, mango and melon. There is a diversity of Cabernets that vary from elegant left bank Bordeaux style wines to bold higher alcohol fruit dominant Napa-style reds. Ready to drink right now. The valley gets progressively drier from north to south, with roughly 16 inches of rain at its northern end around Kelowna to less than 10 inches a year around Osoyoos. Here is a list of excellent BC Cabernets for $35 or less to enjoy this fall and winter.

reds. Typically, available in the US for under $15, it is an excellent value. Also, let me know if you have a favourite BC Cabernet Sauvignon that I should try. Tantalus was among the first Canadian wineries to pioneer ultra-long, cold temperature fermentation of white wines. The winery makes less than 400 cases a year and its devoted clientele typically snap it all up on release. Welcome to Napa North! This is a hard wine to find. The 50th Parallel Estate 2019 Pinot Noir is produced in the central Okanagan Valley just 15 minutes from Kelowna.

92 Points. 92 Points. This is a powerful concentrated wine that reflects the dark fruit notes and coffee and chocolate aromas evident on the nose, along with some red cherry, toasted oak, vanilla and a bit of black pepper. 12.8% alcohol. We've received your email address, and soon you will start getting exclusive offers and news from Wine Enthusiast. The benchs southerly aspect provides a warm climate. There are additional notes of well-seasoned oak, along with chocolate, vanilla and a hint of clove. This is very similar to the 2017, with the same pronounced red fruit notes. Okanagan Lake, and the pronounced aspect of the terrain, exerts a powerful moderating influence resulting in a long, frost-free period compared to other regions of the Okanagan Valley. Canyonview Wines, Giant Head Winery, 2019, Sauvignon Blanc, BC VQA, Okanagan Valley, 13.2% ABV, 750 ml. Grape varietals cultivated include Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewrztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This is a classic, California style, oaky and buttery, Chardonnay. The wines are hard to find in the US. This is a young cab with grippy firm tannins. The future of wine shipping within the US could take a sharp turn for the worse. and available as a podcast on Spotify, Apple and iHeart Radio and more. Vanessa Vineyards makes one of the best CS I have ever tasted. The twice-weekly column is distributed across Canada through Postmedia Networkto millions of readers. It operates wineries in the Niagara Peninsula and the Okanagan Valley, Canadas two most important wine producing regions.

Five days of cold soak, open-top fermenters, temperature control during the fermentation, extended skin contact gives the wine rich colour and extraction with great complexity and balance. 12.5% alcohol.

Double Gold Medal Winner at 2020 All Canadian Wine Championship. Currently, there are 1,510 acres of vineyards across nine wineries. There is a total of 618 acres of vineyards spreads across 39 different wineries. This Riesling is produced from 30-year-old vines that reflect the regions signature minerality as well as its characteristic intensity. The Okanagan Valley offers up an interesting and eclectic mix of wines that showcase both cool climate and warm climate varietals. I would love to hear your comments if you have tried any of these BC wines. On the nose, it has a sweet cream and buttery aroma, along with vanilla, lemon zest and very slight cinnamon notes. On the palate, there is more plum and black cherry, along with notes of cinnamon, a hint of clove and a bit of well-seasoned oak. On the palate, its incredibly smooth and satiny. The palate has enticing flavours of ripe blackberries, dark cherries, cassis, vanilla and mocha notes. You may opt-out by.

In addition, Anthony co-hosts the BC Food & Wine Radio Show, broadcast in 18 markets across B.C. Availability of these wines varies from very good to difficult. Although located some 300 miles north of Oregons famed Willamette Valley, this region is much hotter and receives more sunlight over the summer. A perfect wine to serve, chilled of course, with any seafood or white meat dish. you agree to our use of cookies and the terms of our. Located just south of Oliver, on the Golden Mile, a sun-drenched bench that slopes down toward the valley floor. It just may be the hottest site in the Similkameen Valley with a perfect slope to catch the sun and backed by steep granite cliffs that capture and retain the summer heat. Ripening is rarely an issue here, especially in the warmer, desert like portions of the valley. On the palate, there are pronounced notes of well-seasoned oak, along with buttery popcorn notes. Bold but not overpowering. Canyonview is a small, family-owned boutique winery located in Summerland adjacent to Okanagan Lake British Columbia. There are about 900 acres of vineyards across 44 wineries. The valley is home to approximately 85% of the vineyard area of, France Fails to Figure in World's "Best" Wine Regions, Q&A: Alberto Antonini, Global Wine Consultant.

That puts it on the same latitude as Champagne in France and the Rheingau in Germany. In addition, Anthony co-hosts the BC Food & Wine Radio Show, broadcast in 18 markets across B.C. I write about wines and spirits and the hidden corners of the world. Jackson-Triggs is among Canadas most awarded wineries. It also boasts the oldest continually operating wineryCalona Vineyards, established in 1932. The geology of the Okanagan Valley is particularly complex; presenting an array of rock types (basaltic lava flows, carbonaceous sedimentary beds, intrusive granites and metamorphic rocks), which have been shaped by complex processes of mountain building, volcanic eruptions, glaciation and erosion. Summers can be exceptionally hot. The result is new world style, concentrated fruit forward wines that retain a notable, vibrant acidity. Osoyoos lies at the southernmost tip of the Okanagan Valley, across from the US-Canadian border. Yes the Oliver / Osoyoos area has really hot summers so the Cabs and Merlots easily exceed 14% alcohol. On the palate black plum, blackberries, cherries and leather and a hint of dark chocolate and pepper. While we love to rail on about high prices, it doesn't mean we don't love high-quality wines, and that is where our Top Ten lists come in. The finish is long, with lingering green apple and crisp lemon lime notes. The valley is in turn organized into eight wine producing areas, four of which are official subregions or appellations that present distinct soil and climate conditions. Quails Gate sits below the extinct volcano of Mount Boucherie in West Kelowna on the west shore of Okanagan Lake. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. The region hosts some of the valleys best-known wineries, including Gray Monk Estate, Summerville Pyramid Winery and Quails Gate Winery. It will match with any red meat dish.

The finish is long, with lingering red and black fruit notes as well as some wood and chocolate notes. The northern latitude, however, also means that the onset of cool autumn weather can often come quickly, reducing the amount of hang time that grapes can receive. To give you the best search experience, we use cookies for remembering your search filters, personalizing content, and analyzing how the website is used. The finish is long, with lingering notes of black fruit and chocolate. Only the top private retailers will get a small allotment to sell, and if you are lucky, you might find a few selections in B.C. On the palate, there is a pronounced tart acidity. Naramata Bench consists of the bench lands overlooking Okanagan Lake situated between Penticton Creek and Okanagan Mountain Park. Follow this author to improve your content experience.

The wine was made to achieve terroir flavours of Cabernet Sauvignon, full of black fruit, vanilla, bacon and black leather underlined with toasty oak. Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation, PwC Cloud and Digital Transformation BrandVoice, 4 Steps To Help Your Kids Build Smart Money Habits, How To Earn Cash Rewards For Everyday Spending.

A beautiful deep ruby red colour.

Lower alcohol offerings would present more finesse and a more balanced profile. A young wine that will improve with age. Some will only be available to wine club members, while others will have to be purchased online. Pairs well with BBQ NY strip steak, burgers and game meat. BC Winery Accommodation. On the nose, there is a mix of red and black berries with strawberry, black cherry and blueberry predominating. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2017, @bluegrousewines Quill Pinot Noir Manage Cookies Accept & Continue. 93 Points. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have been standouts in the Okanagan Valley. The practice of extended, low temperature fermentation offers a crisp, fruit forward style that packs a broad array of fruit cocktail flavors ranging from green fruit to stone fruit to tropical fruits.

4;dux(eeEVEZCHyzd24TB. The wine is dry, medium bodied, with ripe, well-integrated tannins and moderate acidity. On the palate, the wine is very dry, with a pronounced acidity and herbaceous and brushy notes and a hint of peach on the palate. The Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby red in colour with aromas of blackcurrant, cherry and vanilla on the nose. There are additional notes of orange zest, milk chocolate and dried herbs.

This is a rich, powerful wine, with concentrated flavors of pear, lemon zest and creamy custard accompanied by freshly baked croissant note, some herbaceous aromas and a bit of minerality on the nose. 90 Points. The malolactic influence is apparent but well integrated and offers a nice counterpoint to the high acidity of the wine. This is a classic warm climate, fruit forward Cabernet with high alcohol and ripe tannins. Alcohol 14.5 % | pH 3.82 | TA 6.2 |RS 2.3, Rich dark plum colour with a modest nose of dark fruits, raspberry, mellow oak, vanilla and spicy peppery notes. It continues to be a valuable resource of full tasting notes and intelligent wine stories and videos for the trade and consumers. The wine was aged for 18 months in new and 2-year-old barrels, 85% French oak and 15% American oak. Aromas of raspberry, cherry and chocolate. Grapes are picked at optimum ripeness levels and fermented separately to feature the unique attributes of each grape.

Receive Weekly BC Wine Country Highlights Newsletter. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Similkameen and Okanagan Valley, 10% Merlot from the Okanagan Valley. 14.6% Alcohol.

Silver Medal Winner at 2021 All Canadian Wine Championship. Wine Enthusiasts 2021 Wine Star Award Winners, California Privacy Rights Do Not Sell My Information. Now available as at the winery as a library wine. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Will improve with age and drinks way past its price point. At lower elevations soils are remarkably stone free, but these give way to gravelly soils, mostly the result of deposits of glacial till that occurred when the ice sheets of the last ice age began to recede some 15 thousand years ago. The finish is long with lingering green apple notes, a slight bitter note and a pronounced wet stone minerality.

The region has about 355 acres of vineyards across 23 wineries. 50th Parallel Estate, 2019 Pinot Noir, BC VQA, Okanagan Valley, 13.8% ABV, 750 ml. A dark brooding cab. Located on the west side of the valley, it gets morning rather than afternoon sun making it one of the cooler regions in the Okanagan Valley. please see, According to our database, the most popular wines produced in the Okanagan Valley are from the, There are 186 licensed grape wineries in Okanagan Valley, a majority of which are found in the Oliver subregion of which is unsurprisingly known as the Wine Capital of Canada. The wines involved have usually just been tasted, and hence, are often still available.

Soils here are extremely heterogeneous, with vineyards planted on both the valley bottoms and terraced slopes. This cabernet harnesses the hot Osoyoos days and cool nights. They are all very reasonably priced, with most wines retailing in the US for under $30, and some substantially lower than that.

For over 30 years, he has been the wine columnist for The Vancouver Sun. These are vinified in a variety of styles ranging from sparkling to still to ice wines. The grapes were cropped at only 2 tons per acre for the 2016 vintage. This is a medium bodied wine with ripe, well-integrated tannins. The winery is located in east Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley. Barrel Storage at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, Mission Hill Reserve, 2020 Pinot Noir, BC VQA, Okanagan Valley, 13% ABV, 750 ml. It has pronounced green apple, pear and lemon-lime notes, along with some apricot and peach. The area is characterized by deeply decomposed, ancient, mineral rich volcanic soils that date back roughly 60 million years. The first winery, NKMip Cellars, wasnt established until 2002.

To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. 91 Points. British Columbia There are additional notes of vanilla, some freshly baked croissant, a bit of peach and a slight hint of butterscotch. It represents roughly 85% of British Columbias wine production spread out over 185 wineries. The alluvial soils here are a complex mix of gravels, sandy loams and decomposed pink granite. 1.9 acres of the 10.45 acre Passion Pit vineyard was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon in 2007. Floral aromas of rose petals and black fruit. Approximately 20% of the wine spent 14 months in new French oak barrels. On the nose, the wine offers up fruity aromas of ripe plum with hints of prune, black cherry, milk chocolate, vanilla and some dry, brushy herbaceous notes. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.

The region experiences a pronounced diurnal cycle, especially during the harvest season, with warm days and cool nights combining to promote acidity as well as maximize hang time. Aged in French and American oak for more than 16 months. The result is robust, high alcohol, fruit forward wines that show good acidity and very well ripened tannins, along with the chocolate notes typical of well matured Cabernet and Merlot. The result are powerful, concentrated wines that have high alcohol levels but also offer remarkable fruit concentration and a smooth velvety texture while avoiding the jammy character typical of warm climate Pinot Noir. . Check wine-searcher.com to find mail order retailers in Canada that will ship to the US. On the palate, its dry, with a pronounced palate weight and green fruit and lemon notes. Soils consist of glaciofluvial residues overlying the granite bedrock. We are proud to share these wines that are setting a new standard in Canadian red wine, that should be of interest to wine lovers around the globe. On the nose, there are notes of green, stone and tropical fruit including, in particular, apple and apricot, along with some lemon zest, a hint of grapefruit and melon with just a touch of pineapple. Grape varietals include Chardonnay, along with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah/Shiraz. The grapes for the 2019 Chardonnay came from its Border Vista vineyard, its southernmost holding. By using our website and/or subscribing to our newsletter, This region overlooks Okanagan Lake, and sits across from the Naramata Bench on the east side of the lake. It continues to be a valuable resource of full tasting notes and intelligent wine stories and videos for the trade and consumers. Principal grape varietals are Riesling, Gewrztraminer and Pinot Noir. Smooth tannins give way to a luscious long finish. The. Its also one of the youngest. This wine is very versatile and can be matched with a variety of chicken, pork and sea food dishes. A juicy fruit-forward cab with aromas of blackcurrant, plum and sage. [email address protected by javascript]/*

This is a robust wine, with a notable palate weight and mouth coating character that offers up ripe, well-integrated tannins and good acidity. Canada V7T 1G3 Its position on the west side, however, means that it gets morning rather than afternoon sun, and is cooler than the Black Sage Bench. 88 points, Aged in French oak for 12 months. The twice-weekly column is distributed across Canada through Postmedia Networkto millions of readers, . Cabernet Sauvignon is my favourite red variety so I think Id love these wine, just not available in Ireland unfortunately. Among the better-known wineries here is Sumac Ridge, which was established in 1980.

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