Vancouver Island’s wine scene may be small but it has never been short on personality or determination.
Signs of that perseverance beginning to pay off are no more evident than at Unsworth Vineyards, in Mill Bay. A recent visit has me convinced that along with stalwarts such as Blue Grouse (also undergoing a transformation), Averill Creek, Venturi Schulze, Alderlea and others the island is set to truly spread its wings.
Part of the problem with being “under the radar” lies in the small production, which can be even smaller than usual in less-forgiving vintages. However, a core group of wineries has been working to change this, in part through focusing on varieties that consistently ripen but also through upping their hospitality game.
At an Unsworth pre-release tasting I was impressed across the board by a cleanness of style and unique interpretation of the acidity that often defines island wines.
The winery is a labour of love undertaken by Tim and Colleen Turyk, who moved to the valley after a successful 40-year career in fishing. Tim had spent summers at nearby Shawnigan Lake and jumped at the chance to purchase a nearby historic farm and acreage. They named the winery after his mother Marjorie Unsworth.
Winemaker Daniel Cosman along with assistant vineyard manager Chris Turyk (Tim and Colleen’s accomplished sommelier son) are shaping production with deliberate purpose.
When comparing his corner of the world climatically to others, Cosman points to Tasmania or perhaps Champagne.
To maximise their chances of success, Unsworth works with Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignette, Petit Milo Marechal Foch, Cabernet Libre and others, including Riesling from Naramata.
Petit Milo ripens before the rain comes and grows very manageably straight. Many of the varieties were trialled even before the Okanagan trials that serve to establish the modern industry, he says. For example, Sauvignette has a Salt Spring Island background.
Look for the wines in private wine stores and at better restaurants. And if you’re even remotely close to Unsworth, don’t miss a chance to visit this very polished operation, which includes the best winery dining I’ve encountered in a very long time.
Among my top tastes:
Unsworth Pinot Gris 2014: Lees aging (how Cosman says they deal with island acidity) brings remarkable texture, orchard fruits, purity of flavours, structure and great fruit acid balance (91 points, $22-$24, May release).
Unsworth Pinot Noir 2013: Earthy and mushroom notes with pure, sweet fruit, dark cherry over strawberry with juicy acidity and some oak notes (90 points, $22-$24, May release).
Unsworth Rosé 2014: Well-balanced, delicious expression of Pinot Noir with integrated 10 per cent neutral oak, cranberry, cherry with apple and citrus background and lingering acidity (90 points, $17-$19).
Much more on Unsworth to come.
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B.C.’s wine community is a lot smaller with the passing of Jurgen Gothe. Most Canadians knew Gothe for his velvet tones and witty “cat-ecisms” on CBC’s Disc Drive, which he forged into a national icon. But he was also very much the driving force that shaped a generation of food and wine writers, including this one. Gothe set the standard. Underpinning that light-hearted repartée was a profound knowledge and deep respect for the craft. He was also a pioneer of the movement to strip the suffocating snobbery from both wine and food, which he did, always with charm and irreverence. RIP, Jurgen.
Tim Pawsey writes about wine for numerous publications and online as the Hired Belly at hiredbelly.com. Contact: [email protected].
