With summer right around the corner, it’s time to make plans for wine touring.
While everyone’s been focused on the Okanagan (OK, and on Kamloops, Lillooet and Creston) Vancouver Island, for the most part, has been quietly getting its act together, perhaps with an assist from some elements of climate change.
One fact too often overlooked is that the Island is anything but homogenous, consisting of a few different regions, including two distinct groups of other islands, being the south and north Gulf Islands.
Buoyed by a local food and wine culture, whose blossoming preceded the Lower Mainland’s by at least a decade, Island wineries (as well as breweries, cideries, meaderies and distilleries) have forged a vibrant community on which some healthy wine tourism is now grounded.
The overall tenor of wine tourism has been raised exponentially with the unveiling of the new Blue Grouse and Unsworth Vineyards (which offers some of the best winery dining around). Also not to be overlooked, the picnic patio at Averill Creek, with its views down to the ocean. And any tour of the Island would not be complete without a visit to pioneering Venturi Schulze.
A few tastes of back-to-back vintages of 2011 and 2012 Averill Creek Pinot Noir (12 yet to be released) confirms that Andy Johnston’s years of insisting that the Island is the place for Pinot may well be coming true. You’ll want to hunt down the layered, tobacco-tinged, complex and silky-tannined 2012, once it’s released (92 points).
Waiting in the wings, or rather spreading their wings is Emandare, the labour of love by Mike and Robin Nierychlo in resuscitating a rundown vineyard into a dry farmed, organic gem. Just a few kilometres from Averill Creek and close by Alderlea, they too look set to help put Pinot on the map. A sneak peek of Emandare 2014 Pinot Noir reveals length and acidity with structure, suppleness and an interesting slate note that’s across the board (91 points).
The couple aim to have their winery and tasting room (which they’ve built themselves) ready for this summer.
Another recurring theme, most of the serious Island players have turned their attention to sparkling (either méthode traditionelle or Charmat) in some form or other. They’re tough to track down although you can find Salt Spring Vineyards brioche and yeasty-toned, leesy Karma at Everything Wine (91 points).
A recent elbow-room-only tasting proved the word on better Island wines is out. My advice? Go early before the main influx of summer tourists. For more info check wineislands.ca/sip.
Pick of the week:
Luigi Bosca de Sange 2011
All the buzz about Malbec World Day might have you forgetting that Argentina also makes many other varieties very well, including Cabernet Sauvignon.
This well-balanced blend of 70 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon with 15 per cent each Syrah and Merlot is nicely weighted and elegant, with forward blackberry and cassis, supported by fresh acidity and wrapped in approachable, fine tannins with a polished, lengthy end. Look for it in private wine stores such as Everything Wine ($32, 91 points).
Tim Pawsey writes about wine for numerous publications and online as the Hired Belly at hiredbelly.com. Contact: [email protected].
