Naramata Bench bubbleman Jay Drysdale produced the best sparkling wine of the 2013 Great Northwest Wine Competition. A few months later, he began working on this bottling from Thadd Springs Vineyard in the Thompson Valley, a site named for a historic British Columbia cattle rancher. Harvest came at 20 Brix on Sept. 20, when the crop of Chardonnay had reached 3.7 tons per acre. … [Read more...] about Bella Wines 2013 Sparkling Blanc de Blanc Chardonnay Single Vineyard Kamloops, British Columbia, $24
British Columbia
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2013 Dry Rock Vineyards Cabernet-Merlot, Okanagan Valley, $16
Best Buy! Brothers Gordon and Walter Gehringer have earned the crown as King of the Platinum when it comes Wine Press Northwest’s annual Platinum Judging, and price is not an object in the year-end competition of the region’s top wines. This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (30%) and Cabernet Franc from their estate vineyard along the Okanagan Valley's Golden Mile … [Read more...] about Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2013 Dry Rock Vineyards Cabernet-Merlot, Okanagan Valley, $16
JoieFarm 2013 Un-Oaked Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, $23
From one of the brightest stars on the Naramata Bench near Penticton, British Columbia, comes this fruit-forward and steely Chardonnay that Heidi Noble creates as a tribute to Macon-Clessé in Burgundy. She relies on nearby Grizzly Vineyard and ConVida Vineyard on the Skaha Bluff near Oliver for this crisp and complex beauty that tickles the nose with fresh-cut pineapple and … [Read more...] about JoieFarm 2013 Un-Oaked Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, $23
Montakarn Estate Winery 2013 Tippy Toe Unoaked, Okanagan Valley, $20
Gary Misson’s young winery on the northern end of Black Sage Road near Oliver, British Columbia already has established a tasty tradition with this co-fermented blend of Chardonnay (64%), Sauvignon Blanc (26%) and Viognier, named for a wild horse that born on their estate. The nose is a bit frisky with gooseberry, piña colada and cotton candy, but the focus turns to Asian pear, … [Read more...] about Montakarn Estate Winery 2013 Tippy Toe Unoaked, Okanagan Valley, $20
Township 7 Vineyards and Winery 2013 Naramata Bench Estate Vineyard Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley, $20
One of the first Naramata Bench wineries that tourists reach while driving up from Penticton, Township 7 also operates a tasting room in Langley on British Columbia’s Lower Mainland. The grapes for this blend Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer (15%) were harvested Oct. 3 from vines surrounding the vinification facility, and they account for aromas of dusty Golden Delicious apple, … [Read more...] about Township 7 Vineyards and Winery 2013 Naramata Bench Estate Vineyard Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley, $20