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New Zealand Pure Discovery 2019

THE SHOW

New Zealand is recognised as one of the world’s premium wine regions,
mainly due to the success of their Marlborough region Sauvignon Blanc

This explosive varietal introduced the world to New Zealand Wine.

In 2019 they would like to celebrate the success of their famous white
through sub-regional expressions as well as showcase the lesser known
varieties such as Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Rose.

Several weeks ago I was offered the opportunity to “speed date” a handful of
New Zealand Winemakers as they passed through Vancouver. I sat at a desk and
they showed up one at a time..each with a wine in hand.

Frankly, it was a blur.

In listening back to the discussions several things became clear.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is World Class but now it’s time to check out
sub regions of the North and South islands.

Simon Toneycliffe GM Whitehaven. (Marlborough’s Golden Mile)

Simon Toneycliffe WhiteHaven

Whitehaven wines are grown, crafted and bottled in Marlborough. Each wine is
a powerful, elegant and consistent expression of Marlborough’s classical
wine styles. The white label is the flagship. Their growth has been nothing
short of fantastic.

Whitehaven has been successfully exporting to the United States since 2004
when its first shipment totaled just 5,000 cases. In 2015 Whitehaven
celebrated the export of its millionth case of wine to the US.

Canada is showing the same kind of growth.

The reason is simple. Affordable World class wines.

www.whitehaven.co.nz

Wayne Leadbetter – VP Sales Te Awanga Wines (Hawkes Bay)

Wayne Leadbetter Te Awanga

Planted 25 years ago by a group of friends in one of Hawke’s Bay’s oldest
wine growing areas, they dreamt of making the region’s greatest wines.
They say they’re still working on it but believe their vineyard, right by
the coast truly captures something unique.

Sitting on an elevated site in the Te Awanga foot hills, the cellar door has views down through our vines,
across the Te Awanga basin and out to the Pacific Ocean. Spectacular.

Syrah and Chardonnay are exceptional.

www.teawangaestate.co.nz

Jim Robertson Global Wine Ambassador NZ Brands – Stoneleigh/Pernod Ricard
(Marlborough)

Jim Robertson – Stoneleigh

Stoneleigh Vineyard is situated in the heart of the Rapaura area on the
northern side of the Wairau valley in Marlborough, New Zealand. The ‘Golden
Mile’ of vineyards.

Stoneleigh takes its name from the stones that cover the
vineyard – land that’s now home to some of the oldest grafted Sauvignon
Blanc blocks in Marlborough.

The stones store and reflect the sun’s heat up into the vines, enhancing the ripening process and contributing to the
unique taste of Stoneleigh wines.

Jim travels the World – a natural storyteller and what a story. NZ wines
are recognized the World over.

http://www.stoneleigh.com <http://www.stoneleigh.com/>

Joel Watson – Winemaker at Luna (Martinborough)

Joel Watson – Luna

Luna Estate has been lovingly renovated and transformed into one of
Martinborough’s premier wineries.

While their main love is Pinot Noir, they also produce elegant Pinot Meunier Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot
Gris, Chardonnay, and Syrah. It’s almost impossible to capture how
passionate Joel Watson is about NZ winemaking and Luna. It shows in his
wines.

A fierce believer in Martinborough.

www.lunaestate.co.nz

Rory Crawford – Loveblock (Wellington)

Loveblock is the home of Erika and Kim Crawford. Yup, the same Kim Crawford
who sold his namesake winery and Loveblock is what they did with the money,
honey.

This 180 acre (72 hectare) vineyard is perched on top of the hills
overlooking the Awatere Valley above Wellington..

The site is perfect for growing premium aromatic white varietals. Due to the
strong winds, the vine growth is slow and they tend to get very small
berries giving high aromatic concentration in the wine.

The main vineyard area produces Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris
predominantly, as well as Pinot Blanc, Tempranillo, Gewurztraminer, Chenin
Blanc and of course, Riesling.

www.loveblock.co.nz

Hamish McRae – Forrest and The Doctors (Marlborough)

Hamish McRae – Forrest & The Doctors

The vineyard of Doctors John and Brigid Forrest.

Forrest Wines – The first vintage for Forrest Wines came in 1990 when an
over-filled red wine fermenter “accident” resulted in a trophy-winning
Merlot Rosé.
Fast forward almost 30 years; many awards and accolades, 5 labels and
vineyards across the country. Forrest is set for generations.

Forrest is all Marlborough.

The Doctors – The Doctors’ range is about innovation and excellence.
New grape varieties, alternative winemaking techniques and select parcels of
fruit all qualify to create very special wines under this unique label.

https://www.forrest.co.nz <https://www.forrest.co.nz/>

https://www.forrest.co.nz/collections/doctors

www.nzwine.com

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

2019 BC Cider festival

Melissa Etheridge and Cannabis infused wine

Bloom in Victoria

Top Drop in Victoria

A special on field blends

Fire Season in The Okanagan

Rose Day June 8th

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Vintage 2018 : Senka Tennant, Howard Soon, Grant Stanley & Bailey
Williamson

THE SHOW

First – a couple of quotes

“These wines will go down as classics” David Paterson Winemaker & General
Manager, Tantalus Vineyards

Bailey, Laura, Grant, Sharon McLean, Senka, Howard

“Overall I’m excited for the wines to come – bright acid, full flavour
development without some of the surprising potential alcohols we’ve had in
recent years.” Chris Turyk Sommelier, General Manager Unsworth Vineyards

Overall the 2018 vintage is one of freshness and elegance with slightly
cooler temperatures in most regions making wines of vibrant acidity, lower
alcohol and intense fruit character.

High quality was ensured by the trademark long, sunny Okanagan fall with warm days to ripen the fruit
balanced with cool nights to maintain the characteristic crisp BC acidity.
(Media Preview)

It was a very specific gathering in Victoria organized by Laura Kittmer of
the BC Wine Institute.

Have a look at the Vintage 2018 in BC from a winemaking viewpoint.

The discussion included all 9 regions of BC.

We took our seats at the Victoria Marriott, opened our notebooks and the
winemaking panel took over the room.

The Winemakers on the panel and on the show

Bailey Williamson -Blue Grouse

Bailey Williamson

In the heart of Vancouver Island Blue Grouse Estate Winery is a
family-owned Cowichan Valley gem. The estate-grown wines are made by
winemaker Bailey Williamson from transitional organic vineyards, and a
second label, Quill, combines Island fruit with Okanagan fruit.

Varietal wines include Ortega, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, and there is also a
traditional method sparkling wine, “Paula” named after winery owners Paul
and Cristina Brunner’s daughter. The wines are bright, crisp, and
well-balanced, showcasing where they are grown.

Bailey talks about his vineyards, the BG philosophy and these wines..

2018 Rose(Gamay)

2018 Pinot Gris

www.bluegrouse.ca

Howard Soon – Vanessa Vineyard

Howard Soon

Vanessa Vineyard is located in one of the finest wine regions in Canada and
is dedicated to producing wine that is true to the heritage of its terroir.
Situated on the hillside overlooking the Similkameen Valley, Vanessa
Vineyard grows its grapes on 75 acres of sloping, well drained rocky
terrain. The vines grow in rows of rock, stressing the plants while
absorbing the day heat and imparting that warmth during the cooler nights,
contributing to the grapes’ unique character.

Howard talks about …um…everything. That’s what we love about him.

2018 Rose (Syrah and Merlot)

2018 Viognier

www.vanessavineyard.com

Grant Stanley – Spearhead Winery

Grant Stanley

Spearhead Winery is located near the top of Spiers Road on the bench lands
of South East Kelowna. The focus is on premium quality wine which they
produce from grapes grown on their estate vineyard and from selected
Okanagan Valley vineyards. On our estate vineyard we grow Pinot Noir,
Chardonnay and Riesling.

About 80% of 15 acres of vines is comprised of
Pinot Noir including four different Dijon clones, 2 California heritage
clones and Pommard. They also draw from a number of other vineyards in the
Okanagan including Golden Retreat in Summerland and Coyote Vineyard in West
Kelowna. Our vineyard and winemaking teams are led by Grant Stanley.

His commitment to showcasing specific terroirs of the central Okanagan Valley is
evident in the ‘single vineyard’ program they have developed for their Pinot
Noir releases. They also produce blended Pinot Noirs which combine the
characteristics of different vineyards, including their benchmark Cuvée.

Grant poured

2018 White Pinot Noir

218 Pinot Gris

www.spearheadwinery.com

Senka Tennant – TerraVista

Senka Tennant

TerraVista Vineyards was started in 2008 by Bob and Senka Tennant. Their
farm is located on a rocky south-west facing bowl above the benches that
characterize the Okanagan’s Naramata area. Bob and Senka are the former
owner/developers of Sharp Rock Vineyards and Black Hills Estate Winery.
Senka was born in Zagreb, Croatia where she spent her first 13 years before
moving to Canada.

The focus at TerraVista is white wines. After much
research the two chosen grape varieties for the home vineyard were Albariño
and Verdejo, white varieties that have been grown in north western Spain and
Portugal for over nine centuries.

From these varieties they are now  producing the sensational white wine they call FANDANGO! Grapes purchased
from a few dedicated growers allow for the production of their other white
wine. It is a delicious blend of the grape varieties Roussanne, Viognier and
Marsanne that they call FIGARO.

Senka poured

2018 Fandango ( Albarino and Verdejo)

2018 Albarino

www.terravistavineyards.com

Many thanks to the winemakers and to Laura Kittmer and team at BC Wine
Institute.

www.winebc.com

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

Melissa Etheridge infuses wine with cannabis!

NEXT- The Naramata Bench pours new releases in Victoria

Top Drop 2019

BC Cider Festival – The Pipe Shop Finale

One on One with the Kiwi’s.

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Meet the Makers – In Victoria!!

The Show:

It’s the Fifth annual Meet the Makers In Victoria – presented by Sara Park
at Costal Craft Beverages.

Sara has worked all over BC, and in 2003 she and her husband made a decision
to relocate to Vancouver Island from the Okanagan. They’ve never looked
back.

“I have a real passion for working with local, BC, Craft Producers, and
helping them grow their businesses. We have some of the most talented
Winemakers, Distillers, Craft Brewers & Cider makers in North America –
right here! I’ve met and work with incredibly knowledgeable and passionate
people in this business. I feel very lucky to do what I do, and work on the
west coast.”

coastalcraftbeverages.com <http://coastalcraftbeverages.com/>

Penelope Roche – Co-Owner and Co-Winemaker Roche Wines

Dylan and Penelope Roche are very much the future of Okanagan Wines. They
bring smarts, skill and character to everything they do.

Roche Wines Dylan and Penelope Roche

Pénélope counts six generations of viticulture and winemaking at Château Les
Carmes Haut-Brion, the small family estate whose elegant wines rival the
Crus Classés of Bordeaux.

From oenology and viticulture studies in Bordeaux to winemaking in Spain,
New Zealand and Australia, Pénélope brings to the Okanagan a profound and
holistic understanding of the grapevine’s relationship with its environment,
from a winemaker’s perspective.

Pénélope is also a winegrowing consultant, and teaches viticulture at
Okanagan College.

“We consider ourselves as ‘vignerons’ in the truest meaning of the word,
committed to crafting our wines from start to finish.

Our priority is hands-on organic farming, with traditional French
‘savoir-faire’, to make exceptional wines which express unique Okanagan
terroirs.” Dylan and PenelopeRoche

https://www.rterroir.ca <https://www.rterroir.ca/>

Kristen Needham – Founder Sea Cider Farm and Cider House

“I am a sixth generation farmer, having inherited the family orchard in 1986.
At the time, I wanted nothing to do with farming.

“That changed in 2002 when Sea Cider was conceived. I replanted the family
orchard in traditional English bittersweets and bitter sharps, planted a
second orchard on my mother’s farm, then bought a third orchard where our
cider house now stands. I went back to school, but this time it was cider
school. In between cider courses, I made cider, planted apple trees and
built a Ciderhouse. Finally, in 2007, after five years of preparation, I
sold cider to my first customer.

Nowadays I spend much of my time working on future plans for Sea Cider. We
have grown a lot, learned a lot and made more than a few mistakes. Through
it all, our aim has always been to build a family-owned, community-minded
business rooted in farming.”

We think that cider is for celebrating, and cider is WORTH celebrating.

These words still ring true today.

Pouring Sea Cider

You can find Kristen and Sea Cider right in the middle of BC Cider Week.
Sunday at the Pipe Shop foot of Lonsdale North Vancouver, 30 plus cideries
will be pouring.

https://www.seacider.ca <https://www.seacider.ca/>

Jason MacIsaac – Co-Founder/Distiller

Prior to becoming the Distiller, Jason was a chef who achieved high
accolades cooking both locally and internationally.

Sheringham Distillery is nestled in the heart of Shirley, B.C. overlooking
the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Southern Vancouver Island. To the East is
Sheringham Pt. Lighthouse, built in 1912 to protect sailors from the
treacherous waters of the Graveyard of the Pacific. To the West is French
Beach Provincial Park. Sheringham Distillery is an homage to the name given
to the area in 1846. In 1893, after the first post office was built,
Sheringham was shortened to Shirley so the name would fit on the postage
stamp.

In becoming a successful chef, Jason MacIsaac experienced the importance of
strong ties with local producers in order to obtain the best quality
ingredients and outcome. Applying these same principals, Sheringham
Distillery sources local agricultural products from B.C. & Vancouver Island.
The by-product of our spent grains is distributed to local farmers as a
healthy source of high protein livestock feed.

Early this year Sheringham Distillery took top honours at the World Gin
Awards in London.

Seaside Gin was named the best contemporary gin in the world!

Many think that it’s the kelp included in the blend that makes it truly
distinctive in the Gin World.

https://www.sheringhamdistillery.com/

Keira LeFranc Winemaker at Stag’s Hollow

Larry Gerelus and Linda Pruegger started their wine journey in 1992 with the
purchase of a 10 acre vineyard in Okanagan Falls, establishing Stag’s Hollow
Winery in 1995 on the property which now grows Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet
Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Tempranillo, Muscat and Vidal.
Most vines are now over 30 years old.

They just recently sold their winery
to another Okanagan winery owner however they will stay on to oversee the
making of the wines.

Keira LeFranc grew up in the Okanagan, and got her start at Stag’s Hollow
in the tasting room in 2012. Keira spent 2 years training and working as a
Sommelier in Australia. After returning and completing vintage in 2015, she
left to complete Postgraduate Diploma of Wine Science in New Zealand. In
2017, Keira returned to Stag’s Hollow and spent 15 months working in the
cellar before being given the opportunity to become the winemaker in July
2018. Keira’s philosophy on winemaking mirror those that owners, Larry and
Linda have embraced throughout the growth of Stag’s Hollow, concentrating on
sustainable vineyard practices combined with minimal winemaking intervention
and principles.

https://stagshollowwinery.com/

Gordon Fitzpatrick – Founder Fitzpatrick Family Wines

Fitzpatrick Family Estate Vineyard features 40 acres of vines separated into
12 smaller, carefully-tended blocks. Fitzpatrick grows seven varietals in
their vineyard: Chardonnay, Ehrenfelser, Gewürztraminer, Meunier, Pinot
Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Riesling,- and not by accident. They arrived at the
decision to focus on traditional method sparkling wine, crisp whites, and
elegant, focused reds over the course of twenty years of listening carefully
to the story the land has to tell, and it’s a special one.

Gordon Fitzpatrick and TDM

The Fitzpatrick family had a hunch about what was right for their site when
they planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay twenty years ago, and they were
right. But they also planted Merlot, and that wasn’t quite right, so they
pulled it up and planted Riesling. They also had it right with aromatic
whites like Gewürztraminer and Ehrenfelser: those wines thrive at Greata
Ranch.

Gordon grew up in Vancouver. Transplanted Okanagan-ian. Worked for Jean
Chretien . Spent 10 years in mining (gold!). Came to the Okanagan in 1996 to
run Cedar Creek Estate Winery. Sold to Von Mandl Family in January 2014.

Headed for Greata Ranch in Summerland.

Gordon and his team have created a bubble house. Brut, Blanc de Blanc.
Coming Soon Reserve Blanc de Blanc, Pink Mile Rose and Lookout Riesling.

Great work by winemaker Sarah Bain

www.fitzwine.com <http://www.fitzwine.com%0d>

Jenny Garlini – GM/Maven of Everything Blue Grouse Estate Winery

Blue Grouse Estate is comprised of 65 acres tucked away on a sunny Vancouver
Island slope in the Cowichan Valley, named from a Salishan First Nations
word meaning “the warm land”.

The warm, dry summers and mild, moist winters make the Cowichan Valley
Canada’s only “cool” maritime Mediterranean climate. The Valley records
sufficient growing ‘degree days’ during the Spring and Summer which provides
good conditions for many vitis vinifera grape varietals that bud late and
ripen early.

The influence of global warming appears to be influencing the
ripening prospects for grape growing, but varietal and site selection,
combined with our vineyard management practices, remain critical to their
success.

Check out the varietals –

Bacchus, Black Muscat, Gamay Noir, Muller Thurgau, Ortega, Pinot Gris, Pinot
Noir and Siegerrebe. Recent plantings are Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.

We will visit with winemaker Bailey Williamson at Blue Grouse next week!!

https://www.bluegrouse.ca <https://www.bluegrouse.ca/>

Sebastien Hotte – Head Winemaker Ricco Bambino

Sebastian Hotte

Ricco Bambino is a low intervention boutique winery, producing expressive,
small batch, single varietal offerings without the additions of commercial
yeasts or filtering agents and minimal to zero additions of SO2 in downtown
Kelowna and at their Oliver Vineyard under the watchful eye of Isabel Amaro
and Head Winemaker Sebastien Hotte.

Ricco Bambino

Ricco Bambino is proud to be one of the very few wineries that solely uses
unlined concrete tanks to age a majority of our wines. This process plays an
important role in crafting the natural wine. Concrete aging allows the
wines to breath and develop a rounder mouth, textural feel without the
addition of any unwanted flavors imparted by the use of oak or additives.

The purchase of a new vineyard in the south Okanagan will give wine fans
another location to taste Ricco Bambino.

“Ricco Bambino is more than a winery, it’s a platform to launch this passion
and craft living wine that is known around the world and express our
dedication to this belief. I hope you enjoy our wine as much as we do.”

Jason Alton – Founder

https://riccobambino.com

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

Vintage 2019 Preview

featuring:

Senka Tennant Terra Vista

Grant Stanley Spearhead

Howard Soon Vanessa

Bailey Williamson Blue Grouse

A visit to Blue Grouse

22 Naramata Bench Wineries pour

Spring releases in Victoria