Are these British Columbia’s best wines?
By John Schreiner
November 30, 2004
British Columbia Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo is firm about showcasing the products of her province at Government House in Victoria, including the foods and wines produced here.
In 2003, Government House launched a unique wine competition dedicated to singling out those wines which a panel of judges agree deserve an award of excellence. The second competition was held this fall and the awards have just been announced.
The intent is to recognize “the best of the best.” The competition is still evolving because a number of leading producers have yet to enter their wines. This year, 31 wineries entered from a potential total of about 80. This list includes all the large wineries but also an encouraging number of smaller wineries.
As the competition matures, it is likely that more wineries will compete, since there is considerable prestige in winning an award from a competition which gives out no more than 10 awards a year. Compare that to the Okanagan Wine Festival which gave medals to about 60% of the 300 or so wines that were entered.
Let me also declare my interest in the Lieutenant Governor’s competition: I was one of the five judges. We are all agreed that these awards should come to be seen as the premier wine awards in British Columbia.
To get to the point, here are the winners, prefaced by an interesting conclusion that can be drawn from the results: blended wines often beat many excellent single varietal wines in the competition. Five of the nine winning wines are blends based almost exclusively on Bordeaux grape varieties. It is a tribute to the art of winemaking. As the Bordelaise winemakers figured out long ago, the whole usually is better than the parts.
The winners:
* Sumac Ridge Steller’s Jay Brut 2001. This sparkling wine, based on Pinot Blanc, won an award of excellence in the first competition as well. The first of the modern era’s Champagne method wines, Steller’s Jay initially was released in 1991 to celebrate Sumac Ridge’s 10th anniversary. The wine has been wonderfully consistent. Best news: it sells for half the price of most French Champagne.
* Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards See Ya Later Ranch Chardonnay 2003. See Ya Later formerly was the winery’s Gold Label range. An earlier Gold Label Chardonnay was Canadian Chardonnay of the year in a national competition.
* Sumac Ridge White Meritage 2003. The previous vintage won an award of excellence a year ago. This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, artfully crafted with some barrel-fermented wine and superb oak-aging.
* Sumac Ridge Pinnacle 2000. The wine had better be good because it sells for $50. It is a complex blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.
* Township 7 Syrah 2002. Unfortunately, the wine is sold out. It is a fine example of the quality of Syrah beginning to emerge from the Okanagan. This Langley winery’s 2003 vintage will be released sometime next summer.
* Nk’Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Merlot 2002 and Nk’Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Meritage 2002. This superb winery was opened by the Osoyoos Indian Band in 2001. Its top wines are released under the Qwam Qwmt designation, which means achieving excellence. The Meritage is particularly delicious.
* Inniskillin Okanagan Cabernet Sauvignon Dark Horse Vineyards 2002 and Inniskillin Okanagan Meritage Dark Horse Vineyards 2002. The Dark Horse Vineyard was redeveloped in 1990. The owner at the time took a big risk by planting a significant acreage of Bordeaux reds. It turns out to have been a very successful gamble. These wines are deep in flavour, elegant in structure and capable of aging.
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