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Anthony Gismondi: B.C. wineries win at the National Wine Awards
See the B.C. wineries that won at the 2024 National Wine Awards of Canada
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This B.C. Day long weekend, we look at the top 10 B.C. wineries that entered at least five wines and made the coveted Canada’s Top 25 Wineries of the Year list at the 2024 National Wine Awards of Canada. You can read the full results here.
Spearhead Winery (No. 1 B.C. and Canada) 3 platinum, 1 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze medals, as well as the 2024 Best Performing Small Winery of the Year (under 10,000 cases). Winemaker Grant Stanley outperformed the entire country. Stanley won the judges over with the purity and balance of his Pinot Noirs: 2022 Pommard Clone, 2022 Club Consensus, and 2022 Saddle Block.
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Meyer Family Vineyards (No. 2 B.C. and Canada) 2 platinum, 6 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. Winemaker Chris Carson had a fabulous competition, barely missing out on the top prize with his terroir-driven Okanagan Falls wines. His top-scoring labels included the 2022 Chardonnay McLean Creek Road Vineyard, 2022 B Field Blend McLean Creek Road Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2022 Old Block Pinot Noir McLean Creek Road Vineyard and the 2020 Pinot Noir McLean Creek Road Vineyard Pinot Noir.
Black Hills Estate Winery (No. 3 B.C., No. 4 Canada) 1 platinum, 4 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze. Winemaker Ross Wise has successfully tweaked the Black Hills lineup, reaching the Top 25 list locally and nationally in 2024. Less oak, brighter fruit, exquisite blending, and a refined palate have led to some impressive results for 2022 Bona Fide, 2022 Ipso Facto, 2022 Addendum and 2022 Syrah.
Quails’ Gate Estate (No. 4 B.C., No. 6 Canada) 1 platinum, 4 gold, 6 silver, 3 bronze. The West Kelowna pioneer and its certified sustainable vineyard had another strong showing in 2024. Their list of winners includes 2021 Rosemary’s Block Chardonnay, 2021 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay, 2022 Clone 49 Riesling, 2022 Clone 220 Chenin Blanc and Quails’ Gate 2023 Clone 49 Riesling.
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Nostalgia Wines (No. 5 B.C., No. 7 Canada) 1 platinum, 3 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze made a quality statement in 2024 thanks to the vision and hard work of Gina Fernandez Harfman, owner, winemaker and leader of the Nostalgia Wines on the Black Sage Bench. Their best labels at The Nationals were the 2020 Malbec Petit Verdot, the 2020 Merlot, the 2020 Meritage, and the 2022 Rockabilly Red.
Lake Breeze Vineyards (No. 6 B.C., No. 9 Canada) 1 platinum, 2 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze to return to the Top 25 list under 30-year veteran winemaker Garron Elmes. The labels that the judges were drawn to this year include the 2020 Cellar Series Mistral Syrah, 2022 Roussanne Viognier, 2023 Riesling and the 2023 Ehrenfelser.
Corcelettes Estate Winery (No. 7 B.C., No. 12 Canada) 4 gold, 4 silver. Winemaker Brett Meier flies under the radar at Corcelettes but has been making some solid Similkameen wines lately. His competition hits include the 2021 Syrah, 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown, 2021 Malbec Micro Lot Series Estate Vineyard, 2020 Talus and 2021 Chardonnay.
Nk’Mip Cellars (No. 8 B.C.; No. 13 Canada) 4 gold, 7 silver, 3 bronze. A visit to this unique First Nations winery is highly recommended, and be sure to include lunch on the patio. Wines to look for made by Osoyoos Band Member Justin Hall include 2021 Winemakers Talon, 2020 Qwam Qwmt Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021 Qwam Qwmt Merlot, 2022 Mer’r’iym White Meritage and the 2022 Winemakers Chardonnay.
West Coast Table
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Burrowing Owl Vineyards (No. 9 B.C., No. 15 Canada) 2 platinum, 1 silver, 2 bronze. It was nice to see the southern Okanagan pioneer make the Top 10. The Wyse family has been working the Black Sage Bench for decades and has to be happy with their medal lineup: 2021 Athene, 2021 Syrah and 2021 Viognier.
Kismet Estate (No. 10 B.C.; No. 16 Canada) 3 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze. Kismet joins a long list of award-winning Oliver-based wineries at The Nationals while slipping into the top B.C. list. Top labels submitted 2020 Moksha, 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, and the 2021 Family Select Syrah.
Weekend wine picks
Corcelettes Chardonnay 2021, Cawston, Similkameen Valley
$34.90 I 89/100
UPC: 626990231189
This is an exciting mix of ripe tropical fruit and green herbaceous notes that walk the line between too much and too little. On the palate, green melons and ripe peaches fight it out with toasted caramel and oak notes that remind me of inland Sonoma. If you are a fan of the richer, warmer style of Chardonnay, with an important twist of Silkameen acidity, this is it. Drink now.
Spearhead Club Consensus Pinot Noir 2022, East Kelowna Slopes
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$36 I 93/100
UPC: 626990367758
Judging by this year’s Club Consensus, the Spearhead wine club members know their Pinot. When you have wine lovers selecting blends, it makes sense that you end up with a generous selection of Pinot pitching maturity and fullness, giving it an instant likability. Look for black cherry, blackberry, and savoury dried herbs with an undercurrent of red fruit that entices from front to back. It walks the line of complexity and ready-to-drink with ease. True to its name, this is a wine club selection only, but it is an excellent reason to join it.
Black Hills Bona Fide 2022, Okanagan Valley
$35.99 I 93/100
UPC: 00058976503049
The 2022 Bona Fide is a 42/33/25 mix of Malbec, Carmenere and Syrah, whose combination shouts drink me now. This wine won the judges at the 2024 National Wine Awards, taking home a prized Platinum medal. The plate is a juicy affair of black and red fruits dusted in savoury south Okanagan scrub and sagebrush. You can drink or hold this wine. It is up to you. It is fermented wild and matured primarily in concrete for 10 months, with a small portion aged in 2000L neutral oak foudres. There is significant value here.
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Meyer Family Vineyards Pinot Noir B Field Blend McLean Creek Road Vineyard 2022, Okanagan Falls
$31.39 I 91/100
UPC: 626990389538
Almost rosé in colour, the nose has a lovely balance of fresh wild strawberry, barnyard, rose petals, cinnamon, and dried orange peel. The flavours are a balanced, delicate mix of strawberry, autumn leaves, and mushroom, with a drift of black tea. Rosehip, autumn leaf, and wild strawberry persist along with a floating acidity into a lingering finish. It’s very different and interesting.
Burrowing Owl Athene 2021, Oliver, Okanagan Valley
$41 I 93/100
UPC: 688229008214
As judged at the 2024 WineAlign National Wine Awards, the No. 4 red blend in the country, the 2021 Athene dodged the wildfire smoke and the heat dome to deliver a sophisticated red full of silky black cherry and black plum fruit and rich, well-managed tannins. Another surprise is the upfront fresh floral notes and the minerality that pokes through the finish. This is the sleekest red wine we have seen from Burrowing Owl, and it played well with judges. It will only improve over time in the bottle.
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Calendar Items
Chefs’ Table Society of B.C. and the B.C. Salmon Marketing Council are presenting a celebration honouring the rich heritage of wild B.C. salmon from Aug. 9 to 11 at 10 renowned restaurants across B.C. During the three-day event, participating restaurants from various regions will offer unique salmon dishes that range from traditional preparations to innovative culinary creations. Some of the renowned chefs and restaurants involved include Dawn Doucette — Douce Diner in North Vancouver, Avery Hunter — Cassette Café Bar in Salt Spring, Warren Chow — Wildlight in Vancouver, Chris Whittaker — Timber Shuswap, Simone Hurwitz — Sabà Bistro in Fort Langley, Matthew Blais — The Vancouver Fish Company in Vancouver, Brandon Frederick — Row 14 in Similkameen Valley, Kai Korell — Humo Izakaya in Kelowna. For more information about the Wild Salmon Celebration and to view the complete list of participating restaurants and chefs, log onto the Chefs’ Table Society of B.C. here.
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I’m a little late to this story, but maybe you missed it too. The Guardian newspaper reports Angelo Lella, the owner of Al Condominio, a restaurant in Verona, Italy, offered his customers a chance to renounce technology while enjoying a convivial dining experience. Customers can set aside their phones, which will be locked into an individual box at the restaurant entrance. They then show the key to their waiter and are served a free bottle of wine. Customers are encouraged to review their meals and leave a note in the box. The writer of the most glowing review will be offered a meal on their next visit. Over 90 per cent of the patrons who have chosen to abandon their phones during dinner are reported to have been seen talking up a storm at their table.
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B.C. wine of the week
Wild Goose Gewürztraminer 2023, Okanagan Valley
$19.99 I 89/100
UPC: 688229310225
The Wild Goose Gewürztraminer style is sweeter and rounder, and that’s just fine with its many fans. In 2023, a small crop left only estate fruit to be picked, increasing the purity of fruit in the wine. Look for floral jasmine on the nose, followed by intense orange, sweet honeysuckle, and spicy ginger streaks underneath. As it was last year, juicy, sweet fruit fills the mid-plate into the finish. Delicious and fun to sip on a warm patio. It is versatile at the dinner table and can stand up to a squash curry, paprika-spiced chicken, spicy noodle dishes, or a Thai hot pot. Good value.
Value wine of the week
Tout un Fromage Merlot 2023, France
$19.99 I 89/100
UPC: 3430560010916
Tout un Fromage, or the whole cheese, is a nod to exaggeration in French, but it fits this red that delivers in the classic Boutinot style: soft, delicious, and authentic. This Pays d’Oc red is a pleasure to drink and write about. Clean, authentic, savoury, and supple, it is as juicy and alive as any Merlot that sells for under $20, including a hefty markup by the government and likely the retailer. Chicken pizza, ribs, grilled sausages, and empanadas all work here. It’s probably an 88, but I’m going with an 89, so folks will give it a chance — back up the truck. Private wine shops only.
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Source: vancouversun.com