Anthony Gismondi: Excitement surrounds 2021 vintage in B.C. despite a year of challenges

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There is some angst about the 2021 vintage in B.C., especially in the south Okanagan, where wildfire smoke was an issue. Extreme heat was in play, too, with temperature records set in many regions. Canada’s highest ever temperature, 49.6 C, was recorded in B.C., while Kelowna, Kamloops, Osoyoos and Lillooet were among 60 places that broke records.

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Hype, be it good or bad, has surrounded vintage releases forever.

When I started tasting and writing about wine, the masters of vintage reports were the Bordelais. If it was a great year, the chateaux advised buyers to secure their supply as prices were likely to rise. If it was a challenging year rife with rain or rot, yields were down, which meant less wine and rising prices. Even in an average year, the crafty negociants would point to increased demand for the preceding good and bad vintages, suggesting a shortage of stocks would force prices to rise, so you might want to buy early.

Whatever the 2021 smoke damage amounts to in B.C., it is first and foremost not universal. Most damage will be winery specific, if not vineyard specific, so relax.

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Whites wines are rarely affected by smoke because the skins are discarded at the crush pad. That means nearly half the crop will likely be fine. As for the reds, we will know more by the end of the year, but It is fair to say the output will be reduced, and you guessed it, prices will go up. An early announcement by Blue Mountain that they will not release any red wines from 2021 is one winery decision. There will likely be a few more, and many wineries will undoubtedly reduce their output in 2021, but it need not be a disaster.

Much can happen between now and the release of most reds later in 2021 and most of 2022, so it’s best to wait and see and not panic. Instead, use the time to search out other vintages like the outstanding 2020 if you think you will be short. The good news is B.C. is coming off a long string of good to excellent vintages that date back a decade.

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From a winery point of view, pandemic on-site sales have been brisk, and profitable. As a result, current wine prices are at an all-time high, and land prices are now among the highest in the wine business worldwide. In addition, many producers are coming to learn that wine growing is a generational business. While climate change remains a wild card when you are farming, in the long run, the business revolves around 20 to 30 years of work, making a single harvest less crucial as the years go by.

Severine Pinte, winemaker/viticulturist and managing partner at Le Vieux Pin and LaStella wineries, is excited.

“Despite the challenges Mother Nature threw at us with the heat dome in late June forest fires during the summer, the 2021 wines are tasting delicious. Whites have some tension, lots of flavours and concentration — the reds show nice full ripe tannins and lots of vibrant fruits.”

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At Mission Hill Family Estate, winemaker Corrie Krehbiel says 2021 was one of the most challenging vintages in their 40-year history.

“Despite all the adversity, our winemaking team is confident this will be a high-quality vintage, although the resulting wines will be available in extremely limited quantities. So while it’s been a season of challenges, 2021 is a vintage that will be memorable for so many reasons and one that we can all be excited about, for its quality.”

Charlie Baessler, winemaker/owner of Corcelettes Estate Winery in the Similkameen Valley, echoed the small but good theme.

“2021 ended up being an early harvest of super high quality, but with quantities down, we just wish we had more fruit.”

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At Monte Creek, Kamloops winemaker Galen Barnhardt brought in a small but high-quality crop. On Vancouver Island, Bailey Williamson, winemaker at Blue Grouse Estate, says it was one of the hottest growing seasons on record for the Cowichan Valley, where “the addition of few more growing degree days makes a huge difference, and as a result, the young Pinot Noir in barrel is looking very high quality.”

Oddly no one has learned to say, “prices are going up,” just yet.

Weekend wine picks

Moraine Cliffhanger White 2021, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 

$18 I 88/100

UPC: 626990127710

The blend changed in 2021, adding 18 per cent Riesling to the mix of 37 per cent Gewürztraminer and 45 per cent Pinot Gris. The style is aromatic and lively, with a large bump of residual sugar. Expect a nose of rose petals and white flowers with a palate of ripe lychee fruit, pineapple, and peaches, with a twist of a lemon meringue pie. It is fresh enough, but the sugar dominates, suggesting you serve it with spicy dishes on the patio, well chilled.

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Haywire Pinot Gris 2020, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 

$27.90 I 89/100

UPC: 626990185680

The Haywire P.G. ferments in concrete, stainless steel, and oak foudres using native yeast and six months on its lees. It is an organically grown Pinot Gris with oomph. The palate is taut with plenty of lemon, spicy lees, minerals and a piquant, salty finish. A less floral, more earthy Pinot Gris that is ready to drink now and could easily take on a spring risotto dish.

Passato Roero Arneis 2020, Langhe, Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy

$26 I 91/100

UPC: 8032793974024

Passato Roero Arneis is a delicious bottle of white offering up a mix of flavours that you seldom encounter. The wine is 100 per cent Arneis. It is a grape sometimes referred to in Piedmont as Barolo Bianco. Straw yellow is a typical colour coming off a 36-hour cold soak and 15-days ferment in stainless steel tank. After that, it gets another six-month rest on its lees before it is bottled. The attack is understated with medium acidity, but the complexity is high, and the rush of rip pears and citrus-soaked sweet almonds entice. Pick a quality seafood dish, or atypical for the region, spaghetti Aglio e olio for the match.

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Falesco Poggio dei Gelsi 2020, Lazio, Italy 

$21.99 I 90/100

UPC: 8028003000614

My father enjoyed Est! Est!! Est!!! on a warm summer day. Poggio dei Gelsi is a special version of the famed label made by the Famiglia Cotarella, including winemasters Enzo and Riccardo Cotarella. It is a 40/30/30 mix of Roscetto, Trebbiano and Malvasia grown on the rocky soils of Montefiascone at 400m. The fruit is natively-fermented, intensifying its prominent green herbal nose. More green fig, citrus, and underripe pear precede a saline, mineral lees finish. Ready to drink, it is a versatile white for seafood and vegetables. As for the Est! Est!! Est!!! legend. A 12th-century Bishop travelling to the Vatican to meet the Pope sent a scout ahead to survey the villages along the route, searching for the best wines. He was to mark ‘Est’ (Latin for It is) on the door of the inns where the wine impressed as a guide for the Bishop to follow up. At a Montefiascone inn, the scout fell in love with the local wine and wrote Est! Est!! Est!!! on the door. The rest, as they say, is history. Available at select private wine shops.

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Painted Rock Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

$49.99 I 91/100

UPC: 626990206330

Painted Rock worked hard to counter the smoke in 2019, and thanks to a vineyard that ticks off just about all the requirements to be a great site, they mostly avoided any damage to the final wines. The blend is classic Oz, 79/21 Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon. Before assemblage and bottling, the grapes are fermented separately and aged in 30 per cent new French oak barrels. It’s just under 15 per cent alcohol, but a fragrant, fresh, peppery nose and perfect balance leave that number neutral. Bright and savoury blueberry and black raspberry run through the wine. Impressive and will be widely admired by the big red crowd.

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Recipe match: Boiled spot prawns with spicy dashi dipping sauce

B.C.’s spot prawn season is expected to kick off in mid-May. So, we thought it a perfect time to start bookmarking recipes that celebrate the upcoming bounty. This recipe by Chef Hidekazu Tojo of Tojo’s Restaurant keeps it simple in order to let the fresh spot prawns shine. A dashi dipping sauce adds some spice to the situation.

Boiled spot prawns with spicy dashi dipping sauce

1 lb (454 g) fresh spot prawns

1/2 tbsp (7.5 mL) salt

Dipping sauce

3 tbsp (45 mL) soy sauce

1-1/2 tbsp (22.5 mL) dashi

1/2 tbsp (7.5 mL) sesame oil

1/2 tbsp (7.5 mL) sugar

1/4 jalapeño pepper, finely diced

Clean and devein spot prawns. Bring 2L of water to boil in a large pot. Add salt. Add prawns to boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Strain and let it sit for 5 minutes.

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In the meantime, prepare the dipping sauce by combining the ingredients together. Peel the prawns and enjoy while still warm.

Serves 2.

Recipe match

Delicate spot prawn flavours and dashi are no easy match, but we have settled on local Riesling or Riesling blends dry and off-dry. 

Harper’s Trail Thadd Springs Vineyard Silver Mane Block Riesling 2020, Kamloops, B.C. $21.99

Limes, lemons, and yellow fruits are dusted in minerality, an inviting electric style that perfectly matches the prawns and dashi.

Modest Wines The Elder Vicar 2021, Similkameen Valley, B.C. $24.99

A wild, co-fermented mix of muscat, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer replete with musky, floral, lime, melon, pear, and ginger notes —  built for spicy food.