Anthony Gismondi: Strong, family-run, sustainable wine businesses

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In these tumultuous times, the future of wine could very well be the past. If anyone is going to save the wine business from extinction, it will be family wineries that live and breathe wine, usually in view of their vineyards. We take a quick look at two very different producers whose wines have crossed my path this summer; one from France and one from the Okanagan, yet both have the same essential element: a strong, family-run, sustainable business.

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Frédéric Chaudière is the international face of Château Pesquié, locate in the Ventoux region of the Rhone Valley. The Pesquié history is the story of two families passionate about their region, Ventoux. In the early 1970s, Odette and René Bastide acquired Pesquié. By the mid-1980s, Edith and Paul Chaudière, René and Odette’s daughter and son-in-law, gave up their medical careers and took over the family estate and nine years later, they left the local cooperative to set up Château Pesquié to release their first wines in 1990.

In 2003, Alexandre and Frédéric Chaudière took over the domain from their parents, Paul and Edith. Together, they carried on the family tradition by digging deeper into the land, going from sustainable, to organic and then fully certified biodynamic Demeter grape growers, enhancing Château Pesquié’s reputation as one of the leading estates in Ventoux.

Earlier this month, I tasted several Pesquié white and rosé wines, including the work horse Pesquié Terrasses, $19.99, a delicious Grenache-Syrah blend available in B.C. liquor stores. My focus this time around was the rosés and whites. I was shocked by the elegance and quality of the Pesquié 2023 Ventoux Terrasses Rosé, $27.99, maybe the best pink I’ve tasted all summer. Two standout whites included the 2023 Terrasses Blanc, $21.99, and the 2022 Cuveé Juliette, $55. Finding most Château Pesquié labels will require searching in better private wine shops, but it will be worth your time.

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Closer to home, Three Sisters Winery is a promising family winery at the Naramata Bench entrance. It is the brainchild of winemaker and wine grower Matthew Mikulic, his partner and wife  Rebecca Mikulic, and her parents, John and Liz Lawrence. Rebecca’s father, John, started EarlCo Vineyards nearly 20 years ago, their family company now works with both wineries and land owners to develop vineyards throughout the central and south Okanagan Valley. It has given the family invaluable insight into the B.C. wine business.

Three Sisters released its first vintage in 2014, purchased mainly by local vineyard owners. From there, the business took off under the Three Sisters Winery labels. Matt and Rebecca have three sisters, all of whom have contributed to the winery’s success. In 2016, the vineyard on Munson Avenue became home to the Three Sisters Winery, a venture Rebecca and Matt hoped would remain focused on making “delicious, approachable wine all made with a hands-off approach letting the fruit speak for itself.”

Eight years later, they launched The Sisters Series Collection. The $379.79 six-pack brings together a series of single releases named after each of the sisters, featuring meticulously chosen grapes harvested only in the most exceptional vintages. The clever labels feature a silhouette drawing of Emily (2014 Cabernet Franc), Katarina (2015 Chardonnay), Abigail (2016 Shiraz), Marina (2016 Tempranillo), Rebecca (2019 Chardonnay) and Kiki (2021 Merlot). Each label tells a different story; remarkably, they are holding up well in the bottle. The 2014 Cabernet Franc is the only original release that needs drinking, while the 2016 Syrah is at its peak and showing well. You can read complete reviews on Three Sister and the Château Pesquié wines at GismondionWine.Com.

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Despite being worlds apart, both of these producers exemplify the road map to being a success in the wine market. We know it will take a global village of family wineries to put wine back where it belongs: on the table with dinner and a bunch of family.

Weekend wine picks

Mayhem Sparkling Rosé Can 2023, Okanagan Valley

$88.36 12-pack I 87/100

UPC: 696852088671

The Mayhem Canned Rosé is a different mix from Mayhem’s bottled Rosé. It comes off a separate block, and the pink Merlot base comes with a splash of riesling. The colour is red-pink, and the flavours decidedly Merlot, pitching cherries and strawberry jam. There is a touch of sugar to keep it friendly, and the sparkle is down to a dull roar but enough to clean the palate. Ready to drink, although you might consider serving it over ice.

Menade Rueda Verdejo Ecologico 2022, Rueda, Castilla-Leon, Spain

$22.99 I 89/100

UPC: 8437008963075

Menade is a high-level organic Spanish white wine made from Verdejo grapes without sulphur or copper sulphate treatments in vineyards. The nose is an attractive mix of white fruits and herbaceous, dried, scrubby elements. It is a lively, fresh, fun white wine on the palate that pitches citrus and lime with some sweeter mango notes that give it a medium-rich style. The finish is a mix of everything before, with a touch of water helping it to flow easily. Pick a creamy cheese match or shellfish; they all work well here. On sale until Sept. 28.

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Three Sisters Winery The Sister Series Kiki 2021, Naramata Bench

$45 I 90/100

UPC: 696852003520

Kiki is named after the youngest sister Kiki Mikulic, and in 2021 the Sister Series produced a Merlot under the Kiki label. The fruit comes from a mix of sites across the Okanagan Valley. The Sister Series only releases wine in superior years. Despite the wildfire challenges of 2021, winemaker Matt Mikulic appears to have made an immaculate selection, judging by the fresh black cherry fruit that marks the nose of this wine. Ripeness was no problem, with the fruit average of 25 brix at harvest. Look for refreshing dark red fruit with a spicy, savoury undercurrent structured by round tannins and a long, clean finish. This is just a baby, but it has all the tools to age gracefully. It is well made and one of the better 2021 reds in B.C.

Château Pesquié Ventoux Terrasses Rouge 2020, Ventoux, Rhone Valley, France

$21.99 I 90/100

UPC: 3760149591032

As written last year, the Pesquié Ventoux red ticks many buy boxes. It grows at an altitude, the soils are stony limestone marine-like, the property is certified organic, and production is a third-generation family affair under brothers Alexandre and Frederic Chaudiere. The blend is 60/40 Grenache-Syrah, macerated for 15 days and then aged for several months in stainless steel and cement. The nose is pure black raspberry with juicy hints of mulberry and black cherry that spill onto the palate. There is also a stony mineral underside that stiffens a fresh finish. Think of pizzas, kebabs, charcuterie, vegetable pies, and terrines.

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Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 407 2020, South Australia, Australia

$109.99 I 94/100

UPC: 012354071476

Peter Gago has worked some amazing magic with 407, once a distant cousin to 707, then a poor cousin, and now a legitimate Penfolds family member. First launched in 1993 with the 1990 vintage, it is a multi-regional blend from Padthaway, Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, McLaren Vale, and Barossa Valley that spends one year in French oak (25 per cent new) and American oak (11 per cent new) hogsheads. The density and weight are mind-boggling, and the tannin profile is refined, dense, and sweet. A seamless textbook Cabernet that mixes black fruit with dark chocolate, minerals, and freshness, and it goes on forever. It’s worth every expensive penny.

Calendar Items

If you want to celebrate Thanksgiving at home this autumn without any hassle, the popular Turkey Takeout menu from H Tasting Lounge is back on Oct. 13 with easy online ordering and reservation of your preferred pickup time. Designed for gatherings of all sizes, this menu offers two options, both accompanied by all the traditional side dishes. Select a whole roasted turkey that serves eight to 10  people ($399) or individual carvery-to-go meals ($59 per person) for a minimum of two diners. The dinners include creamy Yukon gold mashed potatoes, apple and brioche stuffing, maple-glazed root vegetables, roasted brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, rich turkey gravy and rosemary brioche rolls and for dessert, pumpkin butterscotch pie. Quantities are limited, so place your order online now. Turkey Takeout orders are available for pickup on Sunday, Oct. 13, from 1 to 6 p.m.

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•••

A Night in Venice, an Italian Chamber of Commerce masquerade, will occur Friday, Nov. 1 from 6 to 11 p.m. at Brian Jessel BMW. The evening will begin with a reception featuring classic ​Italian fine wines and cocktails. The five-course Italian dinner, served with premium wine, promises “a vibrant, immersive experience at the stunning Brian Jessel BMW showroom in Vancouver to celebrate the theme of Acqua for Italian Design Weeks. The Annual Gala Dinner will transport you to the enchanting setting of Venice for an entertaining evening inspired by the lavish masquerade balls of Venice and its iconic lagoons. The dress code is Venetian Elegance, including your ornate Venetian mask. Tickets are at Eventbrite.

B.C. wine of the week

Winemaker’s Cut Bohemian Riesling 2021, Okanagan Valley

$26 I 91/100

UPC: 793611018242

At Winemaker’s Cut, the Bohemian tier is dedicated to wines that probe the unique South Okanagan terroir and a self-described unconventional winemaking style. The 2020 Bohemian was a lovely wine; the 2021 is equally delightful. The nose is a fresh, fruity affair of peach and ripe apple with a touch of Mosel elegance, if I can be bold. It’s off-dry but well balanced by stony, green citrus that finishes with the same mineral, saline theme. It is the perfect wine for Thanksgiving family events and the spread of menu items.

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Value wine of the week

Garzón Cabernet de Corte 2020, Garzon, Maldonado, Uruguay

$18.97 I 89/100

UPC: 7730951081317

Corte translates to blend. This is an 80/20 mix of Cabernet Franc, 10 per cent Tannat, five per cent Merlot, and five per cent Marselan. They preach elegance at Garzon, so expect a tight blend of red and black fruit that opens with violets and wet stone, followed by raspberries, blackberries, and green pepper, kissed with dark chocolate. There is no oak here, just pure terroir. This label will disappear from the market, but before it does, you can buy it at the reduced price of $18.97, down from $23, in 71 stores. We like this with roasted pork ribs on fennel and leeks or pappardelle with a wild mushroom ragu.

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