Anthony Gismondi: These B.C. sparkling wines are among Canada's best
After posting 20 consecutive years of growth, the sparkling wine category took a step back in 2023 and 2024 in the U.S. and Canada. However, at least north of the border, it can hardly be taken as bad news, given that sales were up more than 25 per cent from pre-pandemic levels.
It seems that just about every winery in Canada now makes a sparkling wine, which brings us to the first results of the 2025 Wine Align National Wine Awards, completed late last month in Penticton. The sparkling wine category leads off 15 days of announcements that will culminate in the naming of Canada’s two top-performing wineries, under and over 10,000 cases, on July 31 and Aug. 1.
B.C. producers earned nearly half the gold medals for wines scoring 91 points or higher, especially in the Blanc de Blanc category, which refers to white sparkling wine made from white grapes — some aged up to 60 months for added complexity. Below is a list of B.C. winners, ranked by their score to two decimal points, including their national ranking and my tasting comments, where applicable.
The 2017 Township 7 Seven Stars Sirius, at $80, was No. 2 in the country and a gold-medal winner, scoring 91 points. It turns out that winemaker Mary McDermott’s impressive Seven Stars sparkling wine program is as serious as it gets in a non-Champagne context.
No. 4 in Canada was the Evolve Cellars 2018 Brut Nature, priced at $58. Bone dry and very impressive, it leads a strong lineup of sparklers that will soon be available at an all-sparkling wine facility the owners of Evolve will open on the Naramata Bench this fall.
The following gold medals, ranked 8th, 11th and 12th nationally, demonstrate the breadth of suitable B.C. sparkling terroir, with stops in Kelowna, Langley and Lillooet: Tantalus Vineyards 2022 Blanc de Noir ($42), Fort Berens 2022 Blanc de Blanc ($35), and Township 7 Seven Stars 2020 Rosé Nebula ($50).
The diversity continues among B.C.’s best bubbles, which were only a decade ago nowhere near their current standard of quality. As traditional European producers face ever-increasing warming trends and falling acid levels, B.C. sparkling wine remains as fresh and crisp.
Case in point are the No. 13 and No. 15 bottles: Lightning Rock Winery’s 2022 Blanc de Noirs, Canyonview Vineyard ($40), and Road 13’s 2019 Select Harvest Old Vine Sparkling Chenin Blanc ($52). The latter is made with some of the oldest Chenin Blanc vines in Canada, planted as early as 1968.
B.C. bottles also finished in 16th, 18th and 21st place: a new release, the Laughing Stock 2020 Market Bubbles ($40); an old favourite that over delivers for the price every year, the Gray Monk 2022 Odyssey Rosé Brut ($32); and another offering from the highly successful Township sparkling wine program, the Township 7 2021 Seven Stars Polaris ($40).
There are fewer and fewer wine competitions and, frankly, none attract the numbers that the WineAlign National Wine Awards do. In the case of sparkling wines, there were 98 entries from across the country, lending any medal winner considerable gravitas.
Next time, we’ll look at some of the top-scoring B.C. wines from various categories as the results roll out. For a complete listing of all the medal winners and ongoing analysis, you can visit
or
.
Weekend Wine Picks
Laughing Stock Vineyards Market Bubble Brut 2020, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
$40.00 I 91/100
UPC:
063657045596
The first bubble we have seen from Laughing Stock is off to a good start. Expect a classic Brut style with a punch of Okanagan energy, courtesy of its upfront acidity and brightness. The nose and palate are all about apples, with a hint of other orchard fruits and some welcomed toasted notes from aging. Its finish is soft with hints of caramel and bakery scents. Ready to drink.
Tantalus Blanc de Noir 2022, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
$36.50 I 91/100
UPC:
626990189909
Pouring a barely there pink/orange tint, this brisk, dry and structured sparkler streams wild cherry, creamy raspberry, and crab apple, giving it both depth and freshness. It has proven to be very food-friendly over the years, and this addition will be no exception. The Blanc de Noirs is produced from a single block of Pinot Noir clone 93 vines, planted in 1985, and is now blended with a small amount of estate Meunier. It is the real thing.
CedarCreek Platinum Sparkling Chenin Blanc N/V, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
$42.00 I 92/100
UPC:
778913801655
This certified organic sparkler is crafted from the oldest Chenin Blanc vines in the valley. The fruit used to be part of the Road 13 program but is now heading up the sparkling wines at CedarCreek. It has the seriousness you would expect from 50+ year old vines, but also offers a level of purity and freshness that grabs your attention. Finally, it is the flavours that grab you, combining honey, pie crust and fresh-cut red and green apples. The finish is long and distinguished with bright acidity. It is ready to drink, but will age with ease through 2028.
Stoneboat Vineyards Reserve Series Méthode Cuvée Close Piano 2020, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
$26.90 I 88/100
UPC:
626990156208
The Stoneboat Méthode Cuvée Close is whole cluster pressed. The free-run juice is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel with a secondary fermentation inside closed tanks. It is bottled 30 days after fermentation, meaning it lacks the bread dough or biscuit notes found in sparklers aged much longer. A Prosecco-style B.C. sparkler with cleaner and more intense fruit creates an attractive, peachy, mandarin and apple-driven effervescence that goes down easily.
Blue Grouse Charme de l’île Sparkling N/V, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
$29.99 I 88/100
UPC:
00696852117357
The Blue Grouse Charme de l’île Blanc is the Cowichan Valley version of a mid-tier Prosecco. Made in the Charmat style, in which a large tank is injected with carbon dioxide to create soft bubbles, the BG version is a fresh blend of Island grapes, led by 50 per cent Schonberger, mixed with Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Ortega. It is a vibrant sparkler with engaging citrus, floral and green notes, and a hint of salinity within its creamy texture — definitely a fun late-afternoon, happy-hour sipper.
Calendar items
• Quails’ Gate Winery’s Old Vines Restaurant, one of B.C.’s first winery restaurants, turns 25 this year. From the start, it has championed local farmers, foragers and producers, building menus around what can be grown or gathered in the surrounding area. To commemorate the milestone, Old Vines is celebrating with a collection of seasonal offerings and anniversary highlights throughout the year. A Culinary Reunion will bring together a distinguished lineup of alumni chefs who have shaped the restaurant’s storied legacy. Other seasonal releases, such as Wildflower Honey, quince paste at harvest and fermented cherries for the holidays, underscore the restaurant’s commitment to sustainability and circular culinary practices. There will also be a rotating dish from past menus each month, such as the current offering, Roasted Spring Salmon, accompanied by pommes Anna, Armstrong asparagus, Okanagan morel mushrooms, and garden sorrel cream. For reservations and more information, visit
quailsgate.com/old-vines-restaurant
.
• An unnamed couple were found dead in their wine cellar on July 4 after being overcome by a “chemical reaction” caused by dry ice. The couple, who lived in River Oaks, Houston, had been preparing to entertain guests at an Independence Day party when the incident occurred. Police reported that dry ice was being stored in the wine cellar, but when it melts, it turns into carbon dioxide gas. Unfortunately, it appears the gas overcame the couple as they entered the cellar.
B.C. wine of the week
Lunessence Rosé 2024, Oregon, United States
$26.99 I 89/100
UPC:
793588413293
A Provençal-inspired ashen pink hue characterizes this wine. It delivers approachable freshness and understated stone fruit and watermelon flavours, making it an enjoyable and refreshing choice. Slightly sweeter in quality, this enhances its drinkability and charm. Crafted from Oregon Pinot Noir, this replacement wine maintains an elegant standard. Serve throughout the summer — your guests will appreciate your generosity in sharing it with them. Restaurants should stock up.
Value Wine of the Week
Loosen Bros Dr. L Riesling 2023, Germany
$19.99 I 88/100
UPC:
183103000013
Ernie Loosen is a driven winemaker and Riesling is his passion. This label has always been of great value as an introduction to Mosel Riesling. Juicy and ripe, it’s a mix of pear juice, yellow apples and an intoxicating Mosel perfume with a hint of spice. You get all that and more at only 8.5 per cent alcohol. It is easy to like and even easier to drink. Stock up.
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Source: vancouversun.com