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The latest B.C. wine country buzz.
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
When the Village of Lytton was destroyed by wildfire in 2021, the team at Fort Berens Winery led by Rolf de Bruin and Heleen Pannekoek launched an ambitious fundraising campaign to raise $125,000 for a dedicated legacy-building project for the community.
The fundraising was built around a Special Edition Lytton Strong Pinot Gris made with grapes from Lytton’s Winch Spur Vineyard that escaped the wildfire, becoming grapes with a particular purpose.
With the support of industry partners, Fort Berens donated 100 per cent of the proceeds from selling this wine, totalling $48,000. In addition, a silent auction raised over $46,000, and corporate sponsorships and personal donations generated an impressive $70,000. In all, over $164,000, all the funds will go toward rebuilding the Lytton outdoor pool, a central gathering place for the community.
A big thanks to Fort Berens and all who bought the wine, auction items and, most notably, Vista PGF Fund, Victoria Gold, Revival Gold, Wheaton Precious Metals, Troika, Canco Petroleum, Telus, Kumsheen, and Rocky Mountaineer for their substantial contributions.
Roche Tradition Pinot Gris 2020, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
$34.90 I 89/100
UPC: 626990214304
Expect a clean, fresh, dry style, more Euro than Okanagan, but packed with delicious, overt orchard fruit aromas and flavours. It is grown organically at Kozier Vineyard on the Naramata Bench, supplying a crunchy fruit palate reminiscent of red apples and pears dusted in savoury Okanagan desert scrub notes. Dry and very pure, this white wine will surprise you with its versatility at the table; from fish to fowl to mushrooms and cheese, you can take it in many directions. It is aged 10 months in French neutral oak, adding depth and mouth feel without any obtrusive wood.
Pierre Henri Morel Gigondas 2019, Gigondas, Rhone Valley, France
$51.99 I 93/100
UPC: 3380650004274
This 2019 is an 80/20 mix of Grenache and Mourvèdre grown over calcareous sandstone gravel/ clay terraces, hand-harvested, destemmed and fermented in concrete tanks cooled to 25°C. The aging, two-thirds in concrete tanks for 12 months and one-third in 600L “demi muid,” leave this a silky masterpiece. The colour is purple/opaque with a refreshing black cherry aroma that floods the palate. Rich, round smoky and inviting, you to name it, this wine has it all, finishing with a solid stony mineral aftertaste. This is one to invest in for the next decade or more.
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Source: vancouversun.com