The GOODS from Bella Wines

Vancouver, BC | Bella Wines Inc. announced today it has purchased a four-acre property in Naramata, BC. The property will be planted with Chardonnay and Gamay Noir grapes and will feature a production facility and tasting area for traditional sparkling wine enthusiasts visiting the Naramata wine region. The site is located at 4320 Gulch Road and should be completed and operational for the 2014 vintage.

“We are absolutely thrilled and excited to be putting down roots in Naramata,” says Jay Drysdale, winemaker and co-owner of Bella Wines. “This purchase gets us one step closer to being B.C.’s only dedicated sparkling wine house.”

The vision of Bella is to promote the micro-climates of British Columbia through “Grower Style” sparkling wines focusing on Chardonnay and Gamay grapes. “We are extremely pleased with the growers we currently work with and will continue to source from growers in existing and upcoming wine regions of B.C. as we expand” explains Drysdale. “This property allows us to showcase the unique typicity of the Naramata Bench as well as have an estate label.”

For the 2012 vintage Bella offered a vineyard comparison highlighting the different benches of Oliver BC. The Oliver West Side sparkling Chardonnay represents a vineyard site of pure silt with a gravel seam and small amounts of water enhancing the citrus fruit profile while the Oliver East Side sparkling Chardonnay displays the concentration of calcium carbonate in the soil of this vineyard site lending a beautiful minerality to the wine. “It’s exciting to taste the personalities of vineyards and sparkling wine is a great medium to experience that through,” concludes Drysdale.

DETAILS

Telephone: 778-996-1829
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.bellawines.ca | Twitter | Facebook

GALLERY

KEY PEOPLE

Owners: Jay Drysdale and Wendy Rose
Winemaker: Michael Bartier

ABOUT BELLA WINES

Bella is a sparkling wine house capturing the natural beauty of British Columbia fruit in every bubble. Made in the traditional method, being bottle fermented, hand riddled and hand disgorged, Bella exclusively produces single vineyard, single varietal sparkling wines focusing on Chardonnay, a classic Champagne grape, and Gamay Noir, an under-appreciated BC grape. At Bella, the goal is to make world class sparkling wines that are perfectly dry and left natural with no dosage so you can taste an elegant, genuine expression of the vineyards we source from.

Owners Jay Drysdale and Wendy Rose are particularly interested in making sparkling wines because not only are bubbles extremely food friendly and fun to drink but they feel this wine style is tremendously well suited to British Columbia where the natural acidity found in the grapes is perfect for sparkling wine production. As avid promoters of sparkling wine Jay and Wendy hope one day BC bubbles will have the same notoriety as Spain’s cava, Italy’s prosecco and even France’s champagne. Join their cause and celebrate today with BC bubbles!

To learn more about our story visit www.bellawines.ca.

REVIEWS AND ACCOLADES

BRONZE – Bella Wines – Sparkling Chardonnay – 2011 – 32nd Fall Okanagan Wine Festival

“Bella 2011 Gamay Noir Rosé Sparkling Wine – The wine presents an attractive rose petal hue, a fruity aroma and palate with hints of cranberry, and a lively mousse with a creamy texture. The finish is dry and refreshing. 90 points.” John Schreiner

“Bella 2011 Chardonnay Sparkling Wine – Once again, the lively bubbles set up quite a display in the flute. The wine is crisp, with hints of toastiness and with slight apple flavour notes. Light and fresh on the palate, the wine has a clean and elegant finish. 90 points.” John Schreiner

“2011 Bella Sparkling Rosé – It is a very attractive blushing pink in colour and offers cranberry, summer berries, rhubarb and peach stone with herbal undertones. It’s a light, clean bubbly with a fine bead, it’s quite delicate but with bracing acidity. I suggest serving some mild creamy cheese with this Gamay sparkling.” 89 points. Daenna Van Mulligen

“2011 Bella Sparkling Rosé – This light, crisp, sparkling rose made from Gamay Noir grapes, is charming with floral aromas and delicate notes of strawberry-rhubarb. A wonderful illustration of the Okanagan Valley’s budding potential and focus in sparkling wine production.” Emily Walker

“2011 Bella Sparkling Rosé – Jay Drysdale’s first wine release under the Bella label. Named after his dog, but no dog of a wine, the rosé bubble is a pretty pale pink colour, medium in intensity with savory lees, strawberry, dried herbs, lemon, orange zest and light cherry notes. The palate is dry, light in body with crisp acidity, a racy citrus and mineral palate, a surprising amount of lees for just three month aging and some interesting flint, crab apple, clove and a long persistent finish.” Rhys Pender