GOODS: Celebrated “Okanagan Crush Pad” Has Joined The Growing SCOUT Community
February 15, 2012
We’ve invited Okanagan Crush Pad in Summerland to join our curated GOODS section as a recommended local winery. They’re now proud members of Scout, and as such we’ll be posting their news in addition to hosting a page for them on our awesome list of independent goodnesses. We’d like to take this chance to thank them for their support of Scout, and for making BC a more delicious place to live.
ALL THE LOCAL “GOODS”
Meyer Family Vineyards
February 14, 2012
Details
4287 McLean Creek Rd | Okanagan Falls, BC | V0H 1R1
Telephone: 250 497 8553
Web: www.meyerfamilyvineyards.com | Facebook | Twitter
Gallery
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photos by Henry Georgi
The People
Owners: JAK Meyer and Janice Stevens
Winemaker and viticulturist: Chris Carson
Assistant winemaker and viticulturist: Geoff Jejna
Tasting room manager: Sharon Misselbrook
About Meyer Family Vineyards
Meyer Family Vineyards, the little winery with the big reputation, now has two vineyards in the beautiful wine regions of the Okanagan Valley of BC; Old Main Road Vineyard, located on the Naramata Bench and McLean Creek Vineyard, the newest vineyard and winery on McLean Creek Road in Okanagan Falls. Nestled amongst beautiful orchards, rolling hills, crystal clear lakes, and unique micro climate, the Okanagan Valley is now home to well over 100 vineyards and is the ideal terroir for growing grapes. The same latitude as Champagne in France, the Okanagan is well suited for the Burgundy style wines that Meyer Family Vineyards is known for.
The Meyer Family
JAK (John Arthur Kenneth) and his wife Janice Stevens, wanted a place to put down roots and raise their two young daughters. They had lived in Alberta, Vancouver, the Turks and Caicos but after almost a year in Vernon they found themselves attracted to the lifestyle, the beauty, and the opportunities of the Okanagan. After years of sampling the best wines in the world, both appreciating and collecting wine, a vineyard seemed like a good fit. Three years of searching for the perfect site, led them finally to a small acreage in Naramata. With the help of a team of leading experts in Canada, they began to craft their single vineyard wines of excellence; Micro Cuvée Chardonnay and Tribute Chardonnay.
Then in 2008 they added the Okanagan Falls property which included a modest 2400 sq ft winery and another 16 acres of vines. Everything was in place for producing premium single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well as a second tier label which includes Gewurztraminer, Rose and mid tier Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The new tasting room was completed in October of 2010 and plans are in place for a special events area which will be used for hosting concerts, catered dinners or just as perfect place for guests to relax, kick back and enjoy the surroundings.
Reviews & Accolades
“the best dry white wines I have ever tasted from Canada”.
Steven Spurrier, Decanter Magazine
“It’s the Pinot you bring home to Mom… the one you’ll turn to for dependable quality and Pinotranquility”
Liam Carrier, IconWines.com
“A beauty that takes Okanagan Chardonnay to a new level of elegance and complexity”
4 and a half stars, Vines Magazine
“On the palate, the fruit is lush – citrus, ripe apple, a touch of butterscotch – without any of the heaviness one sometimes finds on oaked Chardonnay. This wine is bright and fresh and also shows a laser-like purity. 92/100”
John Schreiner on Meyer 2010 Old Main Vineyard Chardonnay – Tribute Series
Poplar Grove Winery
February 10, 2012
Details
425 Middle Bench Road North | Penticton, BC V2A 8S5
Telephone: 250-493-9643
Web: www.poplargrove.ca | Facebook | Twitter
Gallery
The People of Poplar Grove Winery
Owners: Tony Holler, Ian Sutherland, Barrie Sali
Executive Winemaker: Ian Sutherland
Winemaker: Stefan Arnason
Assistant Winemaker: Nadine Allander
Viticulturist: Valeria Tait
Winery Administrator: Jacquie Carlson
Sales & Marketing Director: Laurie Barnes
Wine Club Manager: AJ Tolton
About Poplar Grove Winery
Poplar Grove Winery is located on the slopes of the Naramata Bench, a premier wine growing area just outside Penticton, British Columbia. One of the original 5 wineries on the Naramata Bench, Poplar Grove was founded in 1993 when Ian Sutherland dedicated 2.5 acres of land to the planting of Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. The first vintage was released in the fall of 1995, with the Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc receiving top honours at the Okanagan International Wine Festival. Over the past 19 years, Poplar Grove’s vision has remained the same: to make world-class wines that reflect the spirit of the Okanagan Valley terroir. Each year, the wine making team handcrafts the Poplar Grove wines with care, being true to their mandate to guide the winemaking process with little or no interruption of the natural process.
In 2007, Tony Holler became Poplar Grove’s majority owner and President, with Ian Sutherland and Barrie Sali completing the new ownership team. The Holler family brought with them 110 acres of prime vineyard sites located throughout the Southern Okanagan Valley, appropriately named Holler Estate Vineyards. The addition of the new vineyards allows Poplar Grove wines to be made from 100% estate grown fruit. The viticulture team supports the estate vineyards by practicing a sustainable farming program that works with the complexity and variability of the individual vineyards resulting in grapes that are the optimum expression of the local terroir. Ian Sutherland continues as the Executive Winemaker at Poplar Grove. In 2008, Stephan Arnason took on the position of Winemaker and in 2011, Nadine Allandar was named Assistant Winemaker. Together the wine making team hand-crafts wines from the quality fruit harvested from each of the estate vineyards with the goal of guiding the process to allow the true expression of the fruit to shine through.
Poplar Grove is focused on six core wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and a signature blend called The Legacy. The grapes are hand picked & hand sorted to guarantee that only the finest fruit makes it into the ferment. A barrel aging and bottle cellaring program have been implemented to ensure the wines are released when they are ready to drink. Poplar Grove white wines are released the year following harvest to preserve the primary fruit flavours. The red wines spend a minimum of 18 months maturing in French Oak barrels and an additional 18 – 30 months developing in the bottle so that they can be enjoyed upon release.
July 2010 was an exciting month for Poplar Grove as it marked the official launch of the Poplar Grove Wine Club. The spirit behind the wine club is to ensure that fans of Poplar Grove receive a guaranteed selection of Poplar Grove’s most sought after wines each year. Members receive the benefit of access to Poplar Grove’s limited release & member’s only wines, a 10% discount off all Poplar Grove wines purchased direct from the winery, early access to new release & library wines, and inspired wine recipes with each shipment.
On July 1st, 2011, the doors to Poplar Grove’s brand new, 9500 square foot, state-of-the-art winery opened. Designed to appreciate the natural landscape and topography, the new winery space is home to a working winery, a showcase barrel hall, and an expansive tasting room. The winery’s contemporary design features wall-to-wall panoramic windows that create a tasting room experience where visitors have the chance to sip award wining wines while enjoying one of the finest views the Okanagan Valley has to offer. Poplar trees, lavender, iris and Russian sage have been planted on the property to incorporate the local flora into the winery landscaping. Within the new Munson Mountain estate vineyard, Poplar Grove included foundation plants to harmonize with biodynamic principals, including hard fescue, red clover and bluegrass. The vineyard edges are lined with crested wheatgrass, wild mustard and annual rye.
On the horizon for 2012 is the opening of The Vanilla Pod, a year-round destination restaurant at Poplar Grove Winery that will feature cuisine inspired by fresh and seasonal local ingredients and, of course, Poplar Grove’s award winning wines. Executive Chef Bruno Terroso brings both a passion for the local cuisine and a natural creativity in the preparation of innovative spectacular dishes. Restaurant owners, Paul and Sheila Jones, are looking forward to welcoming guests to enjoy an inspired meal while taking in one of the most breathtaking views in the Okanagan Valley.
Each year, in addition to the 6 core wines, Poplar Grove’s wine making team makes a small amount of exclusive wine crafted for Poplar Grove’s Wine Club members, and in the very near future, for diners at the winery’s new restaurant, The Vanilla Pod. These exclusive wines include the CSM (a Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot blend), the Syrah-Viognier, a Reserve Chardonnay, and the Munson Mountain Pinot Gris. The limited release wines offer the wine making team an opportunity to create single vineyard and small lot wines that exhibit the vibrant characteristics of the vintage.
Over the years, the winery has gained a reputation for producing quality, award-winning wines. Most recently, Poplar Grove’s Syrah 2008 was the only Canadian winery awarded a Gold medal at the 2011 Decanter World Wine Awards. The Cabernet Franc 2007 won the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines and the Poplar Grove Merlot 2006 won Double Gold at the All Canadian Wine Championships.
Poplar Grove’s star is on the rise. With the new state-of-the art winery & signature restaurant, 100% premium estate grown fruit, and a clear vision for the future, Poplar Grove Winery looks forward to welcoming wine lovers to their corner of the wine world.
For more information on Poplar Grove Winery, visit the website at www.poplargrove.ca.
Recent Reviews & Awards
GOLD medal Decanter World Wine Awards – Poplar Grove Syrah 2008
BRONZE medal Decanter World Wine Awards – Poplar Grove Cab Franc 2008
Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines – Poplar Grove Syrah 2007
DOUBLE GOLD medal All Canadian Wine Championships – Poplar Grove Merlot 2006
90/100 Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc 2007
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
When BC red wine is clean it usually has all the rest of the ingredients to jumps up my quality chart. Take this cabernet franc for instance. Love the ripe tobacco, cherry jam, vanilla, violet aromas and the similarly ripe, round, rich, dry palate. The tannins are present but fine-grained with savoury, soft varietal-ly correct franc black fruit and sage flavours that go long with finesse. Bravo. You can drink now or keep this for another two years for perfection. T-bone steaks anyone? – Tony Gismondi
89/100 Poplar Grove Merlot 2006
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Expect a lovely rich version of merlot here with plenty of sweet oak and bright fruit with a savoury dried herbs undercurrent. Big and form with a slightly lean undercarriage. Try now with roasted meats or wait three years to full maturity. All this needs is a bit more finesse. Well done. – Tony Gismondi
89/100 Poplar Grove Reserve Chardonnay 2010
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Much better style in the reserve with its butter, light lees, pineapple fruit and underlying richness. Love the baked apple entry and the French oak, both of which are still interacting. Dry long buttery tarte tatin notes with nutty, oily pineapple fruit and ripe red apples. This wine needs another three years to settle down and work with the likes of halibut and fresh fruit salsa, abalone or lobster.
GOODS: Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars Throws Open The Doors To Its Tasting Room
August 2, 2011
Blue Mountain | 2385 Allendale Rd. | Okanagan Falls, BC | 250-497-8244 | bluemountainwinery.com
The GOODS from Blue Mountain
Okanagan Falls, BC | Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars is pleased to announce that effective immediately, its tasting room will be open Monday to Saturday from 11:00am to 5:00pm, May through early October. The Okanagan winery changed from appointment-only hours to this more expansive schedule to accommodate the increasing number of visitors wishing to sample its wines on-site.
The extended tasting room hours at the winery will allow more visitors, both domestic and international, to experience tasting Blue Mountain wines at their source, within view of the Okanagan Valley estate’s vineyards and winemaking facilities. “Blue Mountain is blessed with a truly spectacular setting,” says Christie Mavety, Owner and Sales & Marketing Manager. “The new tasting room hours will make it more convenient for wine lovers to visit and taste Blue Mountain’s wines, right where they’re made.” Learn more about Blue Mountain after the jump… Read more
GOODS: Little Naramata Winery “Nichol Vineyard” Makes Impression At Big Night
February 7, 2011
Nichol Vineyard is located on Smethurst Road in beautiful Naramata, BC | 250.496.5962 | nicholvineyard.com
The GOODS from Nichol Vineyard
Vancouver, BC | Nichol Vineyards of Naramata BC made a big impression on more than 500 Vancouverites on Friday, as they were featured as the “unsung hero” at Vancouver magazine’s Big Night. At the annual foodie event, Vancouver magazine pairs Best-in-Category wines from their Wine Awards with winning restaurants from their Restaurant Awards for a delectable evening of food and wine hosted at the prestigious Vancouver Club. The event is always a hot ticket in the city, as it features the who’s who of Vancouver’s vibrant culinary scene.
Vancouver magazine’s Sommelier of the Year, Kurtis Kolt, revealed and sampled his favourite “unsung hero” from this year’s competition, Nichol Vineyard’s 9 MILE RED. Read all about it after the jump… Read more
Celebrating The Tenth Vintage Of Mission Hill’s “Oculus” Wine
September 23, 2010
Mission Hill is located at 1730 West Bank Rd in West Kelowna, BC | 250-768-7611 | missionhillwinery.com
News from Scout supporter Mission Hill Family Estate
Vancouver, BC | With the first day of fall upon us, we’re delighted to announce a series of celebratory events to commemorate Mission Hill’s tenth vintage of our premium Bordeaux-inspired wine, Oculus, this autumn. Next month during the 30th Okanagan Fall Wine Festival we’re holding a selection of intimate activities in our Oculus Salon: from vintage library, component and barrel tastings by our Sommeliers to “Message on a Bottle” personalized Oculus signings by Chief Winemaker John Simes and Proprietor Anthony von Mandl. Also on Thanksgiving weekend, we’re honoured to have top restaurants in British Columbia and Alberta offer “Buy the Glass” pours of rare Oculus magnums. More details on our website. Read more
Mission Hill To Pair With Fleuri Kitchen At Sutton Place Hotel
September 3, 2010
Mission Hill is located at 1730 West Bank Rd in West Kelowna, BC | 250-768-7611 | missionhillwinery.com
News from Scout supporter Mission Hill Family Estate
Vancouver, BC | Join Mission Hill’s Director of Wine Education Ingo Grady and Fleuri Executive Chef Michael Deutsch as they showcase the classically inspired Okanagan Valley wines of Mission Hill Family Estate and the progressive Northwest cuisine of Fleuri Restaurant at Vancouver’s Sutton Place Hotel. Date: Tuesday September 28th 2010. Time: 6:30pm. Cost: $120 per person. Reserve after the jump… Read more
Elephant Island Orchard Wines Joins The Scout Community
June 12, 2010
Elephant Island Orchard Wines is now a proud member supporter of Scout. We will be publishing their news and press releases on our front page and hosting a page for them in our list of member wineries and breweries here. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support of our little website. Click ahead to read on or jump directly to their Scout page. Read more
On The World’s Bulk Wine Ascendancy
April 2, 2009
Something interesting has happened in the last few years in the wine world – something both good and worrying. Wine regions that were once written off as ‘bulk’ wine areas have shown that a changing attitude to grape growing and wine making can achieve recognition and respect, catapulting new varietal names and regions onto the world scene. Read more
Laughing Stock Links Wine Price To TSX
February 12, 2009
David and Cynthia Enns like to say that they wake up every morning with the goal of not living up to their winery’s name “Laughing Stock”. Things must have been running too smoothly for too long because they have decided to put their reputations on the line once again.
Their latest brave/foolish adventure is linking the price of their soon to be released Portfolio 2007 to the much-maligned TSX. If you purchase Portfolio futures at $35 per bottle (the early bird special price versus the usual $39 on release) you enter the TSX lottery.
For every 500 points the TSX drops by the time the wine is released in September 2009, Laughing Stock will give you back $1 per bottle or donate it to charity (not the banking sector) – their own little vine-ancial stimulus package.
I happened to be at the winery a couple of days ago and tasted some barrel samples of the 2007 and it is showing the usual high quality that Portfolio has come to represent. The futures go on sale Feb 17th and with this deal, there is little to lose. If the markets do continue to decline, you may well need a drink.
Ed. note: That’s Rhys and Cynthia in the photo at the 2008 Naramata Unfiltered Sommelier Bootcamp. I think they might be trying to yell at the vines or something. I remember that being a particularly inebriating day…
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Rhys Pender is a wine educator, freelance wine writer, wine judge and consultant to the industry. Visit his company Wine Plus+ online at www.wineplus.ca.
