Introducing the Columbia Valley Collection by Hester Creek
Hester Creek is proud to present a new collection of eight wines with premium-quality grapes sourced from the Columbia Valley. Two back-to-back freezing winters left our vines with a deficit of fruit, and we found ourselves looking for an opportunity to source grapes that would match our quality standards.
Our search took us just south of the border to the Columbia River Basin where the climate, soils and varietals are similar to what we have here. We met with growers from seven sub-AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), learned their stories, analyzed their growing practices and built a partnership to import the best grapes possible.
The conscious decision to import grapes rather than juice or pre-made wine came out of a respect for the craft of our winemaking team as well as you, our loyal guests. This vintage will be available for one year, during which time, our vineyards will have a chance to recover.
We couldn’t be more pleased to present you with this new collection. Read on to learn more about the people, the winemaking and, of course, the wines!
Our roots run deep and so do theirs
At Hester Creek, we are fortunate to have Mark Sheridan as our President. Not only is he savvy in all manners of business, but his background in viticulture gives him the tools to assess a difficult situation in the vineyard. When faced with the challenge of having to purchase grapes, he looked to the Columbia Valley where the terroir, varietals and viticultural history reflected that of the South Okanagan.
It was due to Mark’s quick action that we were able to meet with the growers and have first choice of the grapes we wanted and the vineyard blocks on which they were grown.
Each block was chosen with absolute discretion for varietal, location, growing practices and quality of the fruit. In essence, he was able to monitor the growth of the vines and speak with the vineyard managers and viticulturalists on a regular basis to ensure everything met our standards.
During his many trips to the Columbia Valley, Mark realized that this endeavor went beyond just grapes, and it became clear that this was a strong partnership between Hester Creek and the growers. We learned their histories as farmers and that they have dedicated their lives to growing grapes with their roots running deep in the wine industry.
In a conversation with Red Mountain AVA Vineyard Manager, Raul Chavez, he told the story of how he grew up farming, decided to pursue a career in business, and after just a few years, came back to farming where his love for the land speaks volumes.
In the Goose Gap AVA where our Viognier was grown and hand harvested, we met with Taylor Monson-Jackson, the COO at Goose Ridge Estate Winery and part of the Jackson family who owns a majority of the acreage in the AVA – 1,800 acres of which are planted under vine. Taylor grew up in agriculture with the family venturing into viticulture and establishing their own winery over 25 years ago.
In the Yakima Valley AVA, we spoke with the grower of our Pinot Gris grapes, Art Den Hoed. We learned of his history in the region, that he planted his first vines in the 1970s and about his connection to the Okanagan Valley, having camped here as a child.
One running theme that each grower spoke about was the admiration of the people who work with them and for them. Vineyard Manager, Adam Bright from the Alder Ridge Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills AVA, spoke about how it was a “fun challenge” to bring in extra workers and coordinate the day of handpicking 30 tons of Cabernet Franc for us. It was truly a heartwarming story of camaraderie between vineyard managers and their willingness to help each other out – a parallel that can be likened to the collaboration between the Columbia Valley growers and our Okanagan wineries.
These are just a few of the stories we heard, but it was obvious that like our local growers, these farmers are passionate about their work and contribution to the industry – no matter which side of the border they are on.
It takes more than a vine to craft a great wine
From the beginning, we made the decision to be transparent in our storytelling of the Columbia Valley Collection. The transparency is prevalent in the story of where the grapes come from, truth in labelling, and in the pride of our winemaking team at Hester Creek who created the wines from this incredible vintage.
It was clear from the beginning that the only way we could continue crafting your favourite wines – like the Rosé Cabernet Franc – was to purchase grapes, not juice or finished wine. In doing this, we gave freedom to our winemakers to create the wines in true Hester Creek fashion.
Our Winemaker, Mark Hopley, has always said that quality wine comes from quality grapes, and this vintage was no exception. In leading the winemaking team at Hester Creek, they were able to hone in on the richness of the fruit and create a new collection of wines that they’re proud to put the Hester Creek stamp on.
Staying true to our Hester Creek brand:
- All grapes were hand harvested
- Grapes were stacked in recyclable containers and transported in temperature-controlled trucks
- The grapes were hand sorted by our team
- The grapes were gently destemmed before continuing the winemaking process for white and red wines
- 100% crafted at Hester Creek
Our commitment to BC VQA
The wines in our Columbia Valley Collection may not be BC VQA, but we are fully committed to supporting the organization and our local growers in the years to come. Our community was top of mind when making the decision to purchase grapes from outside the region and while we have formed a great working relationship with the growers of the Columbia Valley, our end goal is to return to making wines using 100% BC-grown grapes.
The 2022 and 2023 growing seasons were absolutely epic, and we will be releasing these vintages of our BC VQA red wines over the coming two years. You will find these wines available in the Wine Shop at Hester Creek, online, and in your local liquor stores and restaurants in British Columbia.
“This is giving us the best opportunity to craft wines of distinction while ensuring our local BC farmers and their vineyards can recover from the cold weather challenges.”
-Mark Hopley, Winemaker, Hester Creek Estate Winery
Wine Store
