Looking for a great wine for a Wednesday night, or pretty much any other night? Join our winemakers for background and tips on our recent releases in this series of short videos that discusses how the wines were made.
Join winemaker Rebecca Ruggeri as she tastes our estate Chardonnay. Highly aromatic, the wine was made with handpicked grapes from our Golden Mile Bench vineyard that were sorted and gently whole cluster pressed, delivering softer juice with less astringency. This vintage was partially fermented in stainless steel and partially fermented in French oak, with lees stirring once a week for added textural creaminess. A finely poised nose and palate of fresh citrus, honey, butterscotch and caramel. She suggests pairing this elegant wine with fresh seafood, creamy pasta, or try with hot buttered popcorn.
Celebrate summer and say it with Ti Amo! Join winemakers Mark Hopley and Rebecca Ruggeri as they raise a glass of our inaugural frizzante, Hester Creek’s new Prosecco style wine. Made primarily with Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer and a touch of Sémillon, the grapes for this frizzante were handpicked early to retain crisp acidity. A fabulous summer sipper, this vibrant and fresh cuvée underwent secondary fermentation for 30 days in tank in the classic Charmat-Martinotti method, which really captures the essence of our south Okanagan fruit. Light and food friendly, this limited production wine is available only at the winery. Lovely as an apéritif, we recommend enjoying Ti Amo with friends and your favourite salty dishes, try an aged Parmesan, popcorn, or with a crisp summer salad and fresh berries from the garden.
Join our winemakers Mark Hopley and Rebecca Ruggeri as they discuss why this co-fermented blend of 83% Syrah and 17% Viognier is such a pretty match with earthy, spicy, and peppery meeting floral richness. Crafted with fruit from our Golden Mile Bench estate and a longtime grower on the Black Sage Bench, this northern Rhone inspired classic has found its place in the New World. Aged predominately in American barrels, we love the smoky, bacon and vanilla characteristics that American oak imparts. Incredibly versatile, try with a bbq or for a vegetarian dish with mushrooms or eggplant. À votre santé!
Uncork a bottle of our flagship Bordeaux style wine with winemakers Mark Hopley and Rebecca Ruggeri. A classic blend of almost equal parts Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the Judge is a powerful red made with handpicked grapes from our historic Golden Mile Bench vineyard. Crafted with fruit from some of our original 1968 plantings, the more concentrated flavours of these old vines sees it’s way into the best lots in our cellar. Mark and Rebecca judge from among our best barrels of the 2017 vintage for our iconic red. Aged in primarily French oak and built to cellar gracefully, the wine can also be enjoyed now. They recommend pairing with char-grilled steak, roasted portobello mushrooms, or try for a rich and decadent chocolate mousse cake. Sweet!
A wine that pays hommage to its place, the grapes for our premium Merlot are handpicked from our Golden Mile Bench estate and then hand-sorted, destemmed and whole berry fermented. Winemakers Mark Hopley and Rebecca Ruggeri discuss the TLC behind making this wine and the benefits of a slow fermentation in our unique Italian Ganimede fermenters, with its ability for naturally softer fruit, colour and tannin extraction. Aged mostly in French oak barrels, imparts a pleasing subtleness to the oak integration, allowing the beautifully ripe fruit to show through. They suggest trying the versatile and food friendly 2018 vintage with roast duck, vegetarian lasagna or grilled zucchini.
From our historic 1968 vineyard, enjoy a glass of our Reserve Cabernet Franc with winemaker Mark Hopley. Situated on Block 3 of our estate beside half century, gnarly old vines, Mark discusses why this noble varietal thrives on the Golden Mile Bench. The 2018 vintage shows pleasing raspberry, cherry and dried herbal, mint/eucalyptus characteristics. Fantastic with all types of cuisine, it is ideal with summertime barbeques. Cheers!
Taste along with our winemaker Mark Hopley as he briefly takes you through our vibrant and juicy 2019 Pinot Gris crafted with grapes from our estate along with one of our Vineyard Manager’s local vineyards. Unoaked and refreshing, the wine was crafted in a classic Italian Pinot Grigio style and fermented in stainless steel to best express the pure and natural essence of the fruit. The bright acidity of this food friendly wine makes it quite versatile and fantastic to enjoy on the patio or pair with lighter fare such as a pear and goat cheese salad or fresh steamed mussels. Saluti!
With age comes intensity! Join our winemaker Mark Hopley as he discusses our gnarly Character Red blend of south Okanagan fruit with Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah and our prized “Italian Merlot” grapes. Made from Merlot vines first planted on our estate in 1968, these 50+ year old vines impart intense flavours and spice, which makes it ideal for pairing with your classic barbecued dishes, try ribs, ribeye steak or smoked meats. Hello summertime grilling!
In our second episode, Mark discusses our 2018 Selected Barrels Merlot, made with grapes from our vineyard manager’s vineyards here in Oliver along with fruit from our own Golden Mile Bench estate. This approachable wine was fermented in our Italian Ganimede fermenters for gentle flavour and colour extraction and is delightful with grilled pork tenderloin and charred Okanagan cherries.
For our first episode, join winemaker Mark Hopley in our winery barrel room as he tastes through our 2019 Pinot Gris Viognier. Made with approximately 2/3 Pinot Gris and 1/3 Viogner grapes from the Oliver/Osoyoos area, this unoaked white wine is beautifully refreshing and fantastic for enjoying on your patio with some light appetizers.
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