Blue Mountain, fingers crossed, schedules harvest dinner

Photo: Blue Mountain's scenic vineyard

Shortly after releasing these two wines, Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars also announced its harvest dinner is scheduled for August 29.

At $145 a person, the dinner is already sold out. “With such uncertain times it is hard to know how our guests are going to feel about travelling in August,” the winery’s Christie Mavety said recently. “Hopefully there will be some form of normalcy by then.”

This reflects the uncertainty overhanging wine touring this year in British Columbia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the tasting rooms have all been ordered to close -  not that many had remained open. Wineries still are allowed to sell wine at the farm gate as long as efforts are made to keep a social distance between visitors and winery personnel.

On its website, Blue Mountain says its tasting room remains closed until May 11; and that decision will be evaluated, depending on the success (or not) of reining in COVUS-19. Personally, I would be astonished if public tastings resumed that soon.

It is not necessary to go to wineries to buy wine. Virtually every winery offers free shipping at least to April 30 orders of four or six or 12 bottles. Blue Mountain is selling six-bottle minimums, which is fairly typical.

Here are notes on two recent releases you might consider.

Blue Mountain Chardonnay 2018 ($28).  This elegant wine was aged 13 months in oak of assorted ages and sizes. Only a third want through malolactic fermentation. As a result, the wine remains bright and vibrant, with complexity on the flavours. On the nose and the palate, there is citrus, apple and peach. 91.

Blue Mountain Gamay Noir 2018 ($30). This wine was aged 12 months in relatively neutral oak. The aroma is lightly toasty with cherry notes. On the palate, there are flavours of cherry, blackberry and spice mingled with hints of toast. The wine has good weight. 90.