Crowsnest Vineyards calls itself The Similkameen's original winery

Photo: Sascha and Anna Heinecke

Crowsnest Vineyards is a rare example of a British Columbia winery where ownership has successfully transferred to the next generation. In 2018, Sascha and Anna Heinecke, who are brother and sister, purchased the winery from their parents, Olaf and Sabine Heinecke. “They were ready to sell a long time ago,” Anna says. (The winery was first put on the market in 2013.) “It is a lot of work, and you get tired of it. They wanted to retire.” The first change the brother and sister made was to convert the vineyard from overhead irrigation to drip irrigation.

It was the second winery in the Similkameen when it opened in 1995 (the first has since closed). Three years later, Crowsnest was acquired by the Heinecke family, immigrants from Germany. They rescued a struggling winery and stamped a European flavour all over it by adding a Bavarian-themed restaurant and a seven-room country inn. Sascha put his diploma in hotel management to good use. He also became a skilled baker, making fresh bread daily for the restaurant and for sale both in the tasting room and in community retail outlets. Anna, who has a diploma from the German winemaking school at Weinsberg, makes the focused portfolio exclusively from estate-grown grapes. The 6-hectare (15-acre) vineyard is planted primarily with Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Auxerrois. The latter grape, a leading variety in Alsace, has struggled to find favour in British Columbia.

Both the wines and hospitality services here have earned Crowsnest very good reviews on such sites as TripAdvisor. Here is a typical 2018 review: “Gem hidden in the gardens of Similkameen Valley. Neat rooms, renovated in ‘modern rustic’ style, spacious but cosy. Awesome food made mostly of the farm products, including local bakery. Excellent wine . . . Scenery landscape appealing to long walks after indulgent dinner. Friendly hostess and delicious homemade jams available along with local wine at the souvenir shop on the premises.” The list goes on and on, but you get the idea. The winery’s current releases include smartly refreshed label designs that make Crowsnest wines stand out on liquor store shelves. Here are notes. There are no prices because they are not on the website.

Crowsnest The Nest Prosecco 2019. This is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Auxerrois and Riesling. The wine begins with a bready aroma. On the palate, flavours of citrus mingle with bready notes. The wine is almost austerely dry. 87.

Crowsnest Gewürztraminer Frizzante 2020. The wine presents in the glass with a rush of active bubbles. There are appealing aromas of peach and apricot, which are echoed in the rich and honeyed palate. Good acidity gives the wine a lingering, balanced finish. 90.

Crowsnest Similkameen Sunset Sparkling 2020. This is a blend of Pinot Auxerrois and Pinot Noir. The wine presents in the glass with a rose hue and a rush of bubbles. It begins with strawberry aromas, leading to flavours strawberry and plum. The finish is crisp and refreshing. 90.

Crowsnest Chardonnay Stahltank 2021. The name means steel tank; this is an unoaked Chardonnay. Crisply dry, the wine has aromas and flavours of apple with a touch of minerality on the finish. 87.

Crowsnest Riesling 2020. This wine begins with the classic notes of petrol and citrus in the aroma. There are flavours of lemon and green apple with minerality. Bright acidity gives the wine a tangy finish. 88.

Crowsnest Similkameen Sunset Rosé 2021. This is a blend of Pinot Auxerrois and Pinot Noir. It has a rose hue in the glass with aromas and flavours of strawberry, red cherry and watermelon. The wine has good weight on the palate. 88.

Crowsnest Merlot 2019. This wine was made with fruit from 18-year-old vines. This wine has been aged 12 months in American oak. It begins with aromas of black currant and dark cherry, leading to flavours of cherry and blackberry mingled with cassis. 89.

Crowsnest Merlot Family Reserve 2016. This is made with fruit from 32-year-old vines (some of the oldest in the Similkameen Valley). The wine was aged for 18 months in French oak. Dark in colour and full-bodied, the wine’s spicy cassis and dark berry aromas lead to flavours of dark cherry and black currant, mingled with dark chocolate. The finish lingers. 92.

Crowsnest Pinot Noir 2018. This wine begins with aromas of cherry, and blackberry mingled with oak. The back label does not indicate how much time the wine had in barrel but the winery was not shy with barrel-aging. The palate echoes the aromas, with dark fruits and a touch of forest floor. The texture is still a bit firm; this will benefit from being decanted. 90.