Bartier Bros.: strategies to stay in business

Photo: Don and Michael Bartier (courtesy of the winery)

For the second year in a row, Bartier Bros. winery’s annual releases have included cans of a 4.2% alcohol product called Piquette. There is both a white and a rosé. Unlike last year, I am scoring these products, which are pleasantly refreshing. And given the damage to vineyards during the past two winters, Piquette may be making an outsized contribution to the viability of Bartier Bros. if, as expected, consumers embrace the product.

Let me quote the winery’s explanation of Piquette from last year. “Piquette is light wine made from a second pressing of the grapes. The sugar in this is much lower, of course, leading to lower potential alcohol, 4.2% in the end. After fermentation and filtering, we added a bit of carbonation; it keeps it fresh, and it makes it refreshing.” Piquette is common in France and likely in many other wine regions. It has been primarily a product with which the winemakers and the vineyard workers slake their thirst without becoming inebriated. Bartier Bros. were prompted by the need to keep their business viable, given rising costs and two devastating winters.

“It occurred to us, if only we could get more wine from the same grapes,” Michael writes. “Well, it turns out that we can, and we did. After pressing the grapes for our wines, we're re-soaking the grape skins and then pressing these again to produce Piquette. The yield and the quality have been astonishing; this is a game-changer for us. We've picked up a dedicated following for Piquette through our tasting room last season, so we've expanded the production of this. As of this summer, we now have distribution of Piquette White and Rosé in all 22 Save On Foods stores and a considerable number of private wine and liquor stores. We expect this to take off.”

There is even more reason this year than last to look to Piquette to stabilize the winery’s revenues. “The post-pandemic economy is expensive,” Michael writes. “People are looking for lower alcohols in their wine. Our BC wine production will be way down for at least the next three years [due to the need for vineyards to recover from the damage of the past two winters]. The preference for lower alcohol is sensible, but the rising costs and low production make this a tough time for BC wineries.” Bartier Bros. has moved decisively to reduce expenses. “Labour is so expensive and difficult to find right now that we're investing in machinery that can replace this,” Michael writes. “Examples that we've invested in are automated filtration, mechanized hedging, mechanized under-vine mowing, newer and more efficient tractors and sprayers. These have already made a huge difference for us.”

Piquette enables the winery to stretch production at a time the vineyards are recovering. The hard frost just before Christmas, 2022, led to extensive crop loss at Bartier vineyards in 2023. Syrah was hit especially hard and has not been replanted. Total production in Bartier’s 2023 vintage was a quarter of what it should have been, But January, 2024, was “even worse than the previous winter, with temperatures hitting - 25 C at our vineyard, and considerably colder elsewhere,” Michael writes. The vine damage requires extensive replanting of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sémillon and Chardonnay (although one block of own-rooted Chardonnay survived and is expected to produce a full crop next year).

Bartier Bros. contracts the Harper’s Trail Vineyard near Kamloops. Michael describes it as a “particularly cold site.” The cold snap just before Christmas 2022 killed the entire vineyard to the ground. However, the vines are own-rooted and new shoots emerged from those roots in the spring of 2023. “In the fall of 2023, we laid down canes from each vine at this site, and then buried them, using a tractor-mounted disc to mound up soil,” Michael writes. “Revealing these canes this spring, the canes and buds were 100% viable, so we trained them up to form a new trunk and cordon. We expect close to a full crop from these vines.” That is leading the winery to a new approach with its Okanagan vineyards. “Given the result of our trial burying canes, we'll be adopting this practice in all our vineyards, starting this fall,” Michael writes. “If we experience a mild winter, we only need to reveal the canes, prune them back to two buds, and then let these buds grow again that season so that we can repeat this the following winter. If we experience a harsh winter, then we've insured ourselves.”

Michael and his brother, Don, have also adopted other measures to keep the business viable, including managing vineyards and making wine for other producers. Given the quality of the Bartier wines, one would not want to lose these creative and hard-working individuals from the BC wine scene. Here are notes on the wines.

Bartier Bros. Riesling 2022 ($24.99 for 723 cases). The fruit for this wine came from the South Thompson River Valley. Whole cluster crushed, the wine was fermented spontaneously in stainless steel and then aged three months in stainless steel. There is almost 13 grams of residual sugar but it is balanced superbly with nine grams of acid. This is a delicious wine. There is a hint of petrol in the aroma. On the palate, it mingles with flavours of lemon and grapefruit. 92.

Bartier Bros. Sauvignon Blanc 2023 ($24.99 for 215 cases). The fruit was whole-clustered pressed and then fermented cool with cultured yeast. The wine was aged four months in stainless steel. The fresh acidity gives this wine a zesty personality. There are aromas of lime. The palate is packed with fruits – lime, grapefruit, peach – and a touch of minerality is the spine that ties it altogether. 92.

Bartier Bros. Chardonnay 2023 ($24.99 for 521 cases). The grapes were whole-cluster pressed and the wine was fermented with cultured yeast in stainless steel. The wine was aged four months in stainless steel. The wine begins with aromas of apple, pear and citrus. On the palate, it is a bowl of orchard fruits. 91.

Bartier Bros. Rosé 2023 ($19.99 for 1,800 cases). The blend is 56% Gewürztraminer, 24% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Gris, 8% Kerner and 2% Viognier. Both the Kerner and the Gewürztraminer grapes had limited skin contact to acquire colour and to enhance the flavours. The wine was aged three months in stainless steel, with no lees contact. The colour is fashionably pale. The aromas and flavours are more restrained that one would expect from the blend, with hints of strawberry, watermelon and citrus. 88.

Bartier Bros. Brut NV ($34.99). This is a traditional method sparkling wine from Chardonnay and it comes in an elegant bottle. It was aged four months in stainless steel and at least 12 months en tirage before being disgorged. The wine matches the elegance of the package. There is a touch of brioche in the aroma. The palate is seductive with a creamy mousse and with citrus and peach mingled in the flavours. 93.

Bartier Bros. Merlot 2022 ($25.99 for 1,264 cases). The grapes were fermented in stainless steel tanks; and the wine was aged 15 months in neutral French oak barrels. The wine begins with aromas of cherry, blueberry and cassis which are echoed on the palate. The underlying spine of minerality gives the wine something of a brooding character. 90.

Bartier Bros. Granite 2021 ($29.99 for 764 cases). This is a blend of 53% Syrah, 32% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. On tasting this delicious blend, one can only mourn the loss of Syrah. The wine is rich, with flavours of dark cherry, mocha and licorice coating the palate. 92.

Bartier Bros. Orchard Row 2021 ($39.99 for 250 cases). This is a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 38% Pinot Noir and 21% Merlot. The wine was aged 16 months in neutral French oak. This is a wine with bright and lively fruit, with zesty blackberry mingled with cherry aromas and flavours. 91.

Bartier Bros. Pinot Noir 2022 ($39.99 for 352 cases). This is 97% Pinot Noir (with grapes from Kamloops) and 3% Similkameen Petit Verdot. The grapes were crushed into one-ton fermenters and macerated for 18 days. The wine was aged 17 months inm neutral French oak. This is a dark, medium-bodied wine with aromas and flavours of spice and dark cherry. 90.

Bartier Bros. Piquette White ($15.99 for four 355 ml cans). The wine is crisp and quite dry, with citrus on the restrained palate. 86.

Bartier Bros. Piquette Rosé ($15.99 for four 355 ml cans). This wine, with just 4.2% alcohol, is refreshingly clean and crisp, with hints of raspberry. 88.