Gehringer Brothers releases 2024 International red wines

Gehringer's Australian-trained Brendon Gehringer '

The latest newsletter from Gehringer Brothers Winery started off with this teaser: “We have some news that we are excited to share. Although we can't let the ‘cat out of the bag’ just yet, we would be happy to say that there's a new product that will be joining our portfolio! Stay tuned. More details next month - allow us to tinker away in the cellar and all will be revealed very soon!”

My hope is that it is a red wine aged in oak barrels. Traditionally, the winery has not had barrels in its cellar, for two reasons. Most of its wines have been whites that did not need oak aging. Secondly, the brothers – Walter and Gordon – have always been frugal. When they made reds that needed oak, they put oak staves in the stainless steel tanks and let the wine pick up some oak flavour. It does not mean that frugally-made wines are not good. Gehringer Brothers has an awesome record of medals won in various wine competitions. Yet barrel-aging takes a red wine to another level.

Walter’s son, Brendon, returned to the Oliver winery in September 2023, after spending many years in Australia. He had gone there in 2008 to train as a winemaker, and followed that up by working at several wineries, notably in the Barossa Valley. He has had plenty of experience at finishing red wines in barrel. That is why I speculate that the new wine is a barrel-aged red.

Gehringer’s 2024 wines were made primarily with grapes from California, due to the damage its Okanagan vineyards suffered from the severe freeze in January that year. It is a much better story this year, as the newsletter relates: “Vintage 2025 continues to be an exceptionally good season,” the winery reports. “Bumper crops of BC fruit with quality to match! As we have replanted almost all of our red varietals, our red wines unfortunately will not be produced this year. We have ,however, been fortunate to harvest fruit from our surviving Pinot Noir blocks. This is scheduled to be blended with our Cabernet Sauvignon to reproduce our well received 2024 Rosé style. Despite having lost certain Schönburger and Gewürztraminer blocks in the 2023/4 weather event, we have managed to source supplies to produce a re-run of our much-adored Schönburger-Gewürztraminer! It has been great to watch how these wines are evolving in the cellar this vintage!”

Here are notes on Gehringer’s 2024 reds, all of them made from California grapes.

Gehringer International Series Merlot 2024 ($N/A). This is an easy-drinking Merlot with aromas of plum and oak and flavours of plum and cherry. The oak lends a smoky note. 89.

Gehringer International Series Summer Night 2024 ($14.49). This is a blend Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. It begins with aromas of blackberry and cherry which are echoed on the soft, juicy palate. 90.

Gehringer International Series Cabernet Merlot 2024 ($18.49). This blend is another easy-drinking red, with aromas of spice and flavours of red cherry and black currant. The tannins are long and soft. 89.

Gehringer International Series Pinot Noir 2024 ($18.49). This is a juicy red, showing notes of cherry and a silky texture. I would cellar this another six months to allow the oak flavours to integrate better with the fruit. 89.