40 Knots Winery expands to cider-making

Photo: Brenda Hetman Craig and Layne Craig (photo courtesy 40 Knots)

Comox-based 40 Knots Winery has added four outstanding sparkling apple ciders to its already extensive wine portfolio. If you have not yet encountered the ciders, don’t wait too long. These are immensely appealing but the production volumes are limited. If you share my taste, you will want more than one bottle.

40 Knots is within earshot of the Comox air force base. The estate vineyard was started in 2007 by Bill Montgomery, a retired owner of a tugboat company. He eventually discovered he had taken on more than he wanted to manage and put the winery on the market. In 2014, it was acquired by an energetic husband and wife team from Fort St. John, Layne Craig and Brenda Hetman-Craig. Adding ciders made in the traditional and labour-intensive French method certainly demonstrates how energetic they and their winemaking team are. There are 12 cider apple varieties used here. The juice is pressed by hand, does primary fermentation in stainless steel, secondary fermentation in the bottle, with additional blending of a flavouring dosage when the cider is disgorged. The result is remarkable: delicious and complex sparkling beverages that are underpriced, in my view.

Some background on the owners was provided on a early website: “Layne, who grew up on a Saskatchewan farm wanted to put his love of the land into play, while Brenda wanted to put her business management skills toward building a successful family business, one that would ultimately involve their grown children. It was an added bonus for Layne, a pilot, that the Comox air force base is nearby. Planes can often be seen overhead adding to the force of energy that surrounds the site.”

Here are notes on current wine and cider releases:

40 Knots Sieg 2023 ($29.50 for 313 cases). The fruit is estate-grown Siegerrebe, an aromatic white varietal. The wine was aged eight months on the lees, with weekly stirring. It begins with dramatic aromas of lime and other tropical fruits, echoed on the palate with a whole tropical orchard, including lychee and green melon. The finish is dry, with lingering fruit and spice. 91.

40 Knots White Seas 2023 ($27.50 for 594 cases). This is a blend of 93% Epicure and 7% Pinot Gris. The wine was aged on the lees for eight months. It begins with aromas of apple and lemon, leading to flavours of apple and grapefruit. Bright acidity balanced with a touch of residual sugar gives the wine a tart and refreshing finish. 89.

40 Knots Pinot Gris 2023 ($29.50 for 341 cases). This wine was fermented cool and aged eight months on the lees in stainless steel. It begins with aromas of pear and apple leading to flavours of apple and citrus. Bright acidity gives the wine a crisp, tart finish. 88.

40 Knots Auxerrois 2023 ($32 for 227 cases). This varietal is a white from Alsace that deserves a higher profile for the complex wine it produces. There are aromas and flavours of apricot, apple and quince. The texture is generous with notes of minerality and herbs on the dry and lingering finish. 91.

40 Knots Rosé 2023 ($29.50 for 550 cases). This is a blend of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Gamay, both estate-grown. The fruit was pressed gently, yielding a delicate rose petal hue to the wine. It has aromas and flavours of strawberries with a hint of watermelon. The finish is crisply dry. 89.

40 Knots Gamay Noir 2023 ($42 for 500 cases). The fruit is estate-grown Gamay Noir. It was cold-soaked on the skins for four to seven days. After ferment, the wine was aged in stainless steel. It begins with expressive red berry aromas (cherry, raspberry) echoed in the fruit sweetness on the palate. The wine is bright and lively. 90.

40 Knots Carambolage 2023 ($42 for 267 cases). This red wine is a blend of 43% Cabernet Libre, 34% Gamay and 23% Pinot Noir. The components were aged in a mix of stainless steel and French oak barrels. In the glass, the wine presents with a brilliant red hue and aromas of cherry. The palate delivers more cherry and red berry flavours with a hint of pepper on the finish. 90.

40 Knots Knotty Cider Apple Hops NV ($27.50). This cider was made with hand-pressed juice from cider apples. It was fermented in stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels, with secondary fermentation in the bottle. Locally-sourced hops were used for the dosage. This golden-hued cider has aromas and flours of apple with the complexity of a hops note on the finish. 90.

40 Knots Knotty Cider Apple Black Currant NV ($27.50). This cider was made with hand-pressed juice from cider apples. It was fermented in stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels, with secondary fermentation in the bottle. Black currant concentrate was added when the cider was disgorged. It has a rose petal hue in the glass along with an active mousse. On the palate, it is tart and refreshing. 90.

40 Knots Knotty Cider Apple Quince NV ($27.50). This cider was made with hand-pressed juice from cider apples. It was fermented in stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels, with secondary fermentation in the bottle. Quince juice was added when the cider was disgorged. In the glass, the cider displays a golden hue and active bubbles, leading to an appealing fruity aroma and delicious flavours of apple and quince. The finish is crisp. 90.

40 Knots Knotty Cider Apple Cranberry NV ($27.50). This cider was made with hand-pressed juice from cider apples. It was fermented in stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels, with secondary fermentation in the bottle. Cranberry concentrate (made from locally grown berries) was used as a dosage, imparting an appealing rosé hue to the cider. It is crisp and tangy on the palate. 90.

Clos du Soleil's new lower alcohol wines

Photo: Michael Clark of Clos du Soleil

The growing interest in lower-alcohol wines has led Michael Clark, the general manager and winemaker at Clos du Soleil Winery in the Similkameen, to launch two wines with nine per cent alcohol in the winery’s new Lumière Collection. These wines, the winery says, “offer a refreshing take on modern wine enjoyment: full flavour, less alcohol, and only around 80 calories per standard serving. The Lumière Collection is a response to growing demand for wines that align with modern values: moderation, health-conscious living, and versatility.”

The debut Lumière Collection wines, along with other 2024 vintage wines Clos du Soleil is releasing, are made with grapes from Washington State because the sharp freeze in the Similkameen early in 2024 wiped out most of the grape production in B.C.’s interior vineyards. Michael plans to make subsequent vintages of Lumière wines from Clos du Soleil’s vineyards as production is resumed there.

The challenge with low-alcohol winemaking is to produce wines with personality. “Many lower-alcohol wines on the market today sacrifice character and complexity,” Michael says. “We wanted to challenge that—crafting wines that offer the same richness and aromatics Clos du Soleil is known for, in a lighter style that offers another option to suit today’s diverse lifestyles.” Through meticulous vineyard planning, careful fermentation, and gentle alcohol-reduction techniques, the team was able to preserve the integrity and mouthfeel of the wines while achieving a lower alcohol content, the winery says. This was followed by strategic blending and cellar work to ensure the final wines retained body, texture, and balance.

“We grew the grapes for this wine knowing that we would be producing these Lumière Collection wines, so we worked hard with our growers to grow grapes which have freshness, bright acidity, and ripe flavours,” Michael says. “Sauvignon Blanc and Sangiovese grapes were chosen specifically for this reason: both varieties feature a pronounced flavour profile which shine through even in a lower alcohol offering, ensuring that even with a lighter profile, these wines are rich in taste and complexity.” Alcohol was reduced after fermentation by what Michael calls “the minimal-required amount of a gentle technology to further reduce the alcohol while protecting the high-quality flavours and aromatics of these wines.”

Here are notes on the wines.

Clos du Soleil Lumière Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2024 ($25.90 for 125 cases). The fruit is from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area). The wine is crisp and refreshing, with aromas and flavours of lime and grapefruit. 88.

Clos du Soleil Lumière Collection Rosé 2024 ($25.90 for 149 cases). The Sangiovese grapes in this wine are from the Yakima Valley AVA. The grapes were destemmed, lightly crushed and pressed almost immediately. Hence, the colour is fashionably pale. Fermentation was in stainless steel, cool and with oxygen contact avoided. The wine has aromas and flavours of strawberries and watermelon with a surprisingly full palate for a low-alcohol wine. 90.

Clos du Soleil Washington Series Sauvignon Blanc 2024 ($25.90 for 659 cases). The fruit is also from a grower in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. The berries were lightly crushed. The juice was soaked on the skins for four hours under dry ice and then pressed. Fermentation was in stainless steel tanks as well as in French oak puncheons. The wine was aged on the lees for five months. This is a fine mouth-filling wine with aromas and flavours of lime and grapefruit. 90.

Clos du Soleil Washington Series Chardonnay 2024 ($29.90 for 334 cases). The fruit is from a grower in the Yakima Valley AVA. The berries were pressed immediately after harvest and the juice was fermented in older French oak puncheons. This is a fruit-forward Chardonnay with aromas and flavours of apple, pear and quince. The finish is rich and long. 90.

Clos du Soleil Washington Series Rosé 2024 ($25.90 for 679 cases). The Sangiovese grapes in this wine are from the Yakima Valley AVA. The berries were lightly crushed and pressed almost immediately. Hence, the wine has a delicate rose petal hue. Cool fermentation, with no oxygen contact, was in stainless steel. The wine is crisp and fresh, with aromas and flavours of strawberry and cherry. 90

Poplar Grove releases its first Cascadia wines

Photo: Poplar Grove's Tony Holler

For several years, Poplar Grove Winery’s winemaker, Stefan Arnason, has been making, one of the most popular Pinot Gris wines from the Okanagan. “Pinot Gris is now a third of our total production,” I was told in 2022 by Chris Holler, one of the family that owns Poplar Grove. He anticipated the winery’s volume of that wine would continue to grow, with more blocks of Pinot Gris coming on line in the family’s vineyards.

Then came the hard winter of 2024, which eliminated more than 90% of the valley’s grape harvest in the 2024 vintage. The Holler family reacted decisively; by March 2024, they were searching out vineyards in Washington State (where, fortunately, there was a grape surplus) that could supply grapes for Poplar Grove’s winemakers. Those wines are now being released as “Cascadia Series.”

The winery has described its Cascadia Series in some detail:

This project was born out of necessity following the devastating freezing event of 2024, which significantly impacted our estate vineyards. To continue bringing exceptional wines to our customers, we sourced premium fruit from just across the border in Washington State. Despite the origin of the grapes, every other part of its journey—from fermentation to bottling, aging, and packaging—happened right here in Canada. We embrace the Pacific Northwest’s winemaking potential and celebrate the ability to craft wines that showcase the best fruit available while staying true to our Canadian roots.

For the Cascadia Series, we carefully selected vineyards from some of Washington’s most renowned AVAs, each known for its unique terroir and exceptional grape quality. Sourcing from Wahluke Slope, Goose Gap, Yakima Valley, and Horse Heaven Hills, we chose these regions for their ideal growing conditions and distinctive flavor profiles. From the warm, sun-drenched slopes of Wahluke Slope to the cooler, late-ripening sites of Goose Gap, each AVA contributes its own character to our wines. This thoughtful selection allows us to craft vibrant, expressive wines that truly showcase the diversity of the Columbia Valley.

When crafting the Cascadia Series label, it was essential to Tony Holler and the Holler family to uphold a commitment to full transparency. They wanted to ensure that every bottle clearly communicates where the grapes were harvested, reflecting an authentic connection to the land and the integrity of the wine itself. The vision was to create a label distinct enough to signify the introduction of a new series while remaining true to the style and brand that Poplar Grove is known for. Striking that balance was crucial to maintaining our identity while also inviting curiosity about this new addition to our portfolio. To achieve this, we collaborated closely with the CFIA [Canadian Food Inspection Authority] and BC winery associations, ensuring that every detail met industry standards and conveyed the proper messaging. Navigating these guidelines allowed us to communicate the story of the Cascadia region clearly and accurately, reinforcing our dedication to transparency.

This label was designed and developed entirely in-house—a testament to our team’s creativity and dedication. We take immense pride in the final release, feeling that it genuinely represents not only our brand but also the region and the people behind it. The Cascadia Series label isn’t just about what’s in the bottle; it’s about where it comes from, who crafted it, and the journey from vine to glass. It stands as a proud symbol of our commitment to authenticity, quality, and the community we’re a part of.

Here are notes on the first three wines:

Poplar Grove Cascadia Pinot Gris 2024 ($21.65). The fruit for this wine is from growers in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills and Yakima Valley. The grapes were harvested at night to preserve the aromatics. They were pressed immediately and the juice was taken by truck (a six-hour journey) to the Poplar Grove winery at Penticton, where it had a long, cool fermentation. The wine was tweaked by blending in 3% Viognier, 2% Sauvignon Blanc and 1.5% each of Chardonnay and Muscat. The wine has aromas and flavours of citrus, pear and peach. The texture fills the mouth while the finish is crisp and refreshing. 90.

Poplar Grove Cascadia Sauvignon Blanc 2024 ($N/A). This wine will be released at the winery in July. The fruit is from the Horse Heaven Hills and Yakima Valley AVAs. The grapes were separated into two lots. Those from Horse Heaven Hills were pressed at a winery there. The chilled juice was shipped to Poplar Grove and was fermented in French oak (70% new). The Yakima Valley grapes were crushed at the vineyard and the juice was shipped at a low temperature to Poplar Grove, to be fermented in stainless steel. The lots were blended for bottling in March 2025. The wine, reminiscent in style to Sancerre, begins with herbal aromas mingled with of lime and pineapple. On the palate, there are lively flavours of lime and grapefruit which persist on the finish. 91.

Poplar Grove Cascadia Rosé 2024 (Wine club only). The blend is 92% Malbec and 8% Muscat. The fruit is from growers in two AVAs (American Viticultural Areas): Wahluke Slope and Yakima Valley. The grapes were machine-harvested in the early morning and were allowed three hours of skin contact before the juice was shipped to the Poplar Grove winery for fermentation. The wine presents with a delicate rose petal hue and aromas of watermelon and raspberry. The palate is crisp and refreshing, with flavours of watermelon and cranberry. 91.

Solvero's fine 2024 Rosé is made with Oregon grapes

Solvero Wines is a boutique producer that began planting a vineyard in Summerland’s Garnet Valley in 2016. In the last several years, the winery has been making a name for itself with superb Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and rosé wines. Unfortunately, the hard freeze events in both the 2023 and 2024 winters inflicted significant bud damage in the Solvero vineyards. That prevented the winery from producing wine from the estate. Like many other Okanagan wineries, Solvero was able to find top-quality fruit from vineyards in Washington and Oregon.

The winery is now releasing a Pinot Noir rosé, made with grapes from a superb Oregon vineyard. Alison Moyes, Solvero’s winemaker, “spent much of September in Oregon,” Solvero recently told members of its wine club. “Back in July, Alison hand-selected two vineyard sites - five specific blocks of grapes that were farmed specifically for Solvero. Pinot Noir was selected for our sparkling wine base; we are very excited to introduce a Blanc de Noir to our portfolio! Stay tuned for that. Those grapes came from the Hyland Vineyard in the McMinnville AVA. Pinot Noir was also chosen for Rosé. We found ideal Chardonnay grapes from the Aebischer Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains AVA.” Both of those viticultural areas are in Oregon.

In the technical notes for the rosé, the winery says that the grapes were “farmed by hand to our specification.” Alison was at the vineyard to make the picking decisions and to supervise pressing the grapes. The juice was chilled to 4◦C and was shipped overnight in a refrigerated truck to the Garnet Valley winery. There, Alison fermented 75% of the juice in stainless steel at cool temperatures. The other 25% was fermented in a neutral barrel. The lots were blended and bottled in mid-February. In short, Alison had almost as much control of the 2024 vintage as she would have had with grapes grown in the Garnet Valley.

Solvero’s own vineyards are being resuscitated by re-trunking the vines so that they will resume production over the next few years. “Many of the vines in the Okanagan Valley that sustained bud damage from the cold are pushing new shoots from the ground,” Solvero told its wine club last year. “Re-trunking uses the new shoots from the base of the vine to replace the existing damaged trunk. The new shoots grow from the established rootstock and will push fruit in the following year, unlike planting brand new vines, which takes at least two to three years before they produce viable grapes. Once the new shoot is established, the original trunk is removed.” Here is a note on Solvero’s first release from the 2024 vintage.

Solvero Rosé 2024 ($25 for 200 cases). The Pinot Noir grapes are from the Aebischer Vineyard in Oregon. The wine has a delicate salmon blush and aromas of watermelon and wild strawberries. There is a medley of berry flavours on the crisp and refreshing palate. 91.

Vasanti wines: bold and satisfying

Photo: Sidhu family (l-r): Vik, Davinder, Harb and Gordie (Melissa Bexton Photography)

The current releases from Vasanti Estate Winery, which opened a tasting room last year near Oliver, are among the boldest and most satisfying red wines from the Okanagan. Grab them while you can because the 2024 freeze event has interrupted production from this aspiring producer.

Vasant is owned and operated by the Sidhu family. The winery name is derived from a Punjabi concept meaning new beginnings and renewal. It was inspired by family scion Harb Sidhu’s decision in 1980 to come to the Okanagan from India. Here, he established himself in agriculture, first with an orchard and later with vineyards. The family now has about 20 acres of vineyard in the Oliver/Osoyoos area of the Okanagan.

“We three brothers decided it was a good time to continue on his legacy and start the winery,” I was told last year by Davinder Sidhu, who was born in 1988 and is the middle of the brothers. “We had always dreamt of a winery when we were younger. It has a sentimental value to us because we all grew up as kids at the location where the winery will be.” The brothers all have careers outside the winery. Davinder is an optometrist. Gordie, the oldest brother, is a financial planner while Vik, the youngest brother, is trained as a biologist. Mentored by Jason Parkes, the winery’s consulting winemaker, Vik is assuming many of the winery’s viticultural and cellar duties. The Jason Parkes winemaking style is big and bold.

Unfortunately for the Sidhu family, the hard winter in early 2024 has delivered a setback after such a promising start. “As per the 2024 vintage, we had a lot of red inventory in the cellar from 2023 so we will make do,” Davinder says. “We have about 150 cases of a Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon blend coming that was co-fermented. This wine turned out spectacular and our winemaking team was very excited about it. We plan on leaving it for 15-18 months to gain even more complexity.” Commenting on the 2024 damage to the Sidhu vineyards, he continues: “We replanted some Syrah and Cabernet Franc last year and had to rip out a lot of Merlot. We are planting some Riesling this year in place of the Merlot and will be adding more Merlot in a different part of our Oliver vineyard likely next year.” Vasanti did not import any Washington State grapes in 2024. But the family seems to have the resources and the determination to hang in there and fulfill the promise of the excellent wines released to date.

Here are my notes.

Vasanti Merlot 2022 ($34.99 for 190 cases). This is Vasanti’s second Merlot release. The grapes are from Vasanti’s Paradise Vineyard. The fruit was fermented in stainless steel and aged 21 months in new and neutral American oak. The wine begins with aromas of cassis and dark fruits which are echoed on the palate, mingled with a hint of blueberry. 90.

Vasanti Cabernet Franc 2022 ($41.99 for 112 cases). This mouth filling wine, Vasanti’s second release, was aged 16 months in new American oak. The wine has aromas and flavours of dark fruits mingled with blackberry, raspberry and spice. 92.

Vasanti Syrah 2021 ($54.99 for 131 cases). Vasanti’s debut Syrah, this delicious wine is a wine club exclusive. It was aged 33 months in new American oak. It is a bold, ripe wine with aromas and flavours of dark cherry, plum, cassis, black licorice, mocha and a hint of pepper. 93.