Township 7 sparkles in 2026

The members of Township 7 Vineyards wine club must surely look forward to new releases from the winery because winemaker Mary McDermott has such sure hand at the job. She makes both top flight tables wines and some of British Columbia’s best sparkling wines. The four wines released this summer, including two traditional method sparkling wines, prove that.

Township 7 made its first sparkling wine in 2001 and called it Seven Stars. When Mike Raffan bought the wine in 2005, he wanted to produce more sparkling wine but, for some reason, the winery did not get around to it until Mary became the winemaker. “We hired Mary in 2014,” Mike told me in an interview in 2021. “She had the experience, the knowledge and mostly the passion about sparkling wines. That was part of our first interview. It was not primarily why she was hired but, as it turns out, we were able to start the [sparkling wine] project in 2015.”

By that time, Mike had sold the winery but remained to manage it. The new owner has given full support to Mary, as she polished and expanded the portfolio. New cooperage was added to the cellar; premium vineyards were purchased in the South Okanagan and replanted, where required, after the 2024 freeze. And Township 7’s original vineyard at Langley in the Fraser Valley was dedicated – at Mary’s suggestion - to growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay just for sparkling wine. Seven Stars has become a separate brand with a lower case spelling and a family of wines with celestial names. The two in the current release are Aurora, named for the Roman Goddess of Dawn, and Rigel, named for one of the brightest stars in the night sky. The seven stars family also includes Vega, Polaris. Equinox and Sirius.

In the same 2021 interview, Mary spoke of her passion for sparkling wine. “When I was taking my WSET courses and working as a sommelier, I loved sparkling,” she said. “And then when I started full time in wineries, I worked at Cave Springs Cellars. They had a small sparkling program there and I got my hands dirty, because I worked fulltime in the cellars then. I moved from Cave Springs to Trius [a major Niagara wine producer] and took over the Trius program, which is much larger. It kept going from there. I always really enjoyed sparkling wine.”

Here are notes on the current releases.

Township 7 Provenance Series Rosé 2025 ($28.97 for 730 cases). This is a blend 41% Syrah, 38% Rotberger, 11.5% Pinot Noir, 7% Pinot Gris and 2.5% Pinot Meunier, all from the Naramata Bench. The fruit had just enough skin contact to develop a delicate pink hue to the wine. A cool, month-long ferment in stainless steel preserved the lively fruit flavours. The wine begins with aromas of strawberry and cherries, which are echoed on the palate. The finish is dry and refreshing. 90.

Township 7 Benchmark Series Viognier 2025 ($30.97 for 731 cases). The fruit is from vineyards in Osoyoos and Oliver. The wine was fermented primarily in stainless steel with 24% aged in neutral oak to add texture and complexity. This is a vibrant wine with aromas and flavours of tangerine, peach and apricot. The fruit flavours are mouth-filling and the texture gives the wine a long finish. 92.

seven stars Rigel 2023 ($34.97 for 634 cases). This is 100% Riesling, with fruit from the Fool’s Gold Vineyard at Oliver. A traditional method sparkling wine, it was aged 12 months en tirage before being disgorged, finished with a proprietary dosage and bottled. There are aromas of lime and apple with a hint of petrol. The crisp palate delivers citrus flavours and a lively display of bubbles. 90.

seven stars Aurora 2022 ($49.97 for 1,296 bottles). Think of this wine as a premium Champagne at half price! It is 100% Pinot Noir from Okanagan Falls. The wine was aged en tirage for 30 months, with a small addition of proprietary dosage at bottling. This is an elegant and refined sparkling wine, with a hint of brioche and apple in both the aroma and the flavour. The lively mousse accentuates the crispness and the refreshing finish. 94.