Blue Grouse acquires a California touch

Photos: Winemaker Stacy Hornemann

The recent releases from Blue Grouse Estate Winery in the Cowichan Valley represent the first vintage made or finished by Stacy Hornemann, the versatile California-trained winemaker who joined Blue Grouse in May 2024. She had already been working with California wineries owned by the Jackson Family which purchased Blue Grouse in 2022, two years after buying nearby Unsworth Vineyards. Both are among the most esteemed producers in the Cowichan Valley. Both have become destination wineries.

Blue Grouse is one of the pioneers of Cowichan Valley winemaking. It was opened in 1990 by Hans Kiltz, a German-born veterinarian. It remained a modest producer until he sold it to Paul Bruner, a mining engineer who had worked in South America but had Vancouver Island roots. A major expansion began under his ownership and has been continued by the Jacksons. In 2024, they moved one of their star winemakers to put a California-trained stamp on the Blue Grouse wines. After getting a winemaking degree at the distinguished University of California Davis campus, Stacy started her career in 2012 at Trefethen Family Vineyards. Wanting to acquire versatile winemaking skills, she moved around California. That included a stint at a sparkling wine producer, Mumm Napa, and another at a custom crush winery.

Tracy joined Stonestreet, a Jackson Family winery, in 2017 (where she made Stonestreet’s first sparkling wine) and eventually became one of the leading winemakers in the Jackson group. Ite speaks for the Jackson Family’s ambitions for Cowichan Valley wine that they have moved one of their most versatile winemakers to Blue Grouse.

Here are notes on some recent releases. Charme De L’île is a trademark all Vancouver Island wineries use to designate their Charmat-method sparkling wines.

Blue Grouse Chardonnay 2024 ($32.99). Fruit for this wine comes from the estate vineyard and the nearby Enrico Vineyard. The wine was fermented in French oak barrels and puncheons (13% new). The wine was left on the lees for 10 months and went through full malolactic fermentation while finishing with 7.7 grams of acidity. The wine is crisp with aromas of citrus, apple and vanilla. On the palate, green apple flavours are framed by a hint of oak. 91.

Blue Grouse Pinot Gris 2024 ($30.99). Fruit for this wine was sourced from three Cowichan Valley vineyards and was fermented separately in concrete and neutral French oak. Only a portion of the wine was allowed malolactic fermentation, maintaining both body and crisp acidity. The wine was aromas and flavours of pear and white peach with a hint of citrus. 90.

Blue Grouse Rosé 2024 ($29.99). The blend is 63% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Gris, 12% Gamay Noir and 10% Chardonnay. Each varietal was fermented separately and aged in stainless steel, neutral French oak and a concrete tank. The wine presents with a delicate pink hue, with aromas of wild strawberry and grapefruit that are echoed on the palate. The finish is crisp and refreshing. 90.

Blue Grouse Pinot Noir 2023 ($39.99). The fruit for this wine is from several Cowichan Valley vineyards and from one of the stronger island vintages. The wine has aromas and flavours of cherry. Decanting reveals a wine with depth and richness. 92.

Blue Grouse Charme De L’île Sparkling Rosé Brut ($29.99). This is a blend of Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir and Pinot Gris. Each lot is fermented separately, then blended, doing its secondary fermentation in a stainless steel tank. A small sugar dosage is added at bottling. The wine presents with an appealing pink hue and a lively set of bubbles. There are aromas of strawberry and flavours of strawberry and pink grapefruit. The wine is non-vintage but it was made from 2024 grapes. 91.

Blue Grouse Charme De L’île Sparkling White Wine Brut ($29.99). This is a blend of the aromatic varietals that thrive on Vancouver Island: Ortega, Schönburger, Pinot Gris and Bacchus. The fruit for this non-vintage wine was from the 2024 vintage. The wine is fermented to dryness in stainless steel. It is then moved to a pressure tank with a dose of sugar and yeast for the secondary ferment that produces the bubbles that are captured at bottling. There is something of a flower garden of aromas with spice and delicate citrus notes on the palate. The bubbles are fine and active. The finish is crisp and fresh. 92.

Synchromesh wines are back!

Photo: Alan Dickinson

The many fans of Synchromesh Wines, the Okanagan Falls Riesling specialist, will welcome the news that the winery’s vineyard has recovered after the freeze damage in 2023 and 2024. Synchromesh owner Alan Dickinson writes: “After some rough winters, we had a beautiful growing season in 2025. The hard work and difficult decisions that we made to ensure strong recovery [of] vine and ecosystem health have paid off. We enjoyed normal crop levels across all vineyard sites. This means the first year of full production for several blocks on the larger Storm Haven site including two Cabernet Franc blocks.”

The Storm Haven Vineyard is 107-acres in size. The varietals grown here including Riesling and Pinot Noir as well as the more recently planted Cabernet Franc. “Farmed without synthetics or chemicals and following a holistic approach,” Alan writes, “we strive to grow our vines within the existing ecosystem rather than manipulating it.” Because the 2025 vintage yielded a good quantity of wine, Synchromesh this year has been able to open its tasting room on McLean Creek Road just east of Okanagan Falls. For more background on the winery, here is an except from the 2020 edition of the Okanagan Wine Tour Guide.

Alan Dickinson champions three varietals at Synchromesh. Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir anchor the red wines while Riesling is almost an obsession with him. “I really like old Rieslings,” he says. “When you start laying Riesling down past 15 years, there is magic that happens under cork.” The magic, in fact, comes from Alan’s singular style. Synchromesh Rieslings invariably balance high residual sugar with racy acidity, recalling fine age-worthy German Rieslings. There are many top Okanagan Riesling wines but few that compare with Synchromesh.

Born in Vancouver in 1982 and trained in marketing and entrepreneurship, Alan was a founder of Vancouver Wine Vaults, which stores private wine collections. When they decided to participate in the wine industry directly, Alan and his wife, Amy, searched the Okanagan for good Riesling sites for 18 months. In early 2010, they bought a 2-hectare (5-acre) piece of land that included a four-year-old block of Clone 21B Riesling. They have since replaced all the other varieties on the property with Riesling and Pinot Noir. In 2017 they purchased an adjoining 41-hectare (102-acre) block of raw land. About a third has been planted with Riesling and Cabernet Franc while the remainder is preserved as natural habitat. The soils are lean. “The greatest German Rieslings are basically grown in slate, with no soil whatsoever and very little nutrient,” Alan says.

The block wraps around the base of 600-metre-high Peach Cliff, the most prominent geological feature at Okanagan Falls. Peach Cliff absorbs summer heat, creating updrafts that deflect rain and hail, which is why the original vineyard here is called Storm Haven. The wide diurnal temperature swing—as much as 20°C between night and day—make this “perfect Riesling country,” Alan believes. He also sources Riesling, along with Cabernet Franc and Merlot, from contract vineyards on the Naramata Bench and near Oliver. Alan made his first Riesling vintage in 2010, signalling his style by labelling the wine halbtrocken, or off-dry. Alan has not used German on the labels since, but what’s inside remains true to the style.

Here are notes on the recent releases.

Synchromesh Riesling 2025 ($26). This is a blend of fruit from vineyards on the Naramata Bench, in Okanagan Falls and near Oliver. The wine has acidity of 8.25 grams balanced with 39.35 grams of residual sugar. The palate is vibrant, with aromas and flavours of lemon. 91.

Synchromesh Riesling Storm Haven Vineyard Dry 2025 ($30). At this stage in its youth, the wine’s abundant minerality is the first thing greeting the palate, followed by aromas and flavours of lemon and a hint of petrol that will develop as the wine ages. 91.

Synchromesh Riesling Storm Haven Vineyard Riesling White Label 2025 ($30). This is the classic Synchromesh tour de force, with 10.6 grams of acid balanced with 49.5 grams of residual sugar. The wine is tangy with aromas and flavours of lemon. 94.

Synchromesh Riesling Long’s View Vineyard Riesling 2025 ($30). This wine is made with fruit from a vineyard near Naramata Village. It is a complex wine, with a superb balance: 7.2 grams of acid and 32.7 grams of residual sugar. There are notes of minerals as well as citrus in the aroma leading to delicate flavours of citrus. 93.

Synchromesh Riesling Ivy’s Vineyard Riesling 2025 ($30). The fruit for this wine is from an old vineyard on the Golden Mile Bench. The acid is 6.1 grams against 45.4 grams of residual sugar. The wine has noticeable weight on the palate, with aromas and flavours of marmalade. 91.

Synchromesh Pinot Noir Storm Haven Vineyard 2023 ($40). This is a dark, muscular Pinot Noir that will benefit from cellaring. It has classic aromas and flavours of cherry and spice, with savoury notes on the palate. 90.

Black Hills Nota Bene 2024 is a great wine from Walla Walla

Photo: Black Hills head winemaker Ryan McKibbon (courtesy of Black Hills Estate Winery

One of the wines in my 2017 book, Icon, was the Bordeaux blend from Black Hills Estate Winery called Nota Bene, Latin for “take notice.” I wrote: “That is exactly what happened from the very first vintage of Nota Bene in 1999. The acclaim from critics and consumers gave it a cult status that the wine has enjoyed ever since.”

The extraordinary string of distinguished reds was very nearly broken in 2024. The Black Hills vineyards, which are on Black Sage Road south of Oliver, suffered considerable damage from the hard freezes in 2023 and 2024. That triggered a decision to accelerate the replanting of the vineyards.

“While our young vines take root,” the winery explains, “we ventured south [to Washington and Oregon] to explore new growing regions and source from exceptional vineyards.” The resulting wines are being released under the label, Hiatus Collection. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines hiatus as “an interruption in time or continuity.” The 2024 Nota Bene does break the continuity of icons but I doubt collectors will complain. This is an exceptional Nota Bene, equal in quality and character to the iconic Okanagan Nota Bene wines of previous vintages.

In 2024, having decided to replant in the Okanagan, Black Hills winemaker Ryan McKibbon and his team “spent countless hours on the ground in Washington and Oregon – walking vineyard rows, tasting broadly, and building relationships.” They decided to source fruit from the Rocks District AVA on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley. The grapes were hand-harvested and destemmed, leaving whole berries intact to ferment with wild yeasts. The wine was aged 18 months in French oak, of which a surprising 44% was new. Yet the wine is so full of flavour and texture that it never tastes over-oaked.

The winery’s somewhat poetic notes conclude: “What lingers is not just flavour but a sense of place: Walla Walla in its breadth and nuance, interpreted through its making in the Okanagan Valley. The result is a wine that feels both composed and alive, where craftsmanship and origin meet without either one overshadowing the other.” Here is a note on the wine.

Black Hills 2024 Nota Bene Hiatus Collection ($70 for 1,567 cases). This is a blend of 43% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon an 23% Cabernet Franc. The wine was aged 18 months in French oak (44% new). The wine begins with aromas of black cherry and black currant, with the oak influence expressed as spice. The palate delivers flavours of dark fruits with a hint of blueberry deep in the middle. Ripe tannins add an earthy note to a long, rich finish. This wine stands as an equal among the iconic Nota Bene wines of the past. 94.

Township 7 wines showcase three vintages

Township 7 winemaker Mary McDermott

The latest releases from Township 7 Vineyards & Winery provide into three different vintages: the outstanding 2022 and 2025 vintages and the less-heralded, but not to be overlooked 2023 vintage.

The winery calls 2022 a year of extremes. “The weather was unpredictable, with an unusually cool spring (one of the coolest springs ever on record in the Okanagan), followed by a remarkably warm autumn,” the winery writes. “… By fall harvest, the fruit was in excellent condition with good acidity and balance, and higher yields than in the previous three years.” The result: “one of the best vintages in recent decades.”

The 2023 vintage “continued the trend of unpredictable and extreme weather patterns,” the winery writes. A cold snap in December, 2022, caused severe damage in the vineyards, reducing the 2023 yields by 40% to 50%. During the season, the vineyard team dealt with disease pressures in the spring, extreme heat and wildfire smoke in the summer, with an early harvest. But the winery reports: “The resulting wines achieved full ripeness … Although smaller than previous vintages, the 2023 vintage will be one to savour.”

There was no Okanagan vintage of consequence in 2024 due to devasting winter frost. The winery had to replant eight acres of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc at its Blue Terrace Vineyard. “The 2025 growing season brought a welcome rebound,” the winery writes. “Fruit quality was excellent, and yields surpassed our early expectations. … By season’s end, yields matched our largest harvest on record, marking a remarkable recovery for the vineyards.”

Winemaker Mary McDermott offers a comment on 2026’s encouraging start. “We are relieved to report that winter has been relatively mild in the Okanagan, with healthy looking buds and encouraging conditions in the vineyard so far,” she wrote in early April. Here are notes on the wines.

b>Township 7 Provenance Series Sauvignon Blanc 2025 ($26.97 for 750 cases). The fruit is from the winery’s Blue Terrace Vineyard at Oliver. The largest portion was fermented cool in stainless steel while a smaller portion was fermented at higher temperatures in barrel. This added more texture without taking away from the vibrant flavours. The wine begins with aromas of lime that mingle with stone fruit on the palate. There is a lovely mineral backbone. 91.

Township 7 Provenance Series Pinot Gris 2025 ($26.97 for 730 cases). This wine is made with Naramata Bench fruit, fermented cool in stainless steel. The wine has aromas and flavours of pear and peach. The palate is fleshy; yet the finish is bright. 92.

Township 7 Benchmark Series Riesling 2023 ($29.97 for 145 cases). The fruit is from the Fool’s Gold Vineyard at Oliver. The juice was fermented cool and primarily in concrete, with a small portion in stainless steel. This is an elegant Riesling, with aromas and flavours of citrus and green apple. Just a hint of petrol emerges. 93.

Township 7 Benchmark Series Gewürztraminer 2025 ($29.97 for 136 cases). This is a serious dry Gewürztraminer made with Naramata Bench fruit. Equal parts of the juice were fermented in stainless steel (cool) and in neutral oak barrels (warmer). The wine has classic aromas of lychee leading to flavours of orange peel and ginger. The finish lingers. 90.

Township 7 Benchmark Series Reserve 7 2022 ($44.97 for 499 cases). This is a blend of 56% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc, from the Blue Terrace Vineyard near Oliver and the Raju Vineyard near Osoyoos. The wine was aged 24 months in barrel (62% French oak, of which 10% was new, and 38% American). This wine reflects a great vintage. It begins with aromas of cassis and black cherry leading to bold flavours of black currant, dark cherry mingled with chocolate and tobacco. The finish is long. 95.

Township 7 Benchmark Series NBO 2022 ($44.97 for 455 cases). This is a blend of 55.9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44.1% Merlot; both from the winery’s Blue Terrace vineyard near Oliver. The wine was aged 24 months in barrel (70% French, 30% American and 15% new). The wine is rich, with aromas of dark fruits mingled with chocolate. On the palate, there are flavours of black cherry, red currant, coffee and chocolate. 92.

Hester Creek's 2025 whites are fragrant

Photo: Winemaker Mark Hopley

Hester Creek Estate Winery rates the 2025 vintage as “one of the best vintages the Okanagan valley has ever seen. Mark Hopley, the winemaker, ranks the quality up with the great 2022 vintage. The surprising quality of the 2025 wines – “wines [that] exhibit balance, complexity and develop flavours” – are welcome after the frost-ravaged vintages of 2023 and 2024. “I believe that the vines that survived basically had a two-year hiatus from producing grapes,” Mark says. “The vines were ready to be productive.” And the season was distinguished with lots of “growing degree days.” The vines also produced more abundantly than expected.

The winery has just released its white wines, all of which are notable for bright flavours and superb balance. “The reds are shaping up well,” Mark adds. “Early indications led to a memorable vintage.”

Hester Creek whites and rosé wines reflect Hester Creek’s use of the AromaLoc technology which was invented in the Okanagan and has been commercialized by an Italian firm. The units – Hester Creek has several – sit on fermentation tanks to capture the CO2 while preserving the wine’s aromas. Mark believes the technology “really allows the aromatics to shine through.”

Here are notes on the 2025 whites from Hester Creek.

Hester Creek Pinot Gris 2025 ($19.99). The fruit was fermented cool in stainless steel with the use of AromaLoc to preserve the aromatics. The aromas of apples and cantaloupe lead to flavours of pear and apple. 91.