The 2012 Lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence

Photo: The winning wines displayed at Government House in Victoria

Begun 10 years ago, the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in British Columbia Wines has clearly established itself as a major wine competition.

This year, 94 wineries entered 347 wines. Both figures are new records. Only 30 wineries took part in the first year. This year, eleven wines from 10 producers emerged as winners in this rigorous competition.

The awards were inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo and continued by her successor, Steven Point. One of the concluding events of his five years in the office will be his tour to each of the winning wineries in late July to make the awards in person.

Several details set this competition apart from all the other provincial and national competitions.

To begin with, wineries pay no entry fees.  Wineries are so accustomed to paying to enter wines in competition – sometimes hefty fees – that at least one excellent Okanagan winery skipped the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards, thinking there was also a fee.

Secondly, there are no silver or bronze medals or honourable mentions. This is meant to enhance the awards that are given. There are seldom more than a dozen awards given each year.

Thirdly, this is the only competition in British Columbia in which the awards are handed out by the representative of the Crown – just in case anyone thinks this is not a big deal.

This year, the six judges split into two panels and, during a day and a half of tasting, selected about 40 wines for the final round of judging. From that already astonishing distillation of quality, the judges, now in a combined panel, chose the final winners.

Full disclosure: I am one of the wine judges. I was impressed with the consistency of quality among all the wines and by the promise shown by Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Rhone whites.

These are the winners in 2012. The tasting notes and point scores are my own, not those of the rest of the panel.

EauVivre Winery Pinot Noir 2009 ($19). A first-time winner, EauVivre is a winery near Cawston that was opened in 2009 by former Saskatchewanians Jeri Estin and Dale Wright. This is an elegant and polished wine, light in hue but silky in texture, with aromas and flavours of raspberry and mocha. 89.

Gold Hill Winery Cabernet Franc 2009 ($25 and nearly sold out). This is a first LG win for a winery that just opened last year midway between Oliver and Osoyoos on the Golden Mile. The wine is big and juicy, with aromas of cassis and blueberry, and flavours reflecting those fruits along cherry and spice on the finish. 91.

Hester Creek Estate Winery Reserve Merlot 2008 ($26.99). This is, if memory serves me, the first win by one of the oldest of Okanagan wineries. The award underlines the profound turnaround here since Curt Garland bought it in a bankruptcy auction in 2004 and then hired a veteran winemaker, Rob Summers, in 2008. This is a bold, concentrated wine made with grapes from vines planted in the 1970s. It begins with aromas of vanilla and blackberry and has flavours of plum, black currant, mocha, with a hint of coffee. 91.

Jackson-Triggs Entourage Sparkling Chardonnay 2008 ($29.99). This winery is a multiple winner of the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards, but never before with a sparkling wine.  Winemaking for this wine began with barrel-fermented Chardonnay which was then re-fermented in Champagne bottles and allowed to spend two years on the yeast lees before being disgorged. As a result, there is an appealing toasty note on the aroma and the palate, along with citrus flavours and a creamy texture. 90.

(I recently tasted the 2009 Entourage, which is soon to be released, and I found it even a better sparkling wine.)

Laughing Stock Vineyards Syrah 2010 ($34). This Naramata Bench winery is a repeat winner of this award; last year, it won with a Pinot Gris. This wine is made in the classic Côte Rotie style, blending 94% Syrah with 6% Viognier. The grapes are grown near Osoyoos, superb Syrah terroir. The wine has white pepper on the nose, with a touch of that on the palate. Big and generous, the wine tastes of plum and black cherry. 90.

Painted Rock Estate Winery Syrah 2009 ($40). Painted Rock, an Okanagan Falls area winery, also won two awards in this competition two years ago. This Syrah also is developing a track record for awards, having won silver at the 2012 Syrah du Monde competition in France. The wine begins with an almost jammy aroma of ripe fruit. It hits the palate with a big scoop of black cherry, fig, plum, chocolate and liquorice. 92.

Painted Rock Estate Winery Red Icon 2009 ($55). This wine was named the best red in Canada in last fall’s Canadian wine awards. This is the third vintage of Red Icon, a blend of all the Bordeaux varieties except Malbec, but also with a dash of Syrah in this vintage. It begins with aromas of spice, blackberry, black currant and dark cherry. It shows a rich texture with flavours of berries, plums, dark chocolate and vanilla. This is a wine with power and elegance. 94.

Poplar Grove Winery Cabernet Franc 2009 ($35). This winery, which first made a name for itself with Cabernet Franc, is another repeat winner of this award. This is a classic example of the variety – lots of brambly berry aromas and lots of raspberry, cherry and red currant on a palate, which is full-bodied. 91.

Road 13 Vineyards Jackpot Viognier Rousanne Marsanne 2011 ($29). This winery is a repeat winner, having also won under its previous name, Golden Mile Cellars. Winemaker J-M Bouchard fermented these three varietals together when they arrived at the same time on his crush pad. It certainly made a harmonious and cerebral wine, crisp on the palate, with aromas of citrus and stone fruit and with a bowl of tropical fruit flavours. 91.

This blend may be available only at the winery; it does not appear on the winery’s web site order form.

Ruby Blues Winery Viognier 2011 ($25). This award is a first for Ruby Blues but not for proprietor Prudence Mahrer. When she and husband Beat owned Red Rooster Winery, they won two awards, both with Gewürztraminer. This wine was made with grapes from the Ruby Blues vineyard and from the vineyard of Lyndsay O’Rourke, the winemaker at Ruby Blues.

This crisp and refreshing white begins with aromas of citrus and stone fruit and delivers flavours of citrus and pineapple, with a spine of minerals that give the wine a laser-like focus. 91.

Thornhaven Estates Winery Gewürztraminer 2011 ($17.90). Thornhaven is a repeat winner of this award and has made a reputation for its excellent Gewürztraminer. This is a wine with superb varietal expression: spicy aromas, rich flavours of lychee and tangerine and just enough residual sugar to give it a plump, honeyed finish. 91.

Intrigue Wines makes four in Lake Country

Photo: Interior of Intrigue wine shop; courtesy of Intrigue Wines

Now there are four wineries with tasting rooms in Lake Country – the North Okanagan community still better known perhaps as Winfield.

The senior citizen among these wineries is Gray Monk Estate Winery, which opened in 1982, and had to attract wine tourists all on its own until Arrowleaf Cellars opened in 2003 and Ex Nihilo in 2009.

The new kid on the block is Intrigue Wines, which has had wines on the market for several years but which has now opened a wine shop at 2291 Goldie Road. The shop, which overlooks a vineyard, is no more than 10 minutes west of Highway 97, and about the same distance from Gray Monk.

These four wineries make for a nice one-day wine tour, including a stop for lunch at the excellent Gray Monk restaurant.

Plus, a fifth winery is expected to open a wineshop nearby next year: 50^th Parallel Estate Winery, which is growing Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer not far from Carr’s Landing.

Intrigue was launched in 2009 by two couples: Roger and Jillian Wong, and Ross and Geri Davis. Roger is the winemaker for Intrigue as well being on the winemaking staff at Gray Monk.

He can juggle the two jobs because of the difference in scale. Gray Monk, where George Heiss Jr. also makes wine, produces about 80,000 cases a year. Intrigue made 1,400 cases in the 2011 vintage and might make as much as 3,000 cases in 2012.

To date, Intrigue has been able to sell its wines through the internet, through private wine stores and through restaurants. However, as the winery grows, a wine shop open to the public is essential. The shop is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm until at least October.

The shop, 1,750 square feet in size, is modest but functional, with a warm interior built with wood and bricks salvaged from heritage farm buildings that were being demolished.

Currently, there are six wines in the Intrigue portfolio. Here are my notes.

Intrigue Riesling 2011 ($16.90 for a production of 420 cases). This exquisitely balanced wine has just enough residual sugar to take the edge off the racy acidity while lifting the fruity aromas and flavours. There is a mouthful of lime and grapefruit, with good spine of minerals. 90.

Intrigue Pinot Gris 2011 ($16.90 for 100 cases). This is a full-bodied Pinot Gris, with aromas and flavours of apples and pears. The crisp finish is refreshing and lingering. 90.

Intrigue Gewürztraminer 2011 ($16.90 for 210 cases). The winemaker again has left in enough residual sugar to round out the texture while keeping the finish reasonably dry. It begins with attractive floral and spicy aromas and has flavours of citrus and lychee. 90.

Intrigue “11” ($14.90 for 450 cases). In each vintage, Roger puts together a white blend with some of the best grapes available to him. The 2011 blend is 76% Riesling, 21% Gewürztraminer and 3% Muscat Canelli. The winery’s own notes describe this as “summer in a glass.” Once again, Roger has balanced the lively acidity of 2011 with a touch of sweetness. The wine has spicy and herbal aromas, leading to flavours of grapefruit and peach. 90.

Intrigue Merlot 2010 ($19.90 for 230 cases). While Roger relies on vineyards around Lake Country for most of his grapes, he goes south, to warmer vineyards, for Merlot. These grapes come from Summerland; and the wine gets 12 months in French oak before being released. The wine is still youthfully firm, with a good concentrated texture and with aromas and flavours of black currant and blackberries. 90.

Intrigue Focus Riesling 2011 ($19.90 for 69 cases). The Focus label was created to feature wines made with the grapes that Roger believes are best suited for a region. For Kelowna and Lake Country, he thinks Riesling is the best varietal. And he selected his very best Riesling grapes to make this elegant wine with citrus aromas and honey and grapefruit flavours. The wine is balanced to be perceived dry, although there is again enough residual sugar to give the wine some weight. This wine will age well. 91.

Noble Ridge releases The One

Photo: Jim and Leslie D'Andrea; photo by Paul D'Andrea

Jim and Leslie D’Andrea bought vineyard property near Okanagan Falls in 2001. From the beginning, the planting decisions included varieties dedicated for sparkling wine.

Their winery, Noble Ridge Vineyards & Winery, now has released its initial sparkling cuvée – “The One.”

As they explain on the back label: “Champagne has always been part of our lives. Whether celebrating the holidays, a birthday, anniversary or just the end of a long week, Champagne seemed to enhance any occasion.”

As we know, Champagne can be expensive, even for this power couple. Jim is a senior lawyer in Calgary with one of Canada’s biggest law firms and Leslie has had a career in heath care management.

I am sure that economics was not the reason that Noble Ridge’s winemaker, Phil Soo, crafted a sparkling wine for his employers. However, The One is cheaper than most Champagne, but every bit as good.

It is the star of the winery’s new releases. Here are my notes.

Noble Ridge 2011 Mingle ($17.90). The winery’s aptly-named white blend, Mingle is crisp and fresh, beginning with herbal and citrus aromas. On the palate, there are flavours of citrus, ripe apples and herbs. The instinct for summer drinking is to chill this wine – but don’t overdo it, or you will miss the juicy, fleshy mid-palate texture. The varietals in the blend, not given on the label, are 44% Pinot Gris, 40% Chardonnay and 16% Gewürztraminer. 90.

Noble Ridge 2010 Pinot Grigio ($18.90). This wine begins with an appealing aromas of tangerines and honey, leading to honeyed citrus flavours and then to flavours of pears and peaches. There is good weight on the palate, with just a touch of warmth from the 13.8% alcohol. 89.

If I may grumble, this should be renamed Pinot Gris. Wines as ripe as this, and with this much ripeness, are hardly the classic Pinot Grigio style from Northern Italy, which generally is lighter and lower in alcohol. (Nor is this the only Okanagan Pinot Grigio that should be rechristened.)

Noble Ridge 2010 Chardonnay ($23.90). Here is a wine that does not apologize (nor should it) for being rich, buttery and boldly oaked. Both the aroma and palate deliver oak, butterscotch and tangerine, with a splendid core of citrus flavours. 88.

Noble Ridge 2009 Pinot Noir ($24.90). With 15% alcohol, this is a Pinot Noir that wants to be a Zinfandel. Spectacularly ripe and full-bodied, this begins with aromas of black cherries. On the palate, there are flavours of plums, black cherries and mocha. The fruit is so rich and concentrated that you don’t get any heat from the alcohol. The singular style sets this wine apart from the valley’s Pinot Noirs. That said, it is absolutely delicious, and big enough to go with your barbecues this summer. 90.

Noble Ridge 2009 Meritage Reserve ($29.90). At 14.7% alcohol, this is another example of the ripe and generous reds which the 2009 vintage delivered. The wine begins with aromas of vanilla, plum and black currants. On the palate, there are juicy black currant and plum flavours, with a generous texture and a long finish. 91.

Noble Ridge 2009 “The One” ($39.90). Made with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this wine has a slight bronze tint, adding to its eye appeal in the Champagne flute, along with the vigorous bubbles. The aroma shows the classic toasty bouquet of a wine aged on the yeast lees before being disgorged. The flavours include hints of minerals and citrus. The initial impact on the palate is creamy but that gives way to a crisply dry finish. This wine, which has already won silver at a major American competition, has all the elegance one desires in fine sparkling wine. 92.

Foxtrot Vineyards will appear at Taste Victoria

  

Taste Victoria’s 2012 Festival of Food and Wine has landed a big Okanagan fish for its trade and consumer wine tastings on July 19.

Torsten Allander, the co-proprietor of Foxtrot Vineyards on the Naramata Bench, will be at the Crystal Garden venue to pour three of his highly-regarded wines.

Because Foxtrot is a small producer, the principals rarely show up at such public tastings where consumers can sample the wines. In fact, the winery does not even have a public tasting room (although one can ask for an appointment).

This is a remarkable opportunity for those attending this event in Victoria to taste wines that have earned a justifiable cult following.

Torsten plans to pour three wines: Foxtrot Coolshanagh Vineyard Chardonnay 2010; Foxtrot Pinot Noir 2009; and Foxtrot Erickson Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008. All are available to purchase, by the case, from the winery’s web site.

I have tasted both of the reds. When you read my notes, you will know why you need to buy a ticket for Taste Victoria – and not just for Foxtrot’s three wines. There will be at least 100 other British Columbia wines in the tasting, along with food from top Victoria restaurants.

Foxtrot opened in 2007, but its Pinot Noir already had a following. Beginning with the 2004 vintage, several Foxtrot Pinot Noirs were made at nearby Lake Breeze Vineyards. That gave Torsten the opportunity to decide whether his postage-stamp vineyard could grow world-class Pinot Noir, and whether he could sell those wines. By the third vintage, the answer was “yes” on both counts and Foxtrot built its own winery.

This is now a family operation. Torsten and his wife, Kicki, have now been joined by their winemaker son, Gustav.

As well, Gustav and his wife, Nadine, a winemaker at Poplar Grove Estate Winery, also have their own label, Wapiti Cellars, and have released a Viognier under that label.

Here are my notes on the Pinot Noirs.

Foxtrot Erickson Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008 ($45.95). The grapes for this wine come from a vineyard not far north of the Foxtrot vineyard. Perhaps because of differing viticultural practices, the wine is a little lighter than the estate Pinot Noir from Foxtrot, but still quite elegant. It has appealing aromas of strawberries and cherries which carry through to the flavours, along with a hint of toastiness, spice and mocha. The texture is silky. 90.

Foxtrot Pinot Noir 2009 ($54.95). The wine announces itself with dramatic aromas of cherry, spice, mocha and French oak. The wine is rich and fleshy on the palate, delivering flavours of cherry, strawberry and spice with a sultry elegance. If ever there is a wine to elope with, this is it. 95.

Robin Ridge plants a second vineyard

Photo: Robin Ridge's Caroline and Tim Cottrill

  

This spring, Tim and Caroline Cottrill, the owners of Robin Ridge Estate Winery near Keremeos, began planting their second vineyard in the Similkameen Valley.

It is an expansion that will support more production of their best-selling Gamay as well as enabling Tim to add a Meritage blend to the portfolio.

Even more significantly, the location of the new vineyard will allow them to move their wine shop to a higher profile site than it currently occupies.

Robin Ridge opened its charming wine shop in 2008 on a 10-acre vineyard on Middle Bench Road, just a short drive from Highway 3A, the highway that takes the left fork from Keremeos to Penticton.

It turns out that Highway 3A is the road less travelled. Much more traffic chooses the right fork just after Keremeos, taking Highway 3 to Osoyoos – and often missing Robin Ridge and two other fine wineries not on that road. (The others are Herder Winery & Vineyards and Clos Du Soleil Winery.)

Tim’s new seven-acre vineyard – formerly a derelict apricot orchard – has good frontage on Highway 3. His long-term plan is to move the Robin Ridge tasting room to this more visible location than Middle Bench Road.

So far, he has only planted two acres on the new acreage, choosing Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Robin Ridge already produces Merlot from its original vineyard but Tim would like to add a Meritage. “Merlot is a tough varietal to market on its own,” he has found.

He intends to plant another two acres of Gamay so that he can increase the production of that varietal. The winery now makes less than 200 cases of Gamay each vintage. The wine, since it is one of better Gamays in the Okanagan and Similkameen, sells out quickly.

Tim is also thinking of planting more Gewürztraminer, along with another white variety – still undecided – that he can blend with Chardonnay.

In the 2011 vintage, Robin Ridge purchased grapes for the first time to support its rising production. That was another impetus to the purchase of more vineyard. “You can always buy grapes,” Tim says, “but sometimes getting the quality you like is tough.”

Robin Ridge does its best to attract customers to its current location with entertaining events. On July 7, the winery is sponsoring an archery competition. On July 14, it is joining with seven other Similkameen wineries to host a barbecue king competition at the Keremeos Grist Mill.

Here are notes on the wines currently available in the Robin Ridge wine shop.

Robin Ridge Gewürztraminer 2011 ($18.90). The wine is delicately balanced to finish almost dry and food friendly. It has appealing aromas of rose petals and citrus fruits with spicy flavours of grapefruit and grapefruit rind. 88.

Robin Ridge Chardonnay 2009 ($18.90). Here is a subtly-oaked Chardonnay where the oak does not bury the appealing flavours and aromas of tangerine, peach and apricot. There is a buttery richness on the lingering finish. 90.

Robin Ridge Flamingo 2011 ($17.90). Tim’s son, Charles, who is 15, got involved in making this off-dry rosé with Sovereign Coronation grapes, a table grape variety grown here. Only 26 cases were made. While the wine has the slightly grapey taste of the varietal, it is a refreshing apéritif with hints of strawberry, rhubarb and citrus. 87.

Robin Ridge Robin’s Return 2009 ($21.90). A blend of Rougeon and Pinot Noir, this is a dark-hued wine with smoky blackberry aromas and with intense cherry flavours. 88.

Robin Ridge Pinot Noir 2010 ($21.90). The wine, which is developing the classic Pinot texture, has spicy aromas and flavours of cherry and plum. 88.

Robin Ridge Gamay 2010 ($22.90). The intense black pepper and raspberry aromas follow through on the palate, along with black cherry flavours.  The texture is meaty and generous. 90.

Robin Ridge Merlot 2008 ($21.90). The wine begins with aromas of black currants and plum. Firmly structured, it has flavours of currants, plum and spice. 88.

Robin Ridge Reserve Merlot 2009 ($28.90). Tim took advantage of the superb 2009 vintage to make a bold, ripe and concentrated Merlot, with aromas and flavours of vanilla, currants, figs, plum and chocolate. This wine scored double gold at the All Canadian Wine Championships. 90.

Upper Bench offers one-stop shopping

Photo: Gavin and Shana Miller

With 220 wineries in British Columbia, and counting, a new label needs something to differentiate itself.

Gavin and Shana Miller should have a winning formula at Upper Bench Estate Winery. He makes solid wines while Shana makes seven different cheeses. And the winery’s summer market will also sell fresh fruit from Naramata orchards. One-stop shopping for food and wine tourists.

Upper Bench is the new name for a Penticton winery that opened originally in 2001 as Benchland Winery and then became Stonehill when it was acquired by the Holman Lang group of wineries.

When Holman Lang went under in early 2011, the Millers teamed up with pulp and paper executive Wayne Nystrom to make a successful bid for the winery at the bankruptcy court.

The rest of 2011 was given over to renovating the winery building, primarily to add a cheese-making room for Shana, who had begun her cheese-making career several years earlier at the Poplar Grove Winery.

The cheese there was (and is) legendary. It is now evident in the Upper Bench tasting room that Shana, who is making between 60 and 80 kilograms of cheese a week, has brought the same skill to this winery. The seven cow milk cheeses all are priced at $5.50 for 100 grams.

Gavin, who was born in Britain in 1965 and formerly worked there as a sales manager, came to the Okanagan in 1995 on vacation. He met Shana and that led to his decision to immigrate and then to get into the wine industry. He was a winemaker at Poplar Grove from 2004 to 2008 and then spent two more vintages at Painted Rock. He had a hand in making notable award-winning wines at both of those producers.

In addition to renovating the winery last year, Gavin also whipped the Upper Bench vineyard into shape. The result is evident from the 2011 wines released to date by Upper Bench, as well as from barrel samples of upcoming reds that I was able to taste recently.

I won’t attempt to add tasting notes on the cheeses, not being technically equipped as a cheese maker. But I did taste the cheeses and they are very good. Here are notes on the wines.

Upper Bench Pinot Gris 2011 ($19.90 for 284 cases). The wine is crisply fresh, with aromas of citrus and apples and with flavours of pears and stone fruit. The finish is dry – the winery’s own notes describe it as steely but that descriptor is overly austere. 88.

Upper Bench Pinot Blanc 2011 ($18.90 for 134 cases). Again, the wine is crisply fresh and dry, with aromas of apples and flavours of pineapple and stone fruit. 88.

Upper Bench Riesling 2011 ($21.90 for 112 cases). This is a juicy, savoury Riesling with the beginning of the classic hint of petrol on the nose. On the palate, it delivers a tasty bowl of tropical fruit flavours. The finish is long but also refreshing. 90.

Upper Bench Chardonnay 2011 ($24.90 for 324 cases). Half of this was fermented in stainless steel and half was fermented and aged in barrel for five months. The oak lends an appealingly toasty note to the aroma and flavour, along with citrus aromas. The flavours include citrus, mango and tangerine and the texture is rich and satisfying. 89.

Upper Bench Rosé 2011 ($18.90 for 174 cases). Made with Zweigelt grapes, this is a good dry rosé with aromas and flavours of strawberries, rhubarb and sour cherry. 88.

Upper Bench Pinot Noir 2010 ($26.90 for 238 cases). This is a wine that Gavin inherited but finished well, giving it 18 months in oak – 30% of it new barrels. While the texture is still firm, the wine displays aromas and flavours of cherries and red berries. 88.

Upper Bench Pinot Noir 2011 (barrel sample). This is already full-bodied and generous on the palate, with aromas and flavours of black cherries. This will mature to an elegant Pinot Noir.

Upper Bench Merlot 2010 ($28.90 for 84 cases). This also aged 18 months in oak, a quarter of which was new French barrels. It is a bold, generous red, with vanilla and black currant aromas and flavours, along with flavours of black cherry and figs. 90.

Upper Bench Merlot 2011 (barrel sample). This youthful red shows promise, with a muscular structure and spice currant aromas and flavours.

Upper Bench Redemption (barrel sample). This is a delicious blend built around the vineyard’s mature Zweigelt vines. There are flavours of plum and blueberry, with hints of pepper and spice. 90.

Wild Goose opens new wine shop

Photo: The new tasting room at Wild Goose

Guess what Okanagan winery has added a bell tower with a real bell?

It is Wild Goose Vineyards and Winery and it is only the second winery with a bell above its tasting room.

The first was Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, with four French-made bells that chime the hours from a slender tower above the winery.

Wild Goose is also a family winery, run by Adolf Kruger and his sons Hagen and Roland, with considerable support and involvement of the three Kruger spouses. The Krugers are humble and so is their bell.

The stubby bell tower caps the new tasting room and wine shop that is about to open here. While the tower was always part of the design, there was no intention of putting a bell in it until they were given one by a friend.

The bell apparently once was on a German merchant ship called the Simon von Utrecht. Roland advised me to google the name but that did not turn up much detail on the ship. Possibly, it was a merchant ship that was subsequently owned and registered in Greece. How and why the friend got the bell and passed it on is a story for another day.

And don’t expect the bell to chime the hours. That was never in the cards at Wild Goose.

In any event, people visit this Okanagan Falls winery for the wine and for the tasting room congeniality. The new wine shop, which is spacious and has dramatic view over the Stoney Slope Vineyard, will accommodate far more people that the tasting room that has served Wild Goose for 15 years. It is expected to open to the public by the end of June.

The new wine shop is part of an overall expansion at Wild Goose, now producing about 11,000 cases of wine a year. The underground cellar has been extended. There are new offices for the staff, a VIP tasting room, a commercial kitchen to support functions and an outdoor deck, allowing the functions to spill out of the tasting room.

This expansion has been necessary because of the success that Wild Goose has enjoyed. The winery opened in 1990 at a time when there was so much pessimism about Okanagan winery that a government official said they would be lucky to sell 1,000 bottles a year! But within nine years, the winery was selling enough wine to support the purchase of the Oliver vineyard now called Mystic River. Wild Goose planted its third vineyard, also at Oliver, four years ago.

The winery’s specialty for many years was whites made with Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris. The portfolio has gradually expanded, adding several more whites and reds.

Over the past decade, few small wineries have won as many awards as Wild Goose. The winery has been a multiple winner of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award of Excellence for most of its whites - even for Autumn Gold, its easy-drinking summer white.

When I dropped in recently to look at the new wine shop, I also tasted many of the current releases. Here are my notes.

Wild Goose Chardonnay 2011 ($18.99). This is the first Chardonnay that Hagen, the family’s winemaker, has made in a dozen years and it has been such a great success that Wild Goose has already contracted Chardonnay grapes for a 2012 wine. This 2011 is just bursting with fruit – pear, apples, citrus and whatever else you can find in a bowl of tropical fruit. It was the acidity to give it a very refreshing lift on the palate and a bright, clean finish. 90.

 Wild Goose Riesling 2011 ($18.99). This is a mouth-watering Riesling, with flavours of lime and other citrus fruits, with mineral hints in the texture and with bright, tangy acidity. The acidity is so brilliantly balanced with 19 grams of residual sugar that the wine tastes much less sweet than that. The sugar lifts the fruity flavours and aromas. 90.

Wild Goose Mystic River Pinot Blanc 2011 ($18.99). The previous vintage won a Lieutenant Governor’s Award and this wine is surely its equal. It has lovely fruit aromas and juicy flavours of apples, with a dry finish. 91.

Wild Goose Gewürztraminer 2011 ($18.99). The intense aromas and flavours of this wine reflect the 28-year-old vines from which the grapes came. The wine begins with aromas of spice and rose petals. On the palate, there are flavours of spicy grapefruit and grapefruit rind. The wine has a crisp dry finish. 91.

Wild Goose Merlot 2009 ($19.99). In recent years, the winery has retained some consultants to help raise its red wines to the same calibre as its whites. The strategy has succeeded. This Merlot is bold, ripe and juicy, with flavours of plum, blackberries, vanilla and chocolate. 91.

Wild Goose Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Kerry Hill Vineyard ($24.99). This is an elegant and ripe red, with notes of vanilla, blackberry and black currant and with a mouth-filling texture. 90.