After the ballots were all counted, WE Vancouver readers anointed Burrowing Owl, Mission Hill and Quails Gate as the top three British Columbia wineries. Of course, this is an extremely subjective category that really comes down to the style of wine that floats your boat, but I like these three choices for a couple reasons.
All of them play an important role in the history and evolution of British Columbias wine industry but, more than that, they have all maintained consistent quality over the years, particularly in tougher vintages.
Heres my take on the bottles you should be grabbing from each winner, the labels I feel express the winerys strengths and are always dependable, vintage after vintage. Prices in brackets are winery direct; tack on a couple bucks more if youre looking to buy them from private wine stores around Vancouver.
Burrowing Owl was certainly the Next Big Thing when their inaugural 1998 vintage was released, and their wines have been in high demand ever since. Handsome and sturdy packaging aside, they constantly offer great concentration and solid balance; the level of oak used across both whites and reds is always in check. Their Cabernet Franc ($33) shows us why the grape is so much more suited to our climate (its big brother Cabernet Sauvignon being notoriously tough to ripen properly) and can be counted on to be chock-full of red fruit, spice and warm, toasty gingerbread. If you think you dont like oaky notes in your Chardonnay, dont be afraid to give their $25 version a whirl. Its so beautifully integrated just the perfect amount to handle all of that ripe, tropical fruit.
You simply cannot tell the story of British Columbian wine without having Mission Hill as part of the conversation. Established in 1981, Anthony Von Mandls stately winery in West Kelowna is not only our most-awarded and well-known internationally, but big-name global winemakers from Michel Rolland to Fritz Hasselbach get to kick the tires and play around on the property with long-time winemaker John Simes as well. Hasselbach and Simes collaborative Martins Lane Riesling ($25) has quickly gained cult-status as one of the Okanagans best, while the winerys S.L.C.-level Syrah ($29.99) is a personal favourite for its Old World, earthy spicy character that carries some New World, fruit-forward power.
Finally, Quails Gate has been bottling elegant, well-rounded wines since 1989, with their Chenin Blanc ($18.99) being one of the Okanagans too-few examples of the pear and honey-laden grape, while their Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir ($45) consistently sets the bar for the heartbreak grape west of the Rockies.
Congrats to all of the winners!
