New wines, new labels at Hester Creek
Hester Creek Winery in Oliver continues the rebranding of its rebranding.
The process started in 2011 with new labels.
Since then, the winery celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first grape plantings, introduced new wines, created four different tiers of wines and welcomed a new winemaker, Mark Hopley, in 2020.
As such, the labels for all new releases this year are modern, yet give a nod to the past, and feature vine-and-grape-inspired art, catchy lettering and effective use of embossing, debossing, medallions, seals and silk screening.
The results can be admired, both the packaging and the actual wine in the bottle, in these four new releases:
— The 2020 Foundation Series Ti Amo sparkling ($20) reflects the quality and affordability of all the vintages in the Foundation Series.
Ti Amo gets its bubbles from a second fermentation in big, stainless-steel tanks, a cost-effective alternative to the Champagne-style second fermentation in the bottle. As such, it’s fresh and destined for everyday drinking, no special occasion required.
— The 2018 Source Collection Old Vine Brut ($35) is made Champagne-style and comes in at a higher price point and complexity with a lemon, fresh-baked pastry and mineral profile.The Source Collection includes wines made from grapes from Hester Creek’s oldest vines, in Old Vine Brut’s case, 50-year-old Pinot Blanc vines. You could certainly drink it everyday, but it’s more likely to shine at a celebration.
— The Storied Series is made up of wines made in limited quantities, including 2020 Storied Series Viognier ($20), which has heady aromas and flavours of nectarine, orange and honey.
— The high-end Bordeaux-style red blend The Judge 2018 ($44) is one of only two wines in the Origin Series. The other is also a big and bold red blend, 2018 The Garland ($60) named after Prince George businessman and Hester Creek owner Curt Garland.
Summer trio
A pink, an aromatic white and a light red makeup this trio of wines perfect for summer sipping from Township 7 on the Naramata Bench.
“We hope you enjoy these wines,” says winemaker Mary McDermott.
“The Provenance wines are quality wines that reflect their unique terroir. The Benchmark wines are our standard for elevated quality.”
Therefore, the Provenance Series 2020 Rose ($25) is quintessential pink with the added bonus of creaminess on the palate.
The Provenance Series 2020 Pinot Gris ($21) offers an extra texture from partial fermentation in French oak barrels in addition to the typical fermentation all in big, stainless-steel tanks.
The Benchmark Series 2019 Pinot Noir ($37) brings to the glass all of what serious Pinot is heralded for — fresh cherry and raspberry notes with a delicate earthiness.
Award-winning
‘Tis the season for honouring wine titans.
Wine Growers Canada chose pioneering winemaker Howard Soon of Vanessa Vineyards in Cawston for its Canadian Winemaker Award.
Soon is the only Canadian winemaker with 40 vintages under his belt, 37 at Calona and Sandhill in Kelowna and the past three at Vanessa.
The University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business singled out Mark Anthony Group of Companies owner Anthony von Mandl as its 2021 Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Von Mandl’s group owns Okanagan wineries Mission Hill, CedarCreek, Martin’s Lane, CheckMate, Road 13 and Liquidity; imports wine, beer and spirits; and is the company behind hard seltzer White Claw and Mike’s Hard Lemonade.