Hester Creek’s 50th

One of the extraordinary things about a 50th anniversary is it’s such a milestone the celebrations can continue all year long.

That’s exactly what Hester Creek Winery in Oliver is doing to mark the half-century of the first grape vines being planted at the estate.

The year was 1968 and a little-known Italian variety called Trebbiano was established on the Golden Mile Bench.

The fruits of that inspired decision live on today with the release of the 2017 Old Vines Block 16 Trebbiano ($24).

Besides being the only Trebbiano produced in the Okanagan, it’s an exceptional wine with aromas and flavours of honeysuckle, apple pineapple, lemon and lime.

The vines the Semillon grapes came from may only be 20 years old, but the results are still impressive with a 2017 Terra Unica Semillon ($24) that serves up lemongrass and honey on the nose and apple and citrus on the tongue.

The 2017 rose ($20) is made with 100 per cent Cabernet Franc and delivers a lush pink with aromas and tastes of grapefruit, strawberry, rhubarb and even some white pepper and cinnamon. In the mood for some rich red? The 2015 Block 3 Reserve Cabernet Franc ($29) covers all the bases from raspberry, blackberry and plum to sage, earth and toasty vanilla.

For its 50th, Hester Creek and its Terrafina restaurant are hosting a recurring rotation of Thursday cooking classes, Friday barbecue lunches and Saturday music on the patio.

It all culminates with a Revival Party Weekend, Aug. 24-26.

On the Friday night there’s a long-table winemaker dinner in the vineyard for $150.

Saturday there’s the free family-friendly event on the lawn with wine tastings, food trucks and music. And Sunday is the wine-paired brunch for $95. More details in the events section at HesterCreek.com.