Canada’s best bubbly
There’s nothing like being the best. That’s why Naramata’s Township 7 Winery is psyched to have won best Canadian sparkling wine at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships in London, England.
Judges singled out the Township 7 Seven Stars 2016 Polaris ($36) with a gold medal and then best in class for Canadian sparkling.
This isn’t just another trophy or wine accolade, it’s recognition from the planet’s most important international competition dedicated exclusively to sparkling wines.
“This honour demonstrates the incredible terrior of British Columbia and its ability to produce distinctive world-class wine,” said Township 7 winemaker Mary McDermott.
“We’re proud to be named not only best sparkling in Canada, but also to be in such stellar company of global Champagne powerhouses.”
For instance, Polaris was also a finalist in the classic Blanc de Blancs (sparkling made from 100% Chardonnay) and supreme world champion categories, which were ultimately topped by Champagne Palmer and the globe’s most famous Champagne brand, Dom Perignon, respectively.
McDermott made Polaris in the traditional Champagne method with secondary fermentation in the bottle.
The result is a creamy sparkler with fine, long-lasting bubbles and aromas and flavours of apple, peach, lime and freshly-baked biscuits.
Polaris is made in limited quantities, but some is still for sale at the Naramata winery and online at Township7.com.
Township 7 has been making sparkling wines for 20 years and the portfolio has expanded to five Seven Stars labels.
All feature names from the heavens – Polaris, the star located at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper, Equinox Rose (for the time the sun crosses the celestial equator), Eclipse (the obscuring of light as one celestial body passes another), an as-yet-unnamed sparkling Viognier to be released next year and a bubbly made with grapes from Township 7’s Langley estate to be released in 2021.
Township 7 also makes exceptional still wines, of which four examples were released this month.
The 2018 Pinot Gris ($19) is full of pear, apricot, lime and minerality.
The 2018 Viognier ($25) is classic of the variety with aromas and flavours of honeysuckle, peach and ginger.
The 2017 Merlot ($25) is also classic of the varietal with a smooth cherry-plum-and-vanilla profile.
While the label says Township 7 Cabernet Sauvignon ($28), McDermott added 11% Merlot to soften this full-bodied red.
The result is the cherry, black currant and tobacco you’d expect from a Cab Sauv with the smoother tannins attributed to Merlot.
Drone help
Drones are so cool.
That’s why Mission Hill Family Estate featured the buzzy remote-contolled pilotless aircraft at its recent wine pick-up party for Privilege Club members at the West Kelowna winery.
Wine lovers sipped the new 2018 Reserve Extra Brut ($23.50) while viticulturist Rob Achurch did drone demonstrations on the lawn between the keystone and the bell tower.
Mission Hill is using drones with two cameras, multi-spectral data capture and thermal sensors to fly over vineyards to determine vine and grape statistics and make decisions about pruning, canopy control and harvest.
While technology is helpful, it won’t replace final decisions made by humans and the all-important taste test of grapes before picking.
The second piece of technology Mission Hill showed off at the pick-up party was the Selectiv Process grape sorting machine, which uses optic sensors to separate only perfect sized and shaped ripe grapes from stems and leaves.
“Even the most diligent hand sorting can’t top this,” said chief winemaker Ben Bryant.
Members also sampled Terroir Collection 2017 Cabernet Franc ($50) and Legacy Collection 2017 Perpetua Chardonnay ($50) while checking out the technology.
Friday from 5-9 p.m. is the Festival of Trees open house at Mission Hill Family Estate, featuring elaborately decorated Christmas trees throughout the winey.
Families can have their photo taken with Santa and there will be mulled wine, hot chocolate and food stations.
Donations will be collected for the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The Festival of Trees will continue to run through Jan. 4.
Open house
Food, art, music, literature and, of course, wine come together for today’s open house at the VQA Wine Information Centre in Penticton.
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Whitewater Cooks author Shelley Adams will be signing copies of her cookbook, harpist Ingrid Schellenberg will provide the music and artist Randall Young will be doing some painting.
Nibbles will be provided by Whitewater Cooks, Jerseyland Organics, Poplar Grove Cheese, Taste of the Okanagan, Daniel Chocolates and Cellar Candy.
Free wine samples will be poured by a rotating roster of wineries – TH Wines from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Desert Hills from noon to 2 p.m., Deep Roots from 1-3 p.m., Time from 2-4 p.m. and Kitsch from 3-5 p.m.
Quails’ Gate 30th
Quails’ Gate Winery’s year-long 30th birthday festivities culminate Friday with a 3 0 t h Anniversary Celebration at the West Kelowna property.
There may still be some last-minute tickets available for $150 at QuailsGate.com.
The party features grazing stations stocked with creations by chef Roger Sleiman of the winery’s
Old Vines Restaurant paired with Quails’ Gates wines.
There also the chance to try vintage wines from the winery’s library, wines from Quails’ Gate’s California winery Plume and concoctions from the wine-infusion cocktail bar.
The soiree will also be the official launch for the new Quails’ Gate Collector Serices Clone220 Chenin Blanc.
The evening will be topped off with dancing to the music of soft rocker Andrew Allen. Steve MacNaull is a reporter with The Okanagan Weekend. Reach him at steve.macnaull@ok.bc.ca. Also listen to Steve’s Okanagan Wine & Dine show exclusively on OkanaganValleyRadio.com Saturdays at 11:15 a.m. If you miss it then, it’s always available in the podcast vault.