HESTER CREEK’S 50-YEAR EXCELLENCE A TALE OF VINES, TERROIRE AND TECHNIQUE RECIPE MATCH
Hester Creek Winery is celebrating some history this year, but it’s not exactly what you think.
The Oliver-based winery opened as Divino Estate Vineyards back in the early 1980s before taking on the Hester Creek moniker in a 1996 makeover. But, it’s the original vineyards, planted in 1968 by Italian immigrant Joe Busnardo that are having a birthday. The vines are half a century old and it’s that milestone the folks at Hester Creek are rightfully celebrating in 2018.
Busnardo was a renegade in many ways, planting scores of untested vinifera vines on the future Golden Mile Bench in the south Okanagan. Was it the allure of that bench, tilted east toward the warm, morning sun, or the savoury scrubland and the late-day shadows that made him think of Enotria, Italy’s southern vinelands?
Whatever Busnardo’s thoughts, he imported and planted more than two dozen vinifera grape varieties from his native Italy and some 60 others from California. As if on cue, the next winter was brutally cold and in a scenario repeated several times across the Okanagan over the last 50 years, the unsuited and the weak did not survive. The vines that did endure built a legacy defining the area’s terroir. Old vines are only just beginning to impact B.C. wine, but their presence is a touchstone for wine growers young and old. Like a lot of things old, at times they are dismissed, misunderstood, purported to be in the way of progress and more, yet the point, the critical point, is they survived by establishing a strong connection with the land.
In 2018, Hester Creek will shine a light on four grape varieties turning 50 on the 38.5-hectare estate on the Golden Mile Bench: Trebbiano, Pinot Blanc, Lemon and Mushroom Parmesan Risotto suggests a fresh wine that simply resets the palate for each bite.
JoieFarm Pinot Blanc 2017, Okanagan Valley, $24.90 Refreshing pear, white grapefruit, starfruit, and melon flavours dusted white pepper and citrus notes to cut into the risotto.
Road 13 Chip Off The Old Block Chenin Blanc 2017, Okanagan Valley, $19
Fresh green apple, pear skin, quince and lemon flavours with a stony, spicy rinse that complete this mushroom Parmesan risotto dish. Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Each will sport a commemorative 50-year medallion on its label as they take their place among the oldest vines in the province. It’s no surprise Hester Creek’s old vines reside within the Golden Mile Bench sub- GI, as if validating the work done to outline a series of alluvial benches thought to able to support the production of superior, distinctive wines in the decades to come.
The thing about counting 50 years in a business well-known to plan for the next generation, you begin to see the many seminal moments that have impacted the winery and the region.
Busnardo’s vision to plant vinifera was key, but the viticulture and the wines were never much to write home about. In 1996, the winery changed hands for a brief period where improvements to the then jungle-like vineyards began.
By this point Hester Creek had begun to garner the attention of local wineries looking to expand
LEMON AND MUSHROOM PARMESAN RISOTTO
“When I dine out at Italian restaurants, I often skip pasta altogether and order the risotto,” says celebrity chef Corbin Tomaszeski. “It’s a good way to judge a restaurant, as what separates amazing risotto from just good risotto is technique and experience.”
A good recipe doesn’t hurt either and Tomaszeski’s new cookbook In Good Company will help you achieve chef-like results at home.
LEMON AND MUSHROOM RISOTTO
¼ cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb (454 g) cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped ¼ cup plus 1 tbsp (75 mL) butter, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped 1¾ cup (330 mL) Arborio rice 6 cups (1.5 L) vegetable or chicken stock, hot
1 large lemon, zested and juiced 1 cup (250 mL) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3 tbsp (45 mL) finely chopped parsley their Okanagan reach and outside business interests looking to invest in the burgeoning wine business.
Enter Curt Garland.
You won’t hear much about Garland because the Prince George businessman would rather be hiking in the wilderness than hosting wine dinners, but Garland is the man behind the rise in Hester Creek.
Garland bought Hester Creek in 2004 and immediately set about revamping every inch of the fledgling winery and its vineyards. Winemaker Rob Summers was brought in from Niagara in 1996 to sort out the wine styles and get a brand new 23,000-square-foot winery built into the hillside.
An equally impressive hospitality centre was installed under the watchful eye of veteran chef and hospitality manager Roger Gillespie. On a ledge above the
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. In a large skillet over mediumhigh heat, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp butter. Add onions and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add rice, stir to coat, and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Pour in 1 cup (250 mL) stock and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every few seconds, until the liquid is absorbed. Add another cup of stock and repeat until rice is al dente, thick, and creamy. Remove from heat. Add mushrooms, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 cup (125 mL) Parmesan cheese, remaining 1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) Parmesan cheese on top. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.
Makes: 4 servings winery, six villas make up one of the finest overnight winery experiences in the country — the Villa at Hester Creek. If that isn’t enough, the restaurant, now Terrafina at Hester Creek by RauDZ, has undergone a complete transformation under RauDZ Creative Concepts led by business partners Audrey Surrao and chef Rod Butters.
In charge of this expert team is the Australian-born, viticulturalist-turned-general-manager Mark Sheridan, who has brought a calm professionalism to everyday life at Hester Creek.
The 50th-anniversary festivities began at the Vancouver International Wine Festival with the release of the latest 2017 Trebbiano and will continue via a series of commemorative events throughout the year.
Check out the winery’s website for an up-to-date list of activities you can take part in. Old is good.