There is no doubt that the winters of 2023 and 2024 were particularly challenging for wineries in British Columbia, with the winter of 2024 being the most devastating. Fort Berens, located in Lillooet, BC, unfortunately did not escape these winters unscathed. In January 2024, following what began as a relatively warm winter, a cold snap of nearly -25 degrees Celsius caused damage to most of the buds on the vines, reducing their total harvest that year to only 30% of normal volume.
While some wineries in BC have made a very tough decision not to release a 2024 vintage, many BC wineries took on the challenge of sourcing grapes from other wine regions. Falling into the later category, Fort Berens partnered with Sagemoor Winery, located in Washington State. Geographically this area is quite similar to Lillooet and the winery also aligned closely with Fort Berens in terms of winemaking philosophy and style.
Under the guidance of Fort Berens Winemaker, Alex Nel, Assistant Winemaker, Seth Jex, joined the team at Sagemoor for the 2024 harvest, where he managed the picking, crushing and fermentation of the Fort Berens wines in Washington. Decisions about everything from vineyard sourcing to fermentation were made by the Fort Berens team so that the wines reflect their house style.
These wines have become known as the Here & There collection as the wines were made by their winemaking teams both here in Lillooet and there in Washington. The Here & There collection consists of a Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and a Rosé. The labels have a grey background to differentiate them from their classic series and they are labeled Made in Canada with imported ingredients.
It is important to note that by supplementing their reduced estate harvest with grapes from Washington, Fort Berens was able to keep their team employed throughout this climate crisis and maintain a consistent supply of wine for their customers, ultimately sustaining the winery through an extremely difficult chapter. There is even more good news too. Following back-to-back challenging years in 2023 and 2024, Fort Berens is relieved to report that their vineyards suffered only a small amount of vine death and the estate vineyard is in good shape this year. The team had originally projected about two-thirds of a normal crop for 2025, but now with harvest almost under wraps, they anticipate their harvest will be between 85-95% of their usual volume.
While we look forward to tasting the 2025 vintage when it is ready for release, here are my tasting notes on Fort Berens collaborative wines from 2024.
2024 Here & There Pinot Gris $23.49
Hand harvested Pinot Gris was picked from the Wahluke Slope in Washington State. The grapes were destemmed, crushed and then left on the skins for four hours. Dry ice was used during the winemaking process to minimize contact with oxygen. The juice was cold settled for 24 hours prior to racking. The wine was cold fermented at 11 degrees and aged for four months on the lees.
Aromas of crushed gravel and lemon pith with canned peaches and pears. This is a dry, medium bodied wine with medium+ acidy and a medium finish. The palate offers notes of peach, pineapple and pear with a lemony-mineral finish.
2024 Here & There Riesling $22.99
Crafted from Riesling grown at the White Bluffs Vineyard in Washington, the grapes were hand harvested, crushed and then allowed 12 hours of skin contact. Free run juice was lightly pressed off the skins, followed by a long, cold fermentation in stainless steel. Fermentation was stopped by lowering the temperature leaving residual sugars to balance the naturally high acidity. The wine was kept on lees for 4 months prior to fining and filtration.
The nose is a bit shy with aromas of crushed gravel and peach. This Riesling is slightly off-dry, medium- in body with high acidity and a medium finish. The palate offers notes of mango, jasmine, peach and lime.
2024 Here & There Chardonnay $24.99
The Chardonnay grapes were hand harvested from White Bluffs Vineyard in Washington State. Fermentation was long and cold, with 30% off the wine aged in French oak barrels for four months, while 70% of the wine remained on lees in tank for four months. After five months these two batches were blended.
Soft aromas of butter, biscuit, waxy, yellow apples, peach pits, and lemon pith. This wine is dry, medium bodied with high acidity. The palate offers notes of peach and pineapple with a touch of biscuit and butter before brisk lemon notes take over the medium finish.
2024 Here & There Rosé $23.49
Crafted from 100% Shiraz (planted in 1997), the grapes for this wine were handpicked from the Wahluke Slope vineyard in Washington State. The grapes were destemmed, crushed and then the juice was allowed to rest on the skins for six hours. The juice was then gently pressed off the skins followed by a long, cold fermentation.
Aromas of cherry, white pepper, Maynards Swedish Berries and lime zest. This is a dry, medium bodied Rosé with medium+ acidity. The juicy palate offers notes of cherry, more of those delicious Swedish Berries, strawberries and cream as well as lime zest and a medium+ finish.