Pinot Noir has been nicknamed the ‘heartbreak grape’ partly due to its thin skin which makes it more susceptible to disease. Despite how difficult it can be to grow and to work with, when the stars align, it can produce incredible wines.
Pinot Noir is infamous for producing outstanding wines in both Burgundy and Champagne, but this mighty, little grape is also grown around the globe, producing beautiful, elegant and food-friendly wines.
One of my favourite regions producing Pinot Noir is the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. In the past I have been a fan of Cowichan Valley Pinot Noir from Venturi Schulze, Averill Creek Vineyard and Unsworth Vineyards. I had heard that Blue Grouse Estate Winery also produces a wonderful Pinot Noir, but it turns out that it is difficult to get a hold of.
I was very fortunate to have had a bottle of this wine gifted to me and over the weekend I had a chance to enjoy it – I am excited to say that it did not disappoint!
2019 Blue Grouse Estate Pinot Noir $38.99
This estate grown Pinot Noir was grown organically from vines planted between 1992 and 1994. The grapes were hand harvested from vines that yielded 2.3 tons per acre. A portion of the grapes were whole cluster fermented in terracotta Amphora resulting in a large percentage of carbonic maceration. The wine was finished in Amphora, 500 liter new, French puncheons and neutral French oak barrels for 12 months before blending. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered and then aged for six months prior to release.
This wine opens with aromas of leather, tar, pine and forest floor, then there are notes of red cherry, red plum, strawberry and a hint of sweet spice. This is a dry, medium bodied wine with high acidity and medium- tannins. On the palate sour cherry, strawberry, cranberry and red plum mingle with sweet spice, followed by white pepper and a medium+, savory finish.
I paired this beautiful Pinot Noir with mushroom risotto arancini, garlic aioli and basil.
Blue Grouse Estate Winery
Blue Grouse Estate Winery was started by Hans Kiltz and it is one of Vancouver Island’s oldest wineries. Kiltz was born in Berlin in 1938 and he has a degree in veterinarian medicine, tropical veterinarian medicine, fish pathology and a doctorate in microbiology. Kiltz and his family moved to British Columbia in 1988 with the intention of working in fish farming. When the industry went into a decline though, Kiltz decided to pursue winemaking instead.
The farm Kiltz purchased in the Cowichan Valley had been an experimental winery and the Kiltz family resuscitated the vineyard, turning it into a business in 1992. The winery focused on grapes that grew well in the Valley: Bacchus, Ortega, Pinot Gris, Siegerrebe, Gamay and Pinot Noir.
In 2012 Blue Grouse was purchased from the Kiltz family by Paul, Cristina and Paula Brunner. The Brunners view themselves as stewards of the land and they are intent on leaving it better than how they found it.
If you are on Vancouver Island this summer or fall, Blue Grouse is definitely a winery to consider visiting. Contact the team at Blue Grouse here to make your booking.
References
Schreiner, John. The Wineries of British Columbia. North Vancouver, White Cap Books, 2004.
Hi Deborah. I really enjoy your blog. There is valuable information for me to carry when I am buying or ordering wine but there is so much more.
I never realized the time, work and energy it takes to produce a bottle of good wine, or how what food you accompany with a glass of wine brings out fuller flavour in both the food and the wine.
The stories of the lives of people behind the wineries are amazing: where they came from, what work they did before buying a vineyard, their education in totally different arenas of life.
Thanks Deborah for this exciting glimpse into some history of grapes and wine.