Amidst the unfortunate closure of several wineries and tasting rooms recently in British Columbia, there have been several very exciting wineries open-up, including Solvero Wines, located in Garnet Valley, Summerland, British Columbia.
The Latin translation of Solvero is ‘truth in soil‘. Solvero Wines intends to go to great lengths to protect and promote the biodiversity of the land, committing to integrity and transparency in all aspects of their viticulture and winemaking.
Solvero Wines is something of a family affair. Its proprietors, Andrea and Bob Sartor, met in Montreal in 1972. Andrea, a Physiotherapist, and Bob, a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), raised three children in Calgary, Alberta. In addition to being a CPA, Bob was also CEO of several major companies, including the Forzani Group and Big Rock Brewing. In 2014 Andrea and Bob combined their passion and interest in wine and started a winery with their son, Matt Sartor.
Matt is President and Vineyard Manager at Solvero Wines. Matt initially pursued an education in music, but his focus later shifted to wine after working at several wine stores in Calgary. In 2010, Matt and his wife, Cassandra, moved to the Okanagan, where they are now raising two children. After completing the Viticulture program at Okanagan College and helping to establish and farm several vineyards in Summerland, Matt began a quest for the perfect site to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. His search resulted in the procurement of the Garnet Valley and Wildhorse Road properties. The steep and hilly terrain was prepared for planting over several years. Matt selected and planted seven clones of Pinot Noir in 2016 and two clones of Chardonnay in 2017.
The Sartor family selected Alison Moyes to be their Winemaker and General Manager. Alison hails from the East Coast of Canada and started off studying microbiology. Working her way through University at wine-focused restaurants provided her the opportunity to taste and explore the world of wine. It was this introduction which diverted her education down a different track.
Alison completed her Sommelier certification with the Canadian Association of Professional Sommelier in 2004 and later ran successful wine programs at several restaurants. In 2009, Alison graduated with honours from the Oenology and Viticulture program at Brock University. That same year, Alison settled in the Okanagan, working as winemaker at several wineries including Osoyoos Larose, Stoneboat Vineyards and Liquidity Wines. Alison brings to Solvero an expertise in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, whilst sharing the winery’s vision for creating authentic and expressive wines.
2020 Pinot Noir $35.00
This wine is a great addition to BC Pinot Noirs.
Each block and clone of Pinot Noir was processed independently. The grapes were gently destemmed and the whole berries were fermented. The wine was pressed off the skins and the finished wine was left to age for 12 months in French oak barrels (33% new). Fermenting and aging each clone separately was carried out in an effort to create layers of flavour and complexity.
After the bottle was open for eight hours, there were aromas of strawberries, cherry pie filling, and flakey pastry with hints of sweet spice (vanilla, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg). This is a dry, medium bodied wine with a silky mouth feel. The tannins are medium- and the acidity is medium. The palate offers strawberries, sour cherry turnovers, orange scented cranberry sauce, and pine notes, with salinity on the medium+ finish.
I would love to try this Pinot with mushroom risotto.
2022 Rosé $25.00
The 2022 Rosé was made from 100% Pinot Noir sourced from two blocks in the Garnet Valley Vineyard. Grapes were hand harvested in mid-October and gently destemmed. The must was carefully assessed for flavour, colour and tannin during this phase of skin contact. After 3 hours the juice was pressed off the skins and the wine was cool-fermented in a combination of stainless steel and neutral French oak.
A shy nose of pink grapefruit pith, strawberry shortcake, peach pits and a whiff of something floral. This is a dry, medium bodied wine with medium+ acidity. The palate is fruity and juicy, offering pink grapefruit, strawberries and cream, baked peaches and orange zest leading to a textured, mineral, medium+ finish.
2022 Pinot Gris $25.00
The Pinot Gris for this wine was planted in 2001. The grapes were harvested in mid-October, and gently whole cluster pressed to release a lower volume of juice with a high degree of clarity. The fermentation was cool and extended over 3 weeks. The wine was aged in a mixture of stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels for 4 months prior to bottling.
Aromas of crushed gravel, peach, pear and blossom. This is a dry, medium bodied wine with medium+ acidity. The palate offers notes of pineapple, canned peaches, ripe, juicy pears, melon and yellow grapefruit pith with a textured medium finish.