The wine industry in Canada is young, especially when you compare it to countries like France and Italy, but you may be surprised just how early commercial wineries in Canada existed. Jordan Wines, for example, was an Ontario winery established in 1920. In 1926 they expanded, taking over another Ontario company called Canadian Grape Producers Ltd. Jordan Wines survived the social and economic implications of prohibition, the Great Depression and a World War. As they entered their fifth decade of business they sought to expand and become a national company; their eyes were set on British Columbia. In 1973 they purchased Growers Winery in Victoria. If you are familiar with Victoria at all, they were located on Quadra Street where they made wines predominantly from Loganberries. After purchasing Growers Winery, Jordan Wines renamed themselves Jordan & Ste-Michelle Cellars.
In an effort to increase the quality of grapes used in their wines, Jordan & Ste-Michelle Cellars offered incentives to growers in the Okanagan to plant Riesling. Thus over the May long weekend in 1978 it is estimated that 22,000 Riesling vines were planted in East Kelowna. The vines planted were clone 21B, which was developed in Mosel by Herman Weis in the 1940’s. These same vines can still be found in vineyards owned by Sperling, St. Hubertus and Tantalus. Jordan & Ste-Michelle Cellars “financed growers in BC over three years and placed a price guarantee on the crop for the new plantings in the first few years of production.”[1] This is where the Stewart family enters the story.
The Stewart family has been farming in the Okanagan for more than one hundred years. Richard John Stewart came to Canada from Ireland in 1905. He settled in the Okanagan in 1908 and he was eventually joined there by his brother, William. In 1911 they started Stewart Brothers Nurseries, growing vegetables and trees for the surrounding orchards and farms. Six decades later Richard’s son, who is also named Richard Stewart, added grape farming to the family portfolio.
The Stewart family purchased land on the slopes of Boucherie Mountain in the early 1960’s and they began planting their first grape vines in 1963. In 1981 they took advantage of the offer from Jordan & Ste-Michelle Cellars, planting two blocks of Riesling at their Boucherie Mountain Vineyard (BMV). A third block of Riesling was planted in 1982, of which 5 acres remain today. These vines would help Jordan & Ste-Michelle Cellars to produce some of the Okanagan’s first age-worthy Rieslings.
Up until the 1980’s the Stewarts sold their grapes to other wineries in the Okanagan, but in 1989 Richard Stewart’s son, Ben Stewart, opened Quails’ Gate. Quails’ Gate is still family owned today and they are proud to now have three generations currently involved in the winery.
2017 Quail’s Gate BMV Riesling $29.99
12.5% alcohol // TA 9.6 g/l // RS 15.4 g/l // 550 cases made
The 2017 BMV Riesling was crafted by winemaker Nikki Callaway. It is a blend of Clone 21B planted in 1982 at the Boucherie Mountain Vineyard and Clone 49 from the Quails’ Gate Martyna Vineyard in East Kelowna. The grapes were whole cluster pressed and the juice was free-run. The grape must was barrel fermented in neutral oak with indigenous yeast. The wine took two months to ferment and it was kept in barrel for an additional two months before bottling.
On the nose there is minerality followed by aromas of apple, lemon, lime and peach. This Riesling is off-dry and medium bodied, offering flavours of tart, green apples, canned peaches and lemon curd with red, candied apple on the lingering finish. The palate is intense and mouth-watering, with high acidity balancing the residual sugar.
Riesling grapes have naturally high acidity which makes it a suitable varietal for aging; something that is not true for most white wines. With age, Rieslings will darken in colour and some will develop notes of honey, coconut, caramel, dried fruit and even chocolate. Although the 2017 BMV Riesling is drinking well now, I look forward to revisiting it over the next ten years, or more, if I can wait that long!
Footnotes
[1] Schreiner, J. (March 1, 2018). Quails’ Gate Riesling Pays Tribute to History. Retrieved from http://johnschreiner.blogspot.ca/2018/03/quails-gate-riesling-pays-tribute-to.html
References
Bells, R.A. Wineries and Wins Behind Winemaking in Canada. Retrieved from http://www.winesofcanada.com/history_wineries.html
Paterson, W. (August 12, 2011). Family Marks Century Milestone. Retrieved from https://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/family-marks-century-milestone/
Schreiner, J. (March 1, 2018). Quails’ Gate Riesling Pays Tribute to History. Retrieved from http://johnschreiner.blogspot.ca/2018/03/quails-gate-riesling-pays-tribute-to.html
Schreiner, J. The Wineries of British Columbia. North Vancouver, BC: Whitecap, 2004.