A couple of posts back, I wrote about wines from Uppercase Winery, located in Okanagan Falls. Uppercase Winery was the first of three wineries opened by Bert Evertt in the Okanagan Valley.
You may recall that Evertt was an accomplished opera singer in his youth. He is now head of his family’s business, Belvedere Seniors Living in Coquitlam, which was established in 1952.
Evertt has always dreamed of owning a winery and he envisioned it becoming another family business. With his daughter, Sabrina, who has her WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) Level 3, and his younger daughter, Christina, who has been studying both cooking and baking, this family seems a perfect fit for a family-run winery and restaurant.
Evertt travelled Europe during his operatic career, and he fell in love with wine. He actually lived in Italy for two years, during which time he developed a great fondness for Brunello di Montalcino. Therefore it seemed only natural for him to name his wine company Montalvino, after one of his favourite wines.
Montalvino Wineries Inc. has opened three wineries in the last few years, quickly transitioning from a hobby vineyard of 18 acres, to owning multiple vineyards, totalling around 90 acres.
Uppercase Winery was Montalvino’s first winery and it originally opened in District Wine Village in July 2021. The second winery, GadZook Vinery, opened at the site of what was formerly C.C. Jentsch Cellars, in 2022. And the third (and final…?) winery, High Note Estate Winery, opened in August of this year in Naramata, on the site that was previously Singletree Winery.
High Note Estate Winery is a Mediterranean-inspired property located on the Naramata Bench. The estate features views of Okanagan Lake and is surrounded by three acres of picturesque vineyards, planted mainly to Pinot Gris. Here are notes from a couple of their current releases.
2022 Soubrette Pinot Grigio $25.00
Made from 100% Pinot Gris, the grapes were sourced from Singletree and Border Vineyards and the wine is aged in stainless steel.
Aromas of white blossom, wet stone, peach pits and yellow grapefruit pith. This is a dry, medium bodied wine with high acidity. The palate offers salty grapefruit pith, underripe pineapple, peach pits, lime juice and wet stone with green apple, floral notes and bitter almond on the medium+ finish.
I would love to pair this Pinot Grigio with fish and chips or sushi.
2022 Continuo Rosé $25.00
Crafted from Pinot Noir with just a splash of Teroldego; a red, Italian grape variety grown primarily in the northeastern region of Trentino-Alto Adige. The grapes were direct-pressed and aged in stainless steel.
This delicious Rosé has aromas of peach pits, wet stone and pink grapefruit with hints of strawberry. The Continuo is a dry, medium bodied wine with medium+ acidity. The palate offers pink grapefruit, underripe strawberries and bitter watermelon with a saline, mineral, medium finish.
References
Brett, M. (May 2, 2023). Matheson Creek Farm Transitioning to Winery. Retrieved from: https://www.pentictonherald.ca/news/article_c638a386-e83b-11ed-946d-5fbabbe013a8.html
Schreiner, J. (January 21, 2023). Gadzooks! Bert Evertt is on the Move in BC Wine. Retrieved from: http://johnschreiner.blogspot.com/2023/01/gadzooks-bert-evertt-is-on-move-in-bc.html