When you live in Upstate New York your exposure to Canadian wines is generally those produced in Ontario province. Ontario wines are predominantly white with most being Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. I just returned from Vancouver and had the opportunity to experience a broad array of wines from British Columbia which are a hidden gem.
My British Columbia wine experience took place at Nightingale, an outstanding restaurant in downtown Vancouver. Nightingale opened earlier this year to rave reviews and prides itself on specialty cocktails, small plates and British Columbia wines.
British Columbia Vintners Quality Alliance (BC VQA) is the appellation of origin and quality standard for the wines of British Columbia. Wines labeled BC VQA are 100% grown and produced in British Columbia. British Columbia has five official Geographic Indications (GI) where wines are produced. These are similar to the AVA designations in Napa Valley (Oakville, Stags Leap, etc.). The British Columbia GI’s are:
- Vancouver Island
- Fraser Valley
- Gulf Islands
- Similkameen Valley
- Okanagan Valley
The wines of British Columbia are varied with both white and red varietals available. The white varietals are:
- Chardonnay (996 acres planted)
- Gewurztraminer (735 acres planted)
- Pinot Blanc (266 acres planted)
- Pinot Gris (1,114 acres planted)
- Sauvignon Blanc (394 acres planted)
- Riesling (510 acres planted)
The red varietals are:
- Cabernet Franc (546 acres planted)
- Cabernet Sauvignon (735 acres planted)
- Merlot (1,564 acres planted)
- Pinot Noir (1,073 acres planted)
- Syrah (530 acres planted)
Chris Rielly is the Senior Sommelier at Nightingale and is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about British Columbia wines. Chris started the evening off with a recommendation of the 2016 Unicus, a Gruner Veltliner white wine from Culmina Family Estate Winery in Okanagan Valley. The grapes to produce Unicus are from Margaret’s Bench which is one of the highest elevation vineyards in the Okanagan Valley. If you have never had a Gruner Veltliner it is a great way to start an evening.
Chris Rielly
We then moved to an unfiltered 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Painted Rock Estate Winery in Okanagan Valley. Painted Rock produces ultra-premium single varietal red wines as well as a signature Bordeaux blend. The 2014 Painted Rock Cabernet Sauvignon had a production of only 258 cases.
Our next wine was a 2014 Moraine Winery Pinot Noir. This wine won a Gold Medal, British Columbia Wine Award and a Silver Medal, WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada. Moraine Winery is also located in the Okanagan Valley.
The last wine Chris poured was a 2014 Orofino “Red Bridge”, a red wine blend from Orafino Vineyards in Similkameen Valley. The blend was 70% Merlot, 20% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. It won a Silver Medal, 2016 National Wine Awards.
Most of the wines are available directly from the wineries and range in price from $40 – $70. While you could certainly put the red wines away for awhile, I would recommend enjoying them now.
I look forward to returning to Vancouver and dining again at Nightingale. The food, unique setting, specialty cocktails and extensive British Columbia wine list make for a wonderful evening.
