Best of BC: Sauvignon Blanc

BC Sauvignon Blanc has been good for a long time, however, only a handful of producers were giving the Loire Valley grape the proper attention to detail it deserves. This has changed over the past few years and therefore, we're happy to include it in our Best of BC section.

Also included are Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blends as this effortless pairing has helped popularize the tangy-stinky variety around the world.

Calliope Wines 2014 Sauvignon Blanc - $17
Pleasantly pungent, at first sniff, with fresh grass and baked lemon aromas supported by honey-crisp apple flesh and green apple skin notes. The (mostly) dry palate follows with citrus and apple-pear flavours and a fine vein of lime rind acidity and light, steely-mineral notes. Refreshing, crisp and memorable; excellent value.
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Stag's Hollow Winery 2015 Sauvignon Blanc - $17
A partially oaked (20% in 2nd fill French oak barrels), cool fermented Sauvignon Blanc with a lovely, graceful nose of tropical and citrus fruit, peach skins, cranberry scones and light grass aromas. A dry, vibrant palate follows with a nice combination of mouth-watering, citrus acidity and rich, textured flavours of passion fruit, apples, ripe peaches and lees.
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Maverick Estate Winery 2014 Sauvignon Blanc - $19
A boisterous, fruit'n'acid driven Sauvignon Blanc with underlying fullness from rich, ripe apple and pear flavours and a touch of residual sugar. Refreshing, tangy citrus, light minerals, savoury wild herb and light lees characters add depth and complexity. The finish is long and well balanced with lingering spice and grapefruit peel notes. Has the structure and balance to hold for several years.
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Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars 2014 Sauvignon Blanc - $19
An intense Loire Valley-styled Sauvignon Blanc with a kiss of subtle oak supporting a mouth-watering profile of lemon zest, minerals and grapefruit aromas and flavours. The palate opens with a fairly full-ish mouth-feel with some hints of herbs, until waves of citrus and minerals liven things up and take over though to a moderate finish where citrus peel lingers. 
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Fairview Cellars 2013 Sauvignon Blanc - $20
The nose of this Sauvignon Blanc doesn't appear until the wine has warmed in the glass, which many of us won't wait to experience. If you do, it's a nose fuelled by apples, citrus and stonefruit aromas.Instead, we'll enjoy this tasty wine, with our favourite seafood dish or a hard cheese plate and appreciate the multitudes of textures on the palate.
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Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2014 Sauvignon Blanc - $22
Nearing Fumé Blanc levels of richness on the delicious, blanketed nose of tropical fruit, ripe pear, lemon grass, sweet sage and crisp minerals. The palate is richly textured with sweet layers of orchard fruit flavours and others of lean, minerals and mouth-watering citrus acidity. The balance on the long finish sways ever-so-slightly towards sour. A touch of spice lingers through to the next sip.
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Black Hills Estate Winery 2014 Alibi - $25
A blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Semillon.delicious? Opens with a fruity nose of ripe, apricot, nectarine and white peach aromas; you want to jump into the glass and take a bite! The palate follows through on that desire offering up juicy, sweet orchard fruit flavours with a solid backbone of citrus acidity and minerals balancing out the fruit.
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Bench 1775 Winery 2014 Sauvignon Blanc - $25
Has the rawness and funk of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and the minerality and acidity of those from the Loire Valley. Delivers the 4 Gs of Sauvignon Blanc expertly: gooseberry, grapefruit, grass and gravitas. Add in some cool, river stone and warm, tropical fruit elements and you're left with a winner of a wine that can be enjoyed on its own or as a confident companion to seafood dishes.
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Le Vieux Pin 2015 Sauvignon Blanc - $30
The devil is in the details and this excellent Sauvignon Blanc is sinfully good. Each vintage is an exploration of the art of blending with the 2015 being sourced from vineyards in both the Southern Okangan and Similkameen valleys and separate lots using a range of fermentation vessels from stainless steel vats to neutral, oak barrels and even a kiss of new French oak.
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Best of BC: Riesling

When Riesling is done well in BC, it is done very well. The Western-most Province may not have as many top-notch Rieslings as Ontario, but the interest, and quality, is increasing.

The Riesling coming out of the Central and Northern parts of the Okanagan Valley attracts most of the acclaim and represents the largest acreage under vine for this Germanic and winter-hardy varietal. Much of the Southern Okanagan Valley is too warm for quality Riesling, but there are a few pockets here and there that are producing excellent fruit used in both blends and single varietal wines.

Below, arrange by price-point, are our favourite Rieslings from British Columbia.

$20 and below:

Fort Berens Estate Winery 2014 Riesling - $18
This single-vineyard Riesling is one to sip slowly, despite the urge you may have to take a big gulp of the finely balanced, off-dry fruit cup, cool stonefruit and zesty citrus characters.
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SynchroMesh Wines 2012 Thorny Vines Vineyard Riesling - $19
'Thorny Vines' is SynchroMesh's "other Riesling", essentially a nice companion piece to their $30, Lieutenant Governor's Award of Excellence winning Storm Haven Riesling which is produced from their home vineyard vines in Okanagan Falls.
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Summerhill Pyramid Winery 2013 Organic Riesling - $20
Fans of the "Dr. L" Riesling, and there are many of you, should take note of Summerhill's Organic Riesling as a locally made alternative, made in a similar, opulent, fruity, fully off-dry style (36.5 g/l of residual sugar).
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La Frenz Winery 2012 Riesling - $20

Off-dry levels of residual sugar are well-balanced by the mouth-watering green apple and pineapple acidity on the palate adorned with boisterous orchard and tropical fruit flavours. A nice vein of minerals runs through the palate to the long, balanced finish where just a hint of spice is perceptible.

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Stag's Hollow Winery 2013 Riesling 0 $20
The nose boasts lively apricot, white peach, lime peel and orange blossom notes while the off-dry palate preens with honeyed citrus fruit flavours off-set by mouth-watering green apple acidity through to a moderate finish
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$30 and below:



SpierHead Winery 2012 Riesling - $22
Flinty with lemon-lime citrus notes aplenty, this well-balanced wine hails from East Kelowna yet adheres to the Niagara Riesling formula of matching sweetness to acid while keeping the alcohol low and maintaining a light and mineral-y texture.
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Upper Bench Estate Winery 2013 Riesling - $22
Impressive depth on the expressive nose and the off-dry palate with added tangerine, kiwi, honeydew and flint aromas and flavours with light kerosene notes floating in the background.
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JoieFarm 2013 Riesling - $23
The palate is unabashedly off-dry, bursting with pineapple, kiwi, Fiji apple and mineral flavours, yet, finely tuned with generous amounts of lemon/lime acidity keeping the sweetness in-check, without detracting from the delicate tropical fruit characters.
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Best of BC: Red Blends

The red blends of BC take many forms. Some wineries stick to traditional Bordeaux-style (Meritage) combinations of the Cabernets and Merlot while other producers are experimenting with Syrah-based blends to the benefit of us all. Whichever way you like it, there are some quality red blends available today in BC.

Updated: 5-25-14

$20 and below:

Cellar Hand 2011 Punch Down Red - $20
This blend of 45% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Syrah and 11% Cabernet Franc offers sweet aromas of ripe cherry, spicy plum and mixed-berry fruit with Christmas sugar cookie and light oak notes rounding out the pleasant nose.
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$30 and below:

Bench 1775 Winery 2011 Cabernet Merlot - $23
This youthful, purple-ruby hued blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon is a mouth-watering, yet, easy-drinking, food-enhancing wine that makes a near perfect companion to traditional, oven-roasted pizza. Where to buy: Direct from winery and VQA stores
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SpierHead Winery 2011 Pursuit - $24
SpierHead's Pursuit succeeds as a tasty, well-balanced, drink-now, Bordeaux-inspired blend of 48% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. Delivering a consistent and pleasing, easy-drinking medley of juicy, dark fruit, meaty, menthol smoke and charred oak aromas and flavours through to a dark chocolate and light spice-infused finish. 'Medium'... everything. Where to buy: Direct from the winery and VQA stores
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JoieFarm 2011 PTG - $24
Imagine a combination of cherry, raspberry, plum and cranberry fruit heated on a stove top with loads of spice and vanilla, then mix-in elements of the forest, bright acidity and savoury notes like oak and dried herbs and you have the 2011 PTG. Where to buy: Direct from winery and VQA stores.
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Stag's Hollow Winery 2011 Heritage Block - $25
The 2011 edition sees 56% Merlot (smoky, mixed berry fruit) and 37% Cabernet Franc (providing the lovely floral and perfumed aromas) supported by 7% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in American and French oak barrels for 18 months. The resulting wine is both fruity and serious with a smooth, sultry textured mid-palate and a long, mouth-watering finish with lingering spice and blackberry flavours. Where to buy: BCLDB stores and direct from winery.
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Fairview Cellars 2011 Two Hoots - $25
Despite its middleweight make-up, this wine packs a flavourful punch offering cassis, pomegranate, boysenberry, cran-apple and blackberry on the fragrant nose and fluid, smoky palate. Light tannins and vibrant acidity make this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot assessable early, though, another 6-9 months of bottle age should do nicely. Where to buy: Direct from winery and select VQA stores
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River Stone Estate Winery 2011 Corner Stone - $28.50
A blend of 53% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Malbec which opens with lovely, deep aromas of blueberry, blackberry and cherry fruit with light, smoky, charred-oak notes and hints of dried herbs on the nose. Where to buy: Direct from winery
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Fairview Cellars 2011 Mad Cap Red - $29
Fairview's answer to a Merlot-driven blend with Cab Sauv and Cab Franc contributing complexity and added tannin to a fruit-forward, yet, "serious" red wine offering concentrated blackberry, boysenberry, vanilla bean, light mint and cedar aromas. Where to buy: Direct from winery and private wine stores
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Howling Bluff Estate Winery 2010 Summa Quies Vineyard Sin Cera - $29
A blend of all five Bordeaux varietals and aged in French oak for 18 months, the Sin Cera is an irresistible femme fatale that jumps out of the glass with potent, yet graceful, feminine aromas of baked cherry and blackberry fruit, plum preserve, cooking spice, sweet licorice, vanilla, toasted oak and holds your attention through to the equally seductive, fine tannin and similarly flavoured palate. Where to buy: Direct from winery and VQA stores.
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Fort Berens Estate Winery 2011 Meritage - $29
Grapes from both the Fraser Canyon home vineyard and from the famed Sundial vineyard along the Black Sage Bench were sourced for this year's blend of 47% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Cabernet Franc which delivers warm, mixed-berry, plum, crushed violet and mineral aromas enveloped by complimentary oak and light spice notes.  Where to buy: Direct from winery and VQA stores.
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$40 and below:

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2010 Oldfield Series 2Bench Red - $30
Signature sweet tobacco and dark blackberry aromas are complimented nicely by ample toasted oak and spicy vanilla notes on the nose of this consistently excellent Meritage blend from Oliver's Tinhorn Creek Vineyards. Where to buy: Direct from winery.
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Perseus Winery 2010 Select Lots Invictus - $33
Concentrated and dense, the Invictus, Perseus Winery's take on a Meritage blend of 56% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9 % Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec, is rich in dark fruit aromas like cassis and blackberry with menthol, vanilla and pipe tobacco notes adding complexity. Where to buy: Direct from the winery.
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Church and State Wines 2009 Coyote Bowl Series Meritage - $35
Church and State's Meritage follows the Left Bank recipe of a Cabernet Sauvignon-leading blend with Merlot and Cabernet Franc adding backbone and approachable fruit to the otherwise, smoke-infused nose and palate where French-oak influence is prominent and appealing. Where to buy: Direct from the winery and VQA stores.
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Best of BC: Icon Wines

What makes a wine an Icon Wine? To us, it's a wine that combines the best grapes with the best vineyard and winery practices and becomes a signature of its region. As our Best of BC section attests, there are a lot of great wines being produced in BC. But there's a difference between producing BC's best Chardonnay or Merlot and producing a wine that is the epitome of BC's best, an Icon.

Currently, our list contains Meritage blends only - possibly due to the fact that the style of Bordeaux is revered worldwide and many wineries devote their best fruit, barrels and effort to these wines. This will change in years to come as wineries figure out the best varietals to grow in their different vineyard blocks and signature varietals emerge like Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Blanc.

Updated: 9-9-12

Cassini Cellars 2009 Maximus - $29
Youthful, vibrant and raw may best describe the intense, fruit'n'savoury nose of the latest edition of Cassini Cellars' Meritage blend called "Maximus". This year's blend boasts 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 1% of Malbec, aged in new and second fill French and American oak for 14 months. Where to buy: Direct from winery.
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Fairview Cellars 2009 The Bear - $35
Lovers of wines with a refined bite (fine tannins and mouth-watering acidity) will adore this vintage of The Bear. As for development, the sky's the limit. I look forward mightily to re-tasting this wine in two year intervals over the next eight as it melds and evolves. Where to buy: Direct from winery and select private wine shops.
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Laughing Stock Vineyards 2009 Portfolio - $42
The final blend of 36% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 14% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot was aged in French oak (60% new) for 19 months prior to bottling resulting in a structured wine with big, coarse tannins and loads of character. Where to buy: Direct from winery and VQA stores.
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Herder Winery and Vineyards 2008 Josephine - $50
style and in composition, Herder's "Josephine" confidently conveys the essence of a fruit-forward leaning, Right Bank garagiste wine all the while keeping to its Similkameen roots. A blend of 81% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc, it offers a lovely balance of bold, concentrated dark berry puree characters and savoury, earthy cedar notes with plenty of new French oak tannins and flavours. Where to buy: Direct from winery and VQA stores.
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Black Hills Estate Winery 2009 Note Bene - $54
Higher extraction and more modern vinification techniques have upped the concentration and increased the potential cellar life for this highly collected blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc. Where to buy: Direct from winery and select private wine shops ($55-60).
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Painted Rock Estate Winery 2009 Red Icon - $55
The 2009 is a harmonious blend of 30% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot and 1% Syrah delivering massive complexity and concentration that never overloads the dry palate rather evolves slowly in the glass to reveal layers of the flavour profile. Where to buy: Direct from winery, select private wine shops and VQA stores.
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Fairview Cellars 2009 The Wrath - $65
Intense, brooding and fantastically complex, this wonderful wine offers loads of dark fruit and French oak at the core of its flavour profile. Big tannins, big mouth feel, big nose, big presence... big everything! Where to buy: Direct from winery.
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Mission Hill Estate Winery 2006 Oculus - $70
Great concentration of flavours on the nose and palate with a final blend of 51% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot. Each component is aged separately in 100% French oak barrels for 14.5 months. Where to buy: Direct from winery, select private wine shops and VQA stores.
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Blackwood Lane 2007 The Referènce - $90
This attention to detail and use of elite components is all done to add complexity to the wine. Time must be taken with this wine to fully appreciate the complexity as it evolves in the glass revealing hidden layers and clues to its secrets. Where to buy: Direct from winery and VQA stores.
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Best of BC: Pinot Blanc/Gris

Pinot Blanc could be the signature white varietal of BC if it was better known. Sadly, plantings have been reduced over the past 5 years with many producers focusing more attention on its mutant, genetic cousin, Pinot Gris.

$20 and below:

Fort Berens Estate Winery 2010 Pinot Gris - $18
Despite the winery's Lillooet address this wine is all Okanagan. Produced from West Kelowna grown fruit and fermented in stainless steel tanks, this Pinot Gris is fruit forward and terroir driven with excellent austere characters to balance the orchard fruit and lemon zest notes. Where to buy: Direct from winery.
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Stoneboat Vineyards 2010 Pinot Gris - $18
Wisely, winemaker Jay Martinuik has kept the alcohol level down (12.9%) leaving a touch of residual sugar to balance the abundant acid typical of the 2010 vintage. Where to buy: Direct from winery.
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Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2012 Pinot Gris - $19
Lush and juicy on the nose with ripe pear, apple and tangerine aromas and a hint of tropical fruit notes in the background. Light mineral and green apple notes also help contrast the rich fruit making for a refreshing and compelling Summer sipper.
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Cassini Cellars 2011 Mamma Mia Pinot Gris - $19
A fun, off-dry Pinot Gris with loads of apricot, apple and passionfruit flavours which is hard to miss on the shelves with its bold "Mamma Mia" branding and will pair nicely with your late summer BBQ fair or an early fall, spicy-Thai dinner.
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Young and Wyse Collection 2011 Pinot Gris - $20
Cool, crisp and masculine with lively stonefruit, lemon/lime, pink grapefruit and peach skin characters and a nice mineral backbone highlighted by a steely finish and a touch of lingering spice.
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Upper Bench Estate Winery 2011 Pinot Gris - $20
A taut, tart, tasty Pinot Gris produced in the Grigio style with no oak contact, no residual sugar and loads of fresh acidity. Definitely a Pinot Gris that offers a nice contrast to the oaked, full-bodied and nearly off-dry versions that have been popular in BC for years.
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Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2010 Pinot Gris - $20
Intense on the sublime nose with rich orchard fruit, cantaloupe and floral aromas followed by a slightly off-dry palate bursting with lemon, grapefruit, pear, hay and honey flavours. Where to buy: Direct from winery.
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$30 and below:

Haywire Winery 2011 Switchback Vineyard Pinot Gris - $23
A complete and compelling texture and mouth feel - especially during a cool, acidic year like 2011. Add to the mix the classic BC Pinot Gris citrus, white peach and mineral flavours with the acid and lees character of a still Champagne and you have yourself a tasty treat.
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JoieFarm 2011 Pinot Blanc - $23
Sourced from established Kelowna and Naramata Bench vineyards, the fruit for this Pinot Blanc received a Chardonnay-like treatment of barrel fermentation resulting in a wine of equal complexity and intrigue.
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