Tasting Vancouver Island Wines
Vancouver Island Wines – how are they different from the Okanagan?
We live in a cool coastal climate very different from the Okanagan, therefore we grow different grape varietals here (e.g. Ortega, Bacchus, Millot, Foch). We grow some varietals also grown in the Okanagan (e.g. Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer) but when grown here they are different in aromas, flavor and body by nature of our different terroir.
Terroir is how climate, soils, and terrain affect the taste of the wine. Also affecting taste are fruit quality, wine making methods, yeast selection and oak barrel aging.
White wines made on Vancouver Island are dominated by aromatic varietals such as Ortega and Bacchus or are made in an aromatic style (e.g. Pinot Gris). We have cooler summers so we choose varietals that ripen early relative to the Okanagan and we have cooler evenings which we like for preserving acidity in the grapes. Given our cool coastal climate we can also experience considerable differences in heat and precipitation from year to year.
With cool years and warm years (latter 2006, 2009, 2014, 2015) our reds particularly may vary in flavor, acidity, alcohol, and body depending on the vintage.
Tasting Vancouver Island Wines
The Basics:
- Find a place to taste clear of perfumes, florals, fruit and other aromas.
- Make sure you have a clean palate (try chewing a bit of bread or cracker and sip a little water before you start), a decent glass (medium bowl, tapered top, stem, cut rim), a clear head and a mind free of expectation!
- Finally check the wine - is the wine made from grapes grown on Vancouver Island or is it fruit brought from the Okanagan and made here, or blended with island fruit? It makes a difference!
Temperature of the wine:
If the wine is an aromatic white varietal like many Vancouver Island wines are, temperature of the wine matters a lot. If the wine is too cold (e.g. right out of your fridge at 4C) you won’t get the same range of aromatics as at 12C. Our island reds are light to medium bodied with lower alcohol and we think should be served at around 16 – 18C .
How To Taste Wine?
- Start with an ounce or so of wine in a good glass:
- What can you see? Note color, color intensity, clarity, sediment, presence of bubbles: then put that aside as you take your first sniff.
- What can you smell – how intense is it? It’s okay to put your nose in the glass! Start an inch or two above the glass and sniff slowly, then move your nose closer to the bowl: you may get a range of different aromas from above glass to rim. I like to sniff, concentrate on a few aromas I’m getting as I wait about 30 sec to swirl the wine in the glass then sniff again. There are a lot of aromas in a good wine and not everyone will get the same aromas.
- What can you taste? Take in about ½ an ounce of wine, roll it around in your mouth front, back, sides. Draw in some air with the wine in your mouth. Think about what you are tasting: acidity, sweetness, bitterness, astringency, body, hotness from alcohol - are there bubbles? Swallow some and spit the rest, or swallow all of it. Your job isn’t done with the swallow. The length of time you can taste the wine after swallow is called the finish. Long finish or short? What do you taste when you swallow? What lingers?
- Conclusion. The most important thing to decide is DID YOU LIKE IT? What in particular did you like or not like? Was it balanced? Finally if you are tasting because you plan to buy the wine, are you buying it to pair with food, to sip on the patio on a hot day, or to pair with a cheese platter by the fire on a cold day?
Your enjoyment of a wine can be increased with a good food pairing, and made memorable with good company and vistas of our beautiful island!
Pat George, Winemaker
©Symphony Vineyard Ltd
WINES TRUE TO OUR REGION
100% SAANICH GROWN
symphonyvineyard.com
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