Sometime ago we sat down with friends at the Okanagan Valley's Black Hills Estate Winery. I still remember that hot summer afternoon when I finally got to taste some long awaited wines. We scheduled a curated wine tasting, which included their iconic Nota Bene. I decided to do a wine tasting here primarily because I had heard so many good things about its Nota Bene wines, and we were not disappointed.
Black Hills Estate Winery © Spaswinefood
Black Hills Estate Winery
Black Hills Estate Winery was founded in 1996, as a joint venture between Peter and Susan McCarrell, and Bob and Senka Tennant. While over the years it changed ownership, today it is part an Ontario-based family run Andrew Peller Limited.
Wine Experience Centre, Black Hills Estate Winery © Spaswinefood
Their Wine Experience Centre, is located on Black Sage Road, 13km north of Osoyoos and 10km south of Oliver. It is nestled within the iconic Double Black Vineyard, with breathtaking panoramic views of Mount Kobau and the South Okanagan.
Double Black Vineyard © Spaswinefood
In 2011, Black Hills acquired Double Black Vineyard, which is a kilometer south of the original Sharp Rock Vineyard. Both vineyards were originally planted with almost identical clones and rootstock in 1996. The vineyards are located on the Black Sage Bench, which has a microclimate among the hottest, driest and sunniest sites in Canada. The vineyards' terroir has become recognized amongst some of the most exceptional.
Black Hills Estate Wines
Nota Bene, their signature blend is an age-worthy Bordeaux-style red blend. They produce Bordeaux and Rhone Valley inspired blends such as, Addendum, Per Se, Ipso Facto, Bona Fide, Alibi and Rose, and as well as single variety expressions of Viognier, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Syrah, Tempranillo and Carménère.
Their first Carménère was released in 2005. It has a following that claims it gets better each vintage. Since the first release of Black Hills Syrah in 2009 this wine has developed a strong fan base. While Nota Bene leads the pack, Black Hills has managed to diversify its wine portfolio so that everyone has a favorite. During our visit we got to taste its Viognier, for instance.
Tasting Black Hills Estate Wines © Spaswinefood
Before our main tasting menu we began with two of their white wines.
Tasty Snacks, Black Hills Estate Winery © Spaswinefood
Amongst the white wines we tasted was a 2021 Viognier.
Black Hills Estate Winery Viognier, Okanagan Valley BC VQA 2021
Black Hills Estate Winery Viognier, Okanagan Valley BC VQA 2021 © Spaswinefood
Black Hills Estate Winery Wine Tasting © Spaswinefood
Next up were five red wines. Amongst the red wines we tasted were 2018 Carménère and 2019 Syrah.
Black Hills Estate Winery Carménère, Okanagan Valley BC VQA 2018
Black Hills Estate Winery Carménère, Okanagan Valley BC VQA 2018 © Spaswinefood
Black Hills Estate Winery 2018 Carménère & 2019 Syrah, Okanagan Valley BC VQA
2018 Carménère & 2019 Syrah, Okanagan Valley BC VQA © Spaswinefood
We would finish the wine tasting with its Nota Bene wines.
Black Hills Estate Winery © Spaswinefood
We left Black Hills with an appreciation for its wines. Regrettably, their wines are not exported to US. In general we found this to be the case for Okanagan Valley wines. Hence, we have learned to enjoy while there, and bring back a few special ones.
Black Hills Estate Winery's Wine Experience Centre © Spaswinefood
Where ever our wine travels take us we try to visit to a variety of wineries, ranging from boutique to large scale producers. During our summer visits to the Okanagan Valley we were fortunate to visit Black Hills Estate Winery (Oliver), Gray Monk Estate Winery (one of the 40 wineries within 20-30 minute drive of Kelowna, on Lake Country's Scenic Sip), and Tinhorn Creek Vineyards (Oliver), all three of which are owned by Andrew Peller Ltd.
Our Black Hills visit was part of our exploring the south end of the Okanagan Valley's wine scene. Many of the Kelowna wineries also have vineyards in the Southern Okanagan. The temperature at the south end of the valley is reported to be up to four degrees warmer. This makes it so perfect for grape growing. In fact Oliver, the town at the south end of the Okanagan Valley, calls itself Wine Capital of Canada.
Okanagan Valley
The Okanagan Valley is where 86% of the British Columbia's vineyard acreage is located. Viticultural regions are defined in British Columbia as areas of Geographic Indication (GI). To be certified as coming from a GI, wines must adhere to VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) standards. There are nine GIs across British Columbia, of which the Okanagan Valley is one. These GIs participate in a Vitners Quality Allicance (VQA), an appellation of origin that is modeled after the European system. An Okanagan VQA certifies a wine is from this region and meets the quality standards. The Okanagan Valley GI has eleven official sub-regions, with each defined by its distinct soil and climate conditions, such as Black Sage Bench. Once you have discovered the Okanagan Valley it will keep calling you back. During our June 2023 visit we concentrated the Southern part of the valley, Summer 2024 we made sure to also visit wineries in/around Kelowna, such Gray Monk Estate Winery ( Kelowna), and Tinhorn Creek Vineyards (Oliver). Southern Okanagan offers the wine traveler some of the very best sipping experiences. In fact, most of the best wines are grow in the South around Oliver and Osoyoos (oh-soy-yoos). For this reason I have focused my efforts primarily around the Oliver to Osoyoos area during my Summers of 2023 and 2024 visits.
Okanagan Valley Wine Country © Spaswinefood
For sure if you are interested in “Vinous Magic” then put the Black Hills Estate Winery, Okanagan Valley on your list. We were not disappointed in their Vinous offerings. Here is some useful travel information to help you plan your wine country getaway to Okanagan wineries. Kelowna, the largest city in the Okanagan Valley is within driving distance from Vancouver (237 miles). Kelowna’s international airport has direct flights from Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Seattle. I invite you to join me in my wine travels in the Okanagan Valley and elsewhere at Wine Travels with Dr. Sharon, and at Spaswinefood on Bluesky and Facebook. I am so looking forward to sharing more on my vine-filled explorations in the Okanagan Valley.
CHEERS!
Sharon
Remembering the Okanagan Valley
British Columbia
© Spaswinefood
Black Hills Estate Winery © Spaswinefood
Time for Vinous Magic, Black Hills Estate Winery © Spaswinefood
No comments:
Post a Comment