vino

Over the weekend, my mom and I stopped by River's Bend Winery in South Surrey, about 10 kilometres from my apartment. They grow grapes right on the property, which are used to make about half of the wines they make. The others are all BC grapes, mostly from the Okanagan. If you've perused the BC Liquor Store shelves for 100% BC wines, you've likely noticed that there aren't many! Most use a combination of BC and California grapes. River's Bend has received a VQA stamp on several of their wines, and the most expensive bottle is under 25 bucks!


I could hardly contain my disbelief as we pulled up to the enormous grape fields just moments away from the typical suburban intersection featuring Tim Horton's and Subway. We entered the small building through a heavy, armoured metal door, the only inhospitable (though probably essential) feature on the property. There were several guests, including Japanese tourists, partaking in a boisterous - and free - tasting, offered by a warm, talkative employee. My mom and I, empty stomachs and toddler in tow, decided to try only a couple of wines - grown on property, of course! I'd be a complete phony if I started talking to you about varietals and nose and pairings and such, but I have tried a variety of wines in my day. All I really know is that I like my whites light and crisp, and my reds bold. We tried their Syrah (2006), which was definitely bold, as well as woody and smoky. Scarlet (2006) was a lighter red, especially refreshing on that hot Saturday. We followed with Flaxen (2007), a clean white that had a bit of a peachy aftertaste (yes, we tasted in backwards order). Our hostess insisted we try the dessert wine as well - not usually my taste - but it was surprisingly light instead of sickeningly sweet. We each bought a bottle of the Flaxen ($15), and knew that we'd definitely be back! This is exactly the kind of experience I had hoped this month would bring.


A few weeks ago, we also visited Wellbrook Winery in Delta, about 12 kilometres from home. I forgot my camera that day, but the property is just beautiful. They offer a wide selection of fruit wines, which they tell me are all grown either on property, or elsewhere in the Lower Mainland. This is also the home of Bremner's juices, and (most of you probably already know this) they host many Delta Arts Council and other events throughout the year. The tasting was also free, and after trying a couple, we left with a bottle of Cranberry and a bottle of Blackberry wine (all wines are $12.50). We shared them with friends that evening, all of whom seemed well pleased! I think I had been expecting alcoholic juice, but it was much lighter and fresher than that. I look forward to trying the Blueberry wine, as well as the not-yet-released Rhubarb wine! Yummy.