BC Rosé Wines Continue to Please

BC Rose wine in glass
BC Rosé wine in glass

I thought I’d write this article about BC Rosé wines as rosé wines have been on a growth tear for several years.  Plus checking my website stats for the last 4 weeks, the top query was “Mateus Rosé Wine“.  Mateus, from Portugal, has been around for many years, enjoyed by my parents, and is now updated and reaching out to the newer, younger wine drinkers.  I did check a statistic on rosé wine consumption in the USA from 2019, which showed that there has been a 40% growth yearly.  I’d guess that this holds true for Canada as well.

Which wineries in BC make rosé wines and which grapes do they use to make these wines? I visited the BC Liquor Stores website, Swirl Wine Store, Everything Wine, BC Wine Info Centre, researching winery websites, plus the last 2 years of my tasting notes from various trade tastings, to see how many Rosé wines I could find.   From my research there are 146 BC wineries making rosé wines:

  • 50th Parallel Estate Winery
  • 8th Generation Vineyard
  • Arrowleaf Cellars
  • Backyard Vineyards
  • Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery
  • Bartier Brothers
  • Bella Wines
  • Bench 1775 Winery
  • Birch Block Vineyard
  • Black Hills Estate Winery
  • Black Market Wine Co.
  • Black Swift Vineyards
  • Blasted Church Vineyards
  • Blue Grouse Estate Winery & Vineyard
  • Blue Mountain Winery
  • Bonamici Cellars
  • Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery
  • Calliope Wines
  • C.C. Jentsch Cellars
  • CedarCreek Estate Winery
  • Chaberton Estate Winery
  • Church & State Wines
  • Clos du Soleil Winery
  • Corcelettes Estate Winery
  • Culmina Family Estate Winery
  • Da Silva Vineyards and Winery
  • Daydreamer Wines
  • Deep Roots Winery
  • Dirty Laundry Vineyards
  • Eau Vivre Winery
  • Enrico Winery
  • Evolve Cellars
  • Ex Nihilo Vineyards
  • Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards
  • Fort Berens Estate Winery
  • Foxtrot Vineyards
  • Frind Estate Winery
  • Gehringer Bros.
  • Giant Head Estate Winery
  • Gold Hill Winery
  • Gray Monk Estate Winery
  • Great Estates Okanagan
  • Harper’s Trail Estate Winery
  • Haywire Winery
  • Hermit Wine Co.
  • Hester Creek Estate Winery
  • Hidden Chapel Winery
  • Hillside Estate Winery
  • House of Rose Vineyards
  • Howling Bluff Estate Wines
  • Hugging Tree Winery
  • Indigenous World Wines
  • Intersection Estate Winery
  • Intrigue Wines
  • JoieFarm Wines
  • Kalala Organic Estate Winery
  • Kanazawa Wines
  • Kismet Estate Winery
  • Kitsch Wines
  • Lake Breeze Vineyards
  • Lakeside Cellars
  • Lang Vineyards
  • Larch Hills Winery
  • LaStella
  • Le Vieux Pin Winery
  • Liber Farm & Winery
  • Lightning Rock Winery
  • Liquidity Wines
  • Little Farm Winery
  • Little Straw Vineyards
  • Lock & Worth Winery
  • Lunessence Winery and Vineyard
  • Marichel Vineyard
  • Maverick Estate Winery
  • Mayhem Wines
  • Mirabel Vineyards
  • Mission Hill Estate Winery
  • Monster Vineyards
  • Monte Creek Ranch Winery
  • Moraine Winery
  • Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery
  • Nichol Vineyard and Estate Winery
  • NK’mip Cellars
  • Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery
  • Okanagan Crush Pad (Narrative, Free Form, Haywire)
  • Oliver Twist Estate Winery
  • Orofino Vineyards & Winery
  • O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars
  • Pacific Breeze Urban Winery
  • Painted Rock Estate Winery
  • Pentage Winery
  • Perseus Winery
  • Poplar Grove Winery
  • Privato Vineyard and Winery
  • Quail’s Gate Estate Winery
  • Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery
  • Recline Ridge Vineyards & Winery
  • Red Rooster Winery
  • Ricco Bambino
  • River Stone Estate Winery
  • Road 13 Vineyards
  • Robin Ridge Winery
  • Roche Wines
  • Rocky Creek Winery
  • Rollingdale Winery
  • Rust Wine Co.
  • Sage Hills Vineyard & Winery
  • Sandhill Vineyards
  • Saxon Estate Winery
  • See Ya Later Ranch
  • Seven Directions Wine
  • Seven Stones Winery
  • Silkscarf Winery
  • Southend Farm Vineyards
  • Spearhead Winery
  • Sperling Vineyards
  • Stag’s Hollow Winery
  • St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery
  • Stoneboat Vineyards
  • Sumac Ridge Estate Winery
  • Summergate Winery
  • Summerhill Pyramid Winery
  • Sunnybrae Vineyard & Winery
  • Tantalus Vineyards
  • The Hatch Winery
  • The Vibrant Vine
  • The View Winery
  • Therapy Vineyards
  • Thornhaven Estates Winery
  • Three Sisters Winery
  • Tightrope Winery
  • TIME Estate Winery
  • Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
  • Unsworth Vineyards
  • Upper Bench Estate Winery
  • Valley of the Springs Winery
  • Vanessa Vineyard
  • Vin Amite
  • Vista D’Oro Farms
  • Volcanic Hills Estate Winery
  • Waterside Vineyard & Winery
  • Westbert Winery
  • Wild Goose Vineyards
  • Winemaker’s CUT
  • Young & Wyse Collection
  • Zanatta Winery 

These wineries come from every wine producing region in BC.  From the Wines of BC website, they note that there are 284 licensed grape wineries, so 146/284 = 51.4% of BC wineries make rosé wine.  Most of the wineries in this list produce still rosé wines, with a few making sparkling rosé wines. The 22 wineries from my research that make sparkling rosé wines are:

  • 8th Generation Vineyard
  • Arrowleaf Cellars
  • Bella Wines
  • Blue Mountain Winery
  • Evolve Cellars
  • Ex Nihilo Vineyards
  • Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards
  • Gray Monk Estate Winery
  • JoieFarm Wines
  • Kalala Organic Estate Winery
  • Lang Vineyards
  • Monster Vineyards
  • Monte Creek Ranch Winery
  • Nichol Vineyard and Estate Winery
  • Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery
  • Okanagan Crush Pad – Haywire
  • Perseus Winery
  • Sumac Ridge Estate Winery
  • Summerhill Pyramid Winery
  • The Hatch
  • The View Winery
  • Unsworth Vineyards
  • Zanatta Winery

To produce these sparkling wines, both a Champenoise Method (second fermentation in bottle) is used as well as the Charmat Method (second fermentation in a tank).

There is a wide variety of grapes used to make these wines, but the predominant grape is Pinot Noir. The other red grapes used to make these wines from larger to smaller volume are Merlot, Gamay Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Pinot Meunier, Zweigelt, Rotberger, Blaufrankisch, Marquette, Petit Verdot, Mourvedre, Grenache, Sangiovese, and Pinotage. The grapes from Merlot to Syrah are the second largest group.  All other red grapes are not as commonly used.  We also have white grapes used in the production of some rosé wines.  Chardonnay is the primary blending grape, followed by lesser amounts of Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and the least amounts of Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Viognier.  I have not gone through all the rosé wines made in BC, but a representative sample for this ranking of grapes used.

If I missed any BC wineries that produce still or sparkling rosé wines, please post a comment below so that I can add the winery or wineries to the list.  Thank you.

Some BC Rosé Wine Reviews

Monte Creek Ranch Rosé 2019
Monte Creek Ranch Rosé 2019

Monte Creek Ranch Rosé 2019 (BC $18.99) – This rosé wine is made with a North American hybrid grape known as Marquette. It has an intense, bright crushed raspberry and red cherry colour.  Medium intensity, lifted red fruit aromas, together with some rhubarb and candied red cherries. With decanting I also get some cranberry aroma as well.  This wine is full-bodied, round, has a thick mouthfeel, and also a strong acidic edge, and leaves a prickle on the tongue.  It is off-dry.  Pronounced tart red cherries, candied red cherries, red plums, and rhubarb flavours. A medium length, finishing with tart and sweet red fruits that gently taper off and some steeliness.  No change of flavours with decanting, so open and enjoy.

Rating: 4.5 stars  A blend of tart and candied red cherries on the nose.  Full-bodied with bright acidity. Tart and candied red cherries, red plums and rhubarb on the palate.

Harper's Trail Estate Winery Rosé
Harper’s Trail Estate Winery Rosé

Harper’s Trail Estate Winery Rosé 2019 (BC $16.99) – this wine is a blend of Pinot Gris and Cabernet Franc.  It has a pale bright salmon colour. A wonderfully juicy watermelon nose, along with a hint of red fruit. I have only once before mentioned a wine having watermelon aromas and that was Winemaker’s CUT Estate Rosé 2019.  The commonality between both wines is that they are made with Cabernet Franc.  So maybe that is where this unique aroma originates? This wine has a medium-plus body, thicker mouthfeel, and light acidity that leaves a little prickle on your tongue. Juicy bright fruit flavours; tropical fruits, red fruits and strawberries. There is also some minerality I detected on the mid-palate. A medium plus length finishing with mouthwatering acidity, tart flavours, red fruit and pepperiness. Faint tannins. It is acidity that provides structure to this wine.  With decanting the watermelon aroma is not as strong and you get some tropical fruit and bramble.  On the palate I think the wine may be a bit smoother, while the flavours stay unchanged.  I prefer the wine just opened, poured, and enjoyed.

Rating: 4.5 stars  A solid rosé with a wonderful aroma of watermelon.  That leads to a smooth wine with strawberries and tropical fruits on the palate and bright acidity.

50th Parallel Estate Winery Pinot Noir Rosé 2019
50th Parallel Estate Winery Pinot Noir Rosé 2019

50th Parallel Estate Winery Pinot Noir Rosé 2019 (BC $23.50) –  the grapes for this wine once ripened are selectively hand harvested, destemmed and crushed into a closed fermenter. The wine is then chilled to almost freezing temperatures for a 36 to 48 hour period. The juice is then drained off, skins pressed, then both are combined and settled. Cold fermentation then begins in stainless steel tanks for maximum aromatic expression.  Lots of steps to bring this wine to you.  It has a medium bright salmon colour.  Medium intensity lively ripe strawberries and other red fruits on the nose.  It is dry and round with medium plus acidity and light pepperiness.  Medium plus intensity flavours of strawberries primarily with lesser amounts of other red fruits and rhubarb.  Red cherries and a hint of floral on the mid-palate.  There is also a touch of oak.  Restrained fruit flavours.  A medium plus length finishing with tart red fruits and light pepperiness.

Rating: 4 stars Strawberries and red fruit on the nose with more on the palate, although the flavours are restrained.  You also get a hint of floral and some light pepperiness.
 
Narrative Rose 2018
Narrative Rose 2018
Okanagan Crush Pad – Narrative Rosé 2019 (BC $19.90) – This wine was made from grapes harvested in their Summerland and Oliver vineyards. The grapes were gently destemmed with 12 hours of skin contact before lightly pressing and fermenting naturally in concrete tanks.  This wine has a lighter orangey rhubarb colour in the glass.  It has a pronounced nose, bursting with red fruit aromas, strawberries, raspberry leaf and a touch of nettles and tropical fruit.  With decanting you can add nettles to the nose.  This wine is dry with a thicker round creamy mouthfeel.  Medium acidic prickle on your tongue.  Tasty red fruits, strawberries and raspberry leaf flavours. Decanting adds some pine needle and lime flavours.  A medium-plus length finishing with strawberries, red fruits and some bitterness.  Bright flavours. An excellent wine!  Recommended for summer enjoyment.  A great price as well.
Rating: 4.5 stars  A very enticing nose bursting with red fruits, strawberries and tropical fruits that follow to the palate.  Cream and round mouthfeel with bright acidity.
Dirty Laundry Hush Rosé 2019
Dirty Laundry Hush Rosé 2019

Dirty Laundry Hush Rosé 2019 ($17.99 on sale) –  MerlotPinot Noir, and Cabernet are combined with a cold soak of Pinot Gris on skins for 12 – 24 hours before fermentation.  This wine has a medium intensity bright salmon colour. Medium intensity nose showing fresh strawberries, sweet red berries and some tropical fruit.  It is off-dry with medium body and acidity.  Round but not overly acidic. Red fruits, tropical fruits, strawberries and banana on the palate that goes to the finish.  Thicker mouthfeel.  Decanting had no major effect, just lighter acidity and the addition of some violet flavour.  This wine finished with a mix of red fruit, tropical fruit and bananas, along with some pepperiness and tart acidity.  I think smoked salmon or a summery salad would work well here.

Rating: 4 stars  Bright red fruits and tropical fruits on the nose and palate. Off-dry with bright acidity.  Open and enjoy.

Rust Wine Co Rosé 2019
Rust Wine Co Rosé 2019

Rust Wine Co Rosé 2019 (BC $22) – This rosé wine is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, which is not that common in my opinion.  I’ve tasted rosé wine from Bordeaux in the past that uses Cabernet Sauvignon, but most rosé wines are made with grapes such as Grenache, Sangiovese, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault, and Pinot Noir. I was surprised, but Rust made a tasty wine.  It is fermented in stainless steel and left with 6.9% residual sugar.  You can taste that it is off-dry.  The wine does have a medium orangy, red rose petal colour. As mentioned it is off-dry with slightly higher acid.   Medium-plus body and fruit flavours.  It has an acid-driven structure.  You do not notice any tannins in this wine.  Raspberries, strawberries, red cherries and a hint of floral flavours.  I also picked up some minerality toward the end of the sip.  There is a light acidic prickle in your mouth from this wine.  It finishes with a mix of sweet and tart red fruit and strawberries on the finish.  I did taste this wine yesterday and paired it with Chefs Plate Blackened Fish with corn succotash and rice.  It was a delicious pairing.

As the Cabernet Sauvignon grape was not fully fermented as a red wine, not all the structure and power related to the gravel is evident, but I did not some minerality in this wine.

Rating: 4 stars  A straightforward, off-dry wine with bright red fruit and strawberry aromas and flavours.

Privato Rose 2019 (BC $20.99) – Light red fruit nose.  Dry with a medium body and medium acidity.  Red fruit flavour.  Medium fine tannins.  An easy sipper. 4.5 stars 

 

Author: mywinepal
Drink Good Wine. That is my motto and I really want to help you drink good wine. What is good wine? That can be a different thing for each people. Food also loves wine so I also cover food and wine pairings, restaurant reviews, and world travel. Enjoy life with me. MyWinePal was started by Karl Kliparchuk, WSET. I spent many years with the South World Wine Society as the President and then cellar master. I love to travel around the world, visiting wine regions and sharing my passion for food & wine with you. Come live vicariously through me, and enjoy all my recommended wines.