The BC coastal wineries and the Fraser Valley had a completely different winemaking experience compared to the interior of BC in 2024. With the cold weather winter snap in the Interior, most of the vitis vinifera vines died so many winemakers had to source grapes from outside of BC; Many chose Washington and Oregon states. The coastal and Fraser Valley wineries did not suffer the worst of the cold snap, so were able to produce wines from their own grapes in 2024. This interview covers these winemakers’ experiences.
The winemakers I interviewed are:
- Zac Brown from Alderlea Vineyards
- Andrew Etsell from Singletree Winery
Where Are These Wineries?
Here is a Google map showing the location of the wineries, colour-coded to the winemaker names above.
My Interview
Where are your vineyards and winery located?
Zac: Alderlea Vineyards were established in the Cowichan Valley in 1993.
Andrew: Our vineyards and winery are located in Mt. Lehman in Abbotsford in the Fraser Valley.
Is there anything surprising or exciting about the wines you are making?
Zac: I think our Ramato-style Pinot Gris (double gold medal at the All Canadians for the 2023) and Sauvignon Blanc (ACWC gold medals for 22&23) are distinctive takes on well-known varietals. Bacchus is a varietal that finds its apex on Vancouver Island. The wines I think would be the most surprising to visitors are our reds. We can do full-bodied estate-grown reds here at Alderlea. Our rich Pinot Noirs elegant Merlot and bold Matrix, Clarinet & Contraband wines really deliver.
Andrew: We are bringing in Siegerrebe, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Are there any vineyard or cellar innovations you are interested in implementing?
Zac: We’ve recently upgraded our winery from 2000 cases to 4500 cases and incorporated precise temperature control for our whites and microox-capable Orion egg fermenters in our red programs. We also have developed biogenic amine-free winemaking protocols to make our wines accessible by those with health sensitivities.
Andrew: We are pleased to report low disease pressure, allowing for a successful harvest despite the weather challenges.
When did you start harvesting grapes and when did you finish picking? Was this year early, right on time, or a little later than usual?
Zac: It was a challenging stretched out harvest which brought in more rain than usual. We started picking early and let the thick-skinned grapes hang very late.
Andrew: Cooler temperatures delayed our harvest by nearly three weeks, but we managed to harvest Siegerrebe, a new Pinot Noir clone, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. We are managing our surviving vines and expect increased yields compared to the previous two years.
What surprised you about this year’s harvest? Did you have a bigger or smaller volume of grapes compared to last year?
Zac: We did bring in our largest harvest yet. Double our production of where we were in 2021.
Andrew: This year’s vintage is set to deliver abundant Rosé and Siegerrebe (“Siggy”).
Is there a grape or style of wine you are producing this year that you are very excited about?
Zac: This year we produced a Pinot Noir rosé off a young vineyard and a sparkling wine of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris & Pinot Noir that I think will turn some heads. These are new-style wines for Alderlea.
Andrew: We are excited about the promising outcome of this year’s vintage after a challenging season. Learn more about us at singletreewinery.com.
To Summarize
Coastal winemakers Zac Brown of Alderlea Vineyards and Andrew Etsell of Singletree Winery shared insights into their recent harvest, emphasizing the advantages of their unique locations in British Columbia. Zac, based in the Cowichan Valley, highlighted a successful harvest that doubled production from 2021, showcasing innovative wines such as a Ramato-style Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and robust estate-grown reds like Merlot and Matrix. Meanwhile, Andrew, situated in the Fraser Valley’s Mt. Lehman area, reported a delayed harvest due to cooler temperatures but was pleased with the quality and diversity of grapes, including Siegerrebe, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Both winemakers celebrated the introduction of exciting new styles, such as Zac’s sparkling Pinot blend and Pinot Noir rosé, alongside Andrew’s abundant Siegerrebe and Rosé. Despite challenges like increased rain for Zac and delayed timelines for Andrew, both wineries achieved notable successes, supported by innovations such as temperature-controlled fermenters and low-disease pressure vineyards.
