Most of you are probably familiar with tasting BC wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay, or Pinot Gris grapes. But, there are other lesser-known grape varieties grown in BC that also make enjoyable wines. I have two wines for you coming from cool-climate Vancouver Island. The first wine is from Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery using the Petit Milo grape, while the other winery, 40 Knots Vineyard and Estate Winery has made an orange wine using Schönberger and Siegerrebe grapes. As I pulled these wines from my cellar, the vintages that I am tasting are sold out and you would be purchasing the latest vintages.
FYI, Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery is Vancouver Island’s first certified organic winery. 40 Knots Vineyard and Estate Winery practices sustainable viticulture, focusing on low-impact farming techniques, including organic and biodynamic principles. It is quite commendable considering the cool climate where these wineries are located.
The Grape Varieties
Petit Milo, a Blattner hybrid, stands out with its early ripening nature and disease resistance. Its berries develop high sugar levels while maintaining refreshing acidity, leading to wines with vibrant tropical fruit aromas, citrus zest, and a crisp, clean finish. Schönberger is a white grape variety that is a cross between Pinot Noir and Pirovano 1 (itself a cross of Chasselas Rose and Muscat d’Hamburg). This grape is prized for its intensely perfumed profile, offering layers of lychee, rose petal, and ripe pear, often with a touch of honeyed sweetness. Lastly, Siegerrebe, a crossing of Gewürztraminer and Madeleine Angevine, offers sweet spices, grapefruit, and floral notes, delivering a wine that is highly aromatic yet delicate on the palate. These hybrids showcase the diversity of BC’s wine landscape, offering exciting alternatives to traditional European varieties.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery Petit Milo 2021 (BC $27.90 for 2023 vintage)
Appearance: A clear, bright, medium-plus intensity lemon colour in the glass.
Nose: Medium-plus intensity aromas of toast and flint mainly, with lesser amounts of citrus and peach. No changes to the aromas after decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry, medium body with a lean, light mouthfeel. The wine does get rounder with air. Tart citrus flavours along with flintiness. Stony minerality with light pepperiness toward the finish. You also feel a light acidic prickle in your mouth. The only change I detected after decanting is that the pepperiness is much less and is now right at the very end.
Finish: A medium-plus length, finishing with citrus and toast flavours. Light pepperiness, and touches of peach and stony minerality. You can add a touch of bitterness to the finish after decanting.
No need to decant this wine. This is a wine with its own identity. It has citrus and flinty aromas and flavours, plus stoniness on the palate.
Rating: 
The Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery Petit Milo 2021 shines with a bright lemon hue and aromas of toast, flint, citrus, and peach. On the palate, it is dry and light-bodied with tart citrus, stony minerality, and a subtle acidic prickle, becoming rounder with air. A medium-plus finish highlights citrus, toast, and light pepperiness, with a touch of bitterness emerging after decanting.
40 Knots Vineyard and Estate Winery L’Orange 2019 (BC $42 but is Sold Out. 2022 vintage)
From the winery, “Schonberger <MyWinePal: and Siegerrebe> whole berry, no crush, gentle punch downs in Amphora, terracotta from Florence, Italy. On skins for 3 months. No malolactic ferment. No additions and S02 levels below 20mg/l. No acid added, natural PH. Native fermentation, no yeast added. No fining, no filter, minimal effective sulphites.”
Appearance: A clear, deep, tawny orange colour.
Nose: Very inviting, medium-intensity aromas or candied oranges, sweet spices, and a touch of floral. Lychee aromas are now a quite prominent addition after decanting.
Palate: Dry, medium-plus body with a lean, smooth mouthfeel. Oranges, black currants and black currant leaf flavours, along with a touch of floral and some bitterness toward the finish. Medium acidity and tannins. The wine is more round after decanting and you get a touch of lychee flavour.
Finish: A medium-plus to long length, finishing dry with firm tannins. Oranges and black currant flavours plus a touch of floral and bitterness. No change to the finish after decanting.
A wine that holds its aromas and flavours after decanting and over many years in the bottle.
Rating: 
The 40 Knots Vineyard and Estate Winery L’Orange 2019 showcases a deep tawny orange hue with inviting aromas of candied oranges, sweet spices, and floral notes, with lychee emerging after decanting. On the palate, it is dry and medium-plus bodied with a lean yet smooth mouthfeel, offering flavours of oranges, black currants, and a touch of bitterness, becoming rounder with air. A medium-plus to long finish highlights firm tannins, oranges, and floral notes, remaining unchanged after decanting.
Past Tasting of These Wines
I reviewed these two wines in 2022. Here are my tasting notes from three years ago. Let’s see if there are any changes to the aromas and flavours after three more years in the bottle.
Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery Petit Milo 2021 – It has light aromas of pears, green fruits, and nettles. Medium body with a nice thicker/round texture. Flavours of pears and crisp apple, plus hints of stonefruits and citrus with air. Give this wine some time to warm up in your glass to appreciate what it has to offer. A nerdy wine.
40 Knots Vineyard and Estate Winery L’Orange 2019 – This wine has a deep clear copper colour. Rich sweet nose with oranges and sweet spices. Dry, medium plus body with a thicker mouthfeel to start but lightens up on the mid-palate. Tannins kick in the mid-palate. Oranges, apple skin and sweet spices on the palate. Dry tannic finish. Medium length. A complex wine. Geek-worthy.
Comparison of the Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery Petit Milo 2021 Notes
Both tasting notes for the Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery Petit Milo 2021 note citrus and stone fruit flavours, though the specifics differ. The newer tasting note highlights a bright lemon hue, aromas of toast and flint, and a tart citrus-driven palate with stony minerality and an acidic prickle. In contrast, the 2022 note focuses on aromas of pears, green fruits, and nettles, with a rounder texture and flavours of pears, crisp apple, and hints of stone fruit. The finish in the recent note is described as medium-plus with citrus, toast, and light pepperiness, whereas the 2022 note suggests the wine benefits from warming in the glass to reveal its full complexity. So there are significant differences between the two tasting notes. Wine evolves in the bottle.
Comparison of the 40 Knots Vineyard and Estate Winery L’Orange 2019 Notes
Both tasting notes for the 40 Knots Vineyard and Estate Winery L’Orange 2019 highlight its deep orange-hued appearance and inviting aromas of oranges and sweet spices. Both also agree on the wine’s dry style, medium-plus body, and noticeable tannins on the finish.
Differences appear in the descriptions of mouthfeel and flavours. My newer note describes a lean yet smooth texture that becomes rounder with air, while the 2022 note mentions a thicker mouthfeel that lightens on the mid-palate. The flavour profile in the recent note includes black currants and a touch of bitterness, while the older note highlights apple skin. Additionally, the 2022 review describes a dry, tannic medium-length finish, whereas the newer review extends the finish to medium-plus to long, emphasizing citrus and floral elements.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
Both wines, newest vintages when available, are on the respective winery websites.
