Here are two more white wines for you to enjoy, hoping to banish away the upcoming winter season. Both wineries are from BC, but one of these wines use WA state fruit. In 2024 we have a very bad cold winter snap that killed the majority of interior BC grape vines. Fort Berens Estate Winery suffered vine loss, so for 2024 they brought in WA state grapes to produce this Pinot Gris Wine. They label their wines that use imported grapes as “Here & There” as the wine is made here, while the grapes come from there. The After 93 Vineyards & Estate Winery grapes come from their Ogden Road Vineyard in West Kelowna. Let me tell you about these two wines.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Fort Berens Estate Winery, Here & There, Pinot Gris 2024 (BC $23.49)
Winemaker’s notes, “We made this lively and refreshing Pinot Gris with grapes from a single vineyard on the Wahluke Slope in Washington. The grapes were hand-picked, destemmed, crushed, and left on the skins for 4 hours for optimal flavour extraction. The juice was fermented cold at 11 degrees to protect the delicate aromas of this Pinot Gris. It was then aged for 4 months on the fine lees to give a full, creamy texture.”
Appearance: a clear, medium-plus intensity, deeper pear skin colour.
Nose: Medium-minus intensity aromas of spearmint or lime, pears, and a touch of tropical fruit. No change to the aromas after decanting.
Palate: Dry, medium-plus body with a smooth, thicker mouthfeel. Higher acidity. Light tropical fruit, pears and a touch of lime. Stoniness toward the finish. The wine becomes leaner after decanting and less thick mouthfeel, plus you can add a touch of white flowers on the palate.
Finish: Medium-plus length, finishing dry. Pears and a touch of tropical fruit, stoniness and some bitterness at the very end. The touch of white flowers continues to the finish after decanting, and the wine has a less bitter finish.
A restrained Pinot Gris offering pears, light tropical fruit, and stony flavours. The undecanted wine may be a little nicer with the fuller body and thicker mouthfeel.
Rating: 
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Fort Berens Estate Winery Here & There Pinot Gris 2024 shows a deeper pear skin hue with subtle aromas of spearmint or lime, pear, and a hint of tropical fruit. The palate is dry and smooth with bright acidity, offering pear, lime, and light tropical fruit flavours with a stony note toward the finish. After decanting, the wine feels leaner with a white floral touch and a less bitter finish.
After 93 Vineyards & Estate Winery Pinot Gris 2023 (BC $28 at winery)
Winemaker’s notes, “Crafted with precision and care, this small-lot Pinot Gris was hand-harvested from our Ogden Road Vineyard in West Kelowna. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed with gentle handling to preserve the purity of the fruit. After a 48-hour cold settling of the free-run juice, a cool-temperature fermentation in stainless steel was conducted to retain the vibrant aromatics and expressive fruit character. The wine was then aged for 18 months in temperature-controlled stainless steel, developing complexity and texture while maintaining its fresh, varietal-driven profile.”
Appearance: a clear, bright, medium intensity pear skin colour.
Nose: Medium-minus aromas of pears, along with touches of white peach, pineapple, and grape stem. After decanting the aromas bump up to medium and there is a stony scent.
Palate: This wine is dry, lighter body with a soft, smooth mouthfeel. Quite fruity with flavours of pears, pineapple, and stone fruits. Medium-plus acidity leave a light prickle in your mouth. Same aromas and body after decanting, and you can add some stoniness on the palate.
Finish: Medium-plus length, finishing with flavours of pears and lesser amounts of pineapple and pepperiness. Add stoniness after decanting.
A light bodied Pinot Gris that is fresh and fruity, along with bright acidity. Decanting does not change the wine much, so open and enjoy at your leisure.
Rating: After 93 Vineyards & Estate Winery Pinot Gris 2023 offers a bright pear-skin colour with light aromas of pear, peach, and pineapple that gain a stony note after decanting. The palate is dry and smooth with lively acidity, offering pear and stone fruit flavours. It finishes medium-plus in length with pear, light pineapple, and a touch of pepperiness, complemented by a stony note after decanting.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase both wines from their respective winery websites:
- Fort Berens Estate Winery, Here & There, Pinot Gris 2024
- After 93 Vineyards & Estate Winery Pinot Gris 2023
BC Liquor stores carries the Fort Berens Estate Winery, Here & There, Pinot Gris 2024 and After 93 Vineyards & Estate Winery Pinot Gris 2023.
