MyWinePal: Exploring the Uniqueness and Desirability of BC Wines

British Columbia’s wine industry continues to show just how much can be achieved in a relatively young wine region. The 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada provided a good reminder of that, with BC wineries earning an impressive 640 medals, representing 51% of all medals awarded at the competition.

Beyond the medals, the results also point to the diversity of grapes being grown successfully across the province. Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah are among the varieties that continue to demonstrate the range and quality of BC wine.

That diversity is closely connected to BC’s geography. The province has nine wine regions, stretching from the coast to the dry, warm interior, with more than 80 grape varieties grown. The combination of different climates, soils, elevations, and growing conditions allows winemakers to work with both cool-climate and warm-climate varieties.

For example, in the North Okanagan, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling can show freshness, bright acidity, and elegant fruit, while the warmer southern Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys, and Lillooet, provide conditions well suited to varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Syrah.

One way to discover this diversity is to taste a selection of wines made from different grape varieties. The “Wines of BC Collection” I am tasting brings together five wines that provide a snapshot of what the province has to offer: Hester Creek Pinot Blanc 2025, Gehringer Brothers Chardonnay 2025, JoieFarm Secrest Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023, Fort Berens Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2022, and Poplar Grove Winery The Legacy 2018.

These wines demonstrate that there is no single BC wine style. Instead, the province offers a growing collection of wines shaped by grape variety, place, and the stylistic choices of its winemakers. Below are my tasting notes for these wines. You can try this flight as well by ordering from the wineries or visiting your local BC Liquor store and/or wine shop, which should carry some of these wines.

My Wine Tasting Notes

Hester Creek Old Vine Pinot Blanc 2025 (BC $23.99)

Winemaker’s notes, “This fresh and fragrant Old Vine Pinot Blanc was grown exclusively on our Golden Mile Bench vineyard. The grapes were hand harvested from our historic block 4 on September 18, 2025, destemmed and pressed that same day. The resulting juice was cold settled for one day before being racked into stainless steel tanks. The Aromaloc was utilized during a slow cool fermentation to help preserve the lush aromatics and flavours of this outstanding vintage. The wine was filtered, blended and bottled on January 21, 2026.”

Appearance: Clear, bright, medium-minus lemon colour.
Nose: Light aromas of peach and apricot, with touches of apple, citrus, and stoniness. Medium-intensity aromas after decanting, with the same fruits and stoniness.
Palate: Dryish, lighter-bodied with a soft, round, light mouthfeel. Medium-plus acidity leaves a light acidic prickle in your mouth. Light intensity, bright, fresh apricot and other stone fruit flavours, plus stoniness. Slight pepperiness toward the finish. The wine bumps up to medium body after decanting, citrus flavour is more evident, and you get stronger stone fruit flavours as well.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing off-dry, with stone fruit flavours and light pepperiness. The wine tastes drier on the finish after decanting.

Decanting makes this wine a touch better with fuller body and stronger flavours.

Rating: The Hester Creek Old Vine Pinot Blanc 2025 shows a clear, bright medium-minus lemon colour with light aromas of peach, apricot, apple, citrus, and stoniness, becoming more pronounced with the same aromas after decanting. The palate is dryish and lighter-bodied with a soft, round, light mouthfeel and medium-plus acidity, offering bright fresh apricot, stone fruit, and stony flavours with a touch of pepperiness toward the finish. After decanting, the wine becomes medium-bodied with stronger stone fruit and citrus flavours. It finishes medium-plus in length with stone fruit and light pepperiness, tasting drier on the finish after decanting.

Hester Creek Old Vine Pinot Blanc 2025 and Gehringer Brothers Dry Rock Vineyards Chardonnay 2025 with wines in glasses

Gehringer Brothers Dry Rock Vineyards Chardonnay 2025 (BC $ Needs to be purchased in a package.)

I notice on the wine label that Gehringer Brothers is celebrating 40 years in business. Congratulations!

Winemaker’s notes, “Cool fermented with a portion of the wine undergoing extended lees contact, giving it extra layers of depth, weight, and texture.”

Appearance: A clear, bright, medium-plus intensity pear skin colour in the glass.
Nose: Medium-plus, intense, interesting, deep aromas of dried apricots, apricots, pine needles, and honey. Sweet notes on the nose. No change to the aromas after decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry, medium-plus body with a silky smooth, soft and round, thicker mouthfeel. Great texture. Lighter acidity. Apricots and other stone fruits, plus a touch of pine needles on the palate. No change to the body or flavours after decanting.
Finish: A medium-plus to long finishing with flavours of apricots, dried stone fruits, and some grape stem bitterness. No change to the finish after decanting.

An excellent Chardonnay with interesting aromas, a silky smooth mouthfeel, and tasty stone fruit flavours. No need to decant. A wow wine for me.

Rating: – The Gehringer Brothers Dry Rock Vineyards Chardonnay 2025 shows a clear, bright medium-plus pear skin colour with pronounced aromas of dried apricot, apricot, pine needles, and honey, with sweet notes on the nose. The palate is dry and medium-plus-bodied with a silky smooth, soft, round, thicker mouthfeel and lighter acidity, offering apricot and other stone fruit flavours with a touch of pine needles. It finishes medium-plus to long with apricot, dried stone fruit, and grape stem bitterness, with no change after decanting.

JoieFarm Secrest Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023 (BC $30.35 for 2024 vintage)

Winemaker’s notes, “Grapes were hand-picked, then whole-berry fermented in stainless steel and neutral bins using a mix of targeted and ambient yeasts. The wine then underwent élevage in a combination of 14 months in French oak, neutral puncheons, and barrels before a coarse filtration.”

Appearance: A clear but dull/deep garnet colour. Translucent, with a consistent colour from core to rim. About 80% opaque.
Nose: Medium-plus aromas of juicy blackberries, plums, and cinnamon, with touches of oak and nutmeg. No change to the aromas after decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry, medium-bodied with a smooth, soft, supple mouthfeel. Tart and juicy black berries and fruits, and plums, with candied cherries toward the finish. Hint of floral and tarriness. Add some raspberries to the palate with swirling. Medium-intensity, fine-grained tannins get stronger toward the finish. Medium acidity drives the palate toward the finish. You can add a touch of oak and sweet spices to the palate after decanting, and reduce the tarry component.
Finish: Medium-plus length, finishing with black fruit and candied cherries. Medium, drying tannins and some puckering in your mouth. You get a tarter finish after decanting.

A top quality, bigger bodied Pinot Noir. More on the black fruit side.

Rating: – The JoieFarm Secrest Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023 shows a clear, dull deep garnet colour with medium-plus aromas of juicy blackberry, plum, cinnamon, oak, and nutmeg. The palate is dry and medium-bodied with a smooth, soft, supple mouthfeel and medium acidity, offering tart, juicy black fruit and plum with candied cherry toward the finish, plus floral and tarry notes and raspberry with swirling. After decanting, oak and sweet spice become more noticeable while the tarry character decreases, with the fine-grained tannins becoming stronger toward the finish. It finishes medium-plus in length with black fruit, candied cherry, drying tannins, and some puckering, with a tarter finish after air.

JoieFarm Secrest Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023, Fort Berens Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2022, and Poplar Grove Winery The Legacy 2018 with wines in glasses

Fort Berens Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2022 (BC $29.99)

Winemaker’s notes, “The grapes were hand-harvested and hand-sorted before they were destemmed and crushed. A 2-day cold soak allowed for optimal fruit extraction before starting fermentation. For colour and flavour extraction, pumpovers were done every 4 hours with fermentation temperatures increasing to 28 degrees for peak extraction. After fermentation, a 9-day post maceration was done on the skins for further colour and fine tannin extraction. The wine aged for 15 months in French oak barrels. 10% new oak, 25% 2nd and 25% 3rd fill, with the remainder in neutral oak.”

Appearance: A clear, deep, garnet colour in the glass.
Nose: Light aromas of meatiness, leather, toast, and dried red fruits. Add some blackberries to the aromas after decanting.
Palate: Dry, medium body with a smooth, soft, lighter mouthfeel. Meaty, savoury, leather, blackberries and touches of cherries and sweet spices on the palate. Medium acidity and lighter tannins. Same body after decanting, but you get less meaty/savoyr notes and the tannins are less drying.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing with tart blackberries and savoury notes. Some tartness and light, drying tannins. Less savoury and less drying tannins after decanting.

An evolving Cabernet Franc, with meaty, savoury, leather aromas and flavours. The undecanted version is a bit better for me, as I enjoyed these tertiary aromas and flavours.

Rating: undecanted. The Fort Berens Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2022 shows a clear, deep garnet colour with light aromas of meatiness, leather, toast, and dried red fruit, with blackberry appearing after decanting. The palate is dry and medium-bodied with a smooth, soft, lighter mouthfeel and medium acidity and lighter tannins, offering meaty, savoury, leather, blackberry, cherry, and sweet spice flavours. After decanting, the body remains the same, while the meaty and savoury notes become less pronounced and the tannins less drying. It finishes medium-plus in length with tart blackberry, savoury notes, and light drying tannins, becoming less savoury and less drying after decanting.

Poplar Grove Winery The Legacy 2018 (BC $64.99)

A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot, 6% Malbec, and 4% Petit Verdot. Winemaker’s notes, “…All component varietals were estate grown and hand-picked for their specific characteristics, then rigorously sorted prior to fermentation and extended maceration. The various lots were aged in 100% traditional French oak barriques for 21 months, before the final blend was assembled and then matured in-bottle for 2 years prior to release.”

Appearance: An opaque black-garnet colour. Opaque almost to the rim. Might have a touch of bricking.
Nose: Light, but deep, rich aromas of ripe black fruit and plums, plus touches of sweet spices and oak. Add char aromas afer decanting and the aromas, but up to medium intensity.
Palate: Dry, but with a fruity flavour, medium body, with a thick, luscious mouthfeel. Sweet ripe black fruits, plums, and black cherries, plus hints of cinnamon, floral, candied cherries, and oak. Medium acidity and supple tannins, but with swirling the tannins get much more grippy. I also picked up some char notes with swirling. The char becomes more eveident and there is less black cherries and floral flavours after decanting. The tannins become a bit stronger as well.
Finish: Medium-plus to long length, finishing with medium-plus drying tannins, sweet ripe black fruit flavours, and touches of candied cherries, cinnamon, and oak. Less cherries and cinnamon flavours to the finish after decanting.

A superb Bordeaux red blend. It is very nice now with the ripe fruit flavours, but can still age another 8-10 years. I prefer the undecanted version as it had more fruit flavours.

Rating: – The Poplar Grove Winery The Legacy 2018 shows an opaque black-garnet colour, possibly with a touch of bricking, with light but deep aromas of ripe black fruit, plum, sweet spice, and oak, becoming more intense with added char after decanting. The palate is dry with fruity flavours, medium-bodied, and has a thick, luscious mouthfeel, offering sweet ripe black fruit, plum, black cherry, cinnamon, floral notes, candied cherry, and oak, with tannins becoming more grippy with swirling and stronger after decanting, along with more char and less black cherry and floral character. It finishes medium-plus to long with drying tannins, sweet ripe black fruit, candied cherry, cinnamon, and oak, with less cherry and cinnamon on the finish after decanting.