Category: Lillooet

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…

Summer is slowly winding down.  But we can still enjoy time on our patios with a glass of BC wine.  Here are two BC wines from Lillooet’s Fort Berens Estate Winery you may wish to try.  I am tasting their Fort Berens Estate Winery Pinot Gris 2025 and Fort Berens Estate Winery Rosé 2025.  The grapes come from their estate,…

What BC wine would you have with a sechetti (parachute) pasta stuffed with ground chicken and bacon, served in a creamy rosé sauce?  One option is a Rose wine, but another valid option would be a Chardonnay.  Today I had this pasta dish with a glass of Lillooet’s Fort Berens Estate Winery Chardonnay 2025.  Fort Beren’s wines are now certified…

In BC we welcomed the bountiful grape harvest of 2025, after we had two terrible years with cold winter weather that devastated our grape vines.  White wines are usually the first to be released after a harvest.  I received several bottles of the 2025 vintage wines from Lillooet’s Fort Berens Estate Winery, and today I tasted two of those wines: …

Once prized in the courts of Europe and poured for royalty, Riesling was long considered one of the continent’s most noble wines, especially in regions along the Rhine River. In the 19th century, top bottles from Germany often commanded prices rivalling the great growths of Bordeaux. Today, Riesling is revered by knowledgeable wine drinkers for its remarkable range, from bone-dry…

I have two Chardonnay from Lillooet’s Fort Berens Estate Winery.  One wine, made in 2023 comes from their estate grapes, while their 2024 Chardonnay grapes come from WA state, with the wine made in Lillooet.  Lillooet, as well as the Okanagan, was hit hard by the 2024 winter cold snap, killing many grape vines, necessitating the purchase of grapes from…

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…

Earlier this summer, I had a chance to visit Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet, BC.  I have admired their wines since they started, and I’ve been letting wine lovers know that they are producing excellent wines in Lillooet.  There are two wines that I did not have a chance to try on my visit.  Luckily, co-owner, Heleen Pannekoek, gave…

British Columbia has become one of the most exciting wine regions in the world, but for many people, especially those outside the province, its story is still waiting to be told. If you have ever wondered why BC wines are gaining international acclaim, which grape varieties thrive here, or how the unique landscapes shape what’s in your glass, Getting to…

2017 was the last time I visited Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet, along with other wine writers.  The winery was still young, but the quality of their wines were notable.  Almost every year since 2018, I interviewed their current winemaker to find out about their grape harvest.  And every year, I tell people how they should try Fort Berens’…