Tag: Upper Bench Estate Winery

It’s time for our BC wines to be recognized by our peers.  The results from the 2023 British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards have been announced. Here is the press release.  Pick up the bottles that won as soon as possible as they will sell out soon! ~~~ (KELOWNA, BC) – April 18, 2023: On April 3 through 5, 2023,…

Would you like a bold BC red wine to go with your roast beef dinner this December? Then Upper Bench’s Yard Wine 2018 will fit the bill. A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Let me tell you about it. My Wine Tasting Notes Upper Bench Estate Winery Yard Wine 2018 (BC $33) The wine was fermented using…

I checked the 7-day weather forecast for Vancouver, and it is RAIN every day. So time for me to open a big red wine. In this case, I opened the Upper Bench Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. It is 4 years old already and has many years left in it. This wine does have 5% Merlot in the blend to…

It is fun when you have a chance to try two vintages of the same wine. In this case, I tasted the Upper Bench Estate Winery Estate Grown Merlot 2017 and their Merlot 2018. Both coming from the Naramata Bench.  I assume the 2018 grapes are sourced from other vineyards, outside of those owned by Upper Bench due to the…

Are you getting low on your BC wine supply at home?  I think most BC wineries are offering online shopping and delivery of their wines to you.  I was reminded of this by the Naramata Bench Wineries Association.  There is everything you may want here; big bold reds, delicate Pinot Noir, aromatic whites, and cheese! Yes, one winery here also…

Riesling, Pinot Gris and Viognier were prominent in this BC VQA Spring wine release tasting.  It is not surprising as white wine releases are more common in the Spring while more red wines are released in the Fall.  Viognier though I think made a bigger showing this year than in past years, and showed well.  Lots of fruit flavour and…

It is the Easter weekend for many people around the world, and besides the religious celebrations, enjoying meals with family and friends is also a big part.  The BC VQA Spring wine release kicked off this week, but the wines may not yet be at your local bottle shop or BC Liquor Store.  Here are 5 BC VQA wines that…

My journey is complete. After many emails, printing of tasting note sheets, receiving deliveries of BC Pinot Noir, writing tasting notes, locating BC Pinot Noir vineyards, correlating BC Pinot Noir wines with soil and with latitude using a GIS, and making a cool interactive BC Pinot Noir map is complete. But maybe it is also the start of a new…

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness This spring, I took my first step in my journey with the thought that maybe the different soil types in BC affect the aromas and flavours of Pinot Noir grapes.  How to…

The last drops of BC Pinot Noir have crossed my lips, and their wine story has passed to my fingers then notes on paper, and finally this digital review for you.  It has been quite an interesting experience to try all these BC Pinot Noirs, noting all the different flavours and aromas. Of course there are common flavours and aromas, but…