The blended family vintage
Photo credit: Courtesy of State of Washington Tourism
The 2024 vintage in British Columbia will go down as one of the craziest in history. No winery in BC’s interior was spared the effects of devastating extreme cold temperatures in the previous two winters, and not every producer was affected equally. Some were able to make enough wine to squeak by. Others were brutally left with little harvest, or none at all.
The provincial government was not expedient in announcing clear changes to regulations that would allow BC wineries to make wine using grapes and/or juice from outside the province. There otherwise exists an 89% markup for this, which one would be eager to avoid. Without much certainty or confidence, some held their breath and had to scramble later when it became clear what the rules would be. Others gambled by contracting growers and sourcing fruit before anyone knew what was going to happen.
Opportunity knocks
Once permission was granted, most turned immediately south to Washington State. Here they found equally desperate growers whose contracts had been cancelled by the state’s largest producer, Chateau Ste Michelle, due to the company scaling back operations. Each side of the border became the other’s life raft.
Other BC winemakers found specific appellations in Oregon or California and used their fruit to craft intentional wines that would emulate their specific style. With temporary exemptions granted, we could even have pressed juice trucked in from Ontario.
In all cases, the common thread is that BC winemakers were searching diligently - boots on the ground - for the best quality fruit, to match what they’re used to at home. This was not about cutting corners or compromising to get by. There was a universal and singular focus on the highest standards, so they could give us their very best.
Fast forward to today, and we are looking at the new wave of wine releases, which are the final products of this whole emotional maelstrom we’ve been through. As our vines come back online and look to produce healthy crops once again for 2025, freshly bottled whites and rosés have begun to hit the market. You will see many familiar varietals like Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc. Some new friends like Grenache or Cinsault may have made their way into a rosé - exciting opportunities to try something different. These quick-turn-around wines serve a couple of purposes.
First, they give us more delicious wines to drink and keep us connected with the producers making them.
Second, they keep the wineries in business and their people employed. Massive win for our industry!
Do you see any reason to shun or disparage the wines of this vintage? Because I sure don’t. The wineries did what they had to do to survive. Their products, before and after this whole ordeal, are not diluted or degraded by the decisions they made.
Photo credit: Courtesy of State of Washington Tourism
A blended family
These wines are a necessary part of BC’s wine history. Maybe it didn’t have to be this way, but it is this way and we can embrace it. They will not be reflective or expressive of our local regions, sites, and soils. But wine is more than that. What are reflected and expressed are the resilience, vision, innovation, and creativity of the people behind the label. That’s who we are celebrating when we open these bottles.
Many wineries are using language like ‘crafted in BC,’ or ‘made in Canada’ for transparency, which puts the emphasis where it belongs. You may sometimes see the media refer to them as ‘replacement wines’ or something else that distinguishes them as ‘other.’ I prefer to think of them as part of our new blended family - and they are welcome.
I’m therefore happy to review these wines and share their stories like any other. This list is by no means exhaustive but will be continually updated, so stay tuned! Some info on the different regions is provided below as well.
Mayhem 2024 Sauvignon Blanc
Wahluke Slope AVA, Washington
Looks like we’ll be seeing a lot of Sauvignon Blanc coming out of Washington this year! The juice for this wine was pressed and shipped up to Okanagan Falls, where fermentation took place in stainless steel with 4 months resting on lees. 11% of this was in seasoned barriques, acting to slightly soften the sharp acidic edge while retaining the characteristic aromas. Gooseberry, lemongrass, lime, grapefruit, green pepper, and a bit of passionfruit are alive in this vibrant and zippy Sauvignon Blanc. Just shy of medium-bodied, the subtle texture is nice, rounding out the profile but not distracting from all the vivid fruit qualities.
Mayhem 2024 Pinot Gris
Ancient Lakes AVA, Washington
This Pinot Gris was picked in mid September, pressed, and transported to Mayhem’s facilities as juice to begin cool fermentation - mostly in stainless but a portion was in seasoned puncheons. 4 months of lees contact enhances the soft, round texture laid down by the neutral oak. Pale gold with a touch of copper, there are medium intensity aromas of green melon, apple, and citrus with a clean, chalky personality. The acidity is pronounced on this dry Pinot Gris, but it is soft and approachable due to the winemaking decisions. Very pleasant and easy to drink, and one to reach for all day.
Mayhem 2024 Rosé
Wahluke Slope AVA, Washington
A very attractive pale pink rosé of 100% Merlot. The nose is beautiful and expressive with ripe strawberries, rhubarb, liquorice, and river rocks. A little bump of about 5 g/L residual sugar isn’t detectable as sweetness (the wine is dry), but it does nicely plump up the juicy fruit-forward body of this easy-drinking rosé. Connoisseurs may want a bit more acidity but as it is, this is still very lovely, soft, clean, and crisp.
This list will be continually updated, so please stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks!
This Blog Post was written by our contributor: Matt Tinney with MT Wine Consulting (@mtwineconsulting).