Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards recently celebrated 40 years.
For years, British Columbia’s sparkling-wine conversation was a fairly short one. If you wanted traditional-method bubbles, the list of established names was limited: Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars, Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards, Summerhill Pyramid winery and, increasingly, Township 7.
That list is getting longer. Sparkling wine is appearing in cellars better known for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Bordeaux varieties, while some of the province’s most distinctive examples are being made in quantities so small that finding a bottle can require a winery visit or the right wine-club membership.
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Why pop a cork when you can sabre?
At Evolve Sparkling House on British Columbia’s Naramata Bench, the wine is only part of the proposition. The rest is about place, ritual and giving bubbles a room of their own.
There is something slightly theatrical about opening a bottle of sparkling wine with a sabre. At Evolve Sparkling House, it feels entirely appropriate. The blade flashes, the cork flies, and suddenly the polished new tasting room overlooking Okanagan Lake feels less like a winery than a stage set for the ritual of celebration. It’s playful, a little extravagant and undeniably fun; which, as it turns out, isn’t a bad way to understand Evolve.
Because Evolve isn’t simply another Okanagan winery making sparkling wine. It’s an attempt to build an entire experience around it.
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A glass of Adega set against its sloped estate vineyard.
In the sun-soaked southern reaches of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, where the vines bask under one of Canada’s warmest microclimates and the views stretch from sloping vineyards to shimmering Lake Osoyoos, Adega on 45th Estate Winery is undergoing an exciting transformation.
Rooted in a story that begins in 1966, when a Portuguese family purchased the land and planted orchards, Adega (Portuguese for “cellar”) has always been about connection to place. When the second generation turned the orchard into a vineyard in 2009, the original plan was to grow grapes for others. But as is often the case in wine, vision meets passion.
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There’s something inherently festive about bubbles.
A promising future in BC.
Whether you’re popping a cork to toast a milestone, pouring a glass at brunch, or simply pairing effervescence with a Tuesday evening, sparkling wine adds a touch of joy to any occasion.
And what better time to raise a glass than on #SparklingWineWeek especially when it coincides with Canada Day? We felt the latter was a great excuse to celebrate with some homegrown bubbles from British Columbia’s sparkling wine scene.
Does BC do Sparkling well? The answer, in short, is yes.
We recently spent time in the Okanagan and were lucky enough to taste a few unreleased bottlings that left us buzzing with excitement. BC’s sparkling wine future is not just promising, it’s already happening.
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