Between the Vines: One woman's wine-soaked musings

Mark Sheridan shares vineyard expertise with Hester Creek Estate Winery

Hester Creek Estate Winery owner Curt Garland announced last week that he has appointed Mark Sheridan as general manager of B.C.'s newest Okanagan wine-country destination.

A seasoned viticulturist, who is recognized as an industry rising star, Sheridan has made the Okanagan—the world's next wine frontier—his home and looks forward to working with the team at Hester Creek.

Click here to read the full media release.

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Hester Creek Estate Winery in B.C.' s Okanagan: so much more than wine

If you haven't had a chance to visit Hester Creek Estate Winery in the past, I highly recommend that you make some time in your wine-soaked adventure schedule to do so this summer or fall.

And, if it works for you, book a stay in the Mediterranean-influenced Villa at Hester Creek.

 The Villa at Hester Creek Estate Winery: luxury among the vines
Photo courtesy of Hester Creek

While on our annual gal-pal wine weekend last summer, Sue, Suzie, Cindy, and I spent the better part of an afternoon touring what was then Hester Creek's soon-to-be-finished new digs.

Robin Openshaw (sales & marketing manager) took us through the winery, showed us the tasting room and demo kitchen, which were both in mid-construction, and then took us into the operating tasting room to sip our way through Hester Creek's portfolio.

 
Hester Creek logo being built into floor of new tasting room

Afterward, Robin led us up to the Villa, where Lee Ann Openshaw (hospitality manager) showed us through the units and let us play a little.

 The Villa at Hester Creek: view from the breezeway

 
The Villa at Hester Creek: each private patio has a view 

Everything is finished now, so you get to see it in its glory, not in its half-completed state. Some of the amenities you'll find at the new Hester Creek Estate Winery include

• Demonstration kitchen that lets you experience Hester Creek's wines as they're paired with fab foods and enjoyed with good friends—old and new. Featured chefs will guide you through very yummy cooking classes, giving you skills you can take home with you.
• Executive Barrel Room and Dining Room Suite for when you want a private, intimate space for your gathering—in a gorgeous setting.
• Tuscan-inspired Board Room showcases the connection to its Mediterranean influences and features the beauty and splendour of the South Okanagan Valley.
• Amphitheatre has excellent acoustics and is a spectacular venue for concerts on warm summer nights.
• The Tasting Room and Gift Shop, where tastings are complimentary and staff are courteous and knowledgeable. Click here for tasting room times and contact information.
• The Villa at Hester Creek is comprised of six units set high on the hill, providing sumptuous accommodation and incomparable vineyard and orchard views of the valley below.

Driving between the vines from The Villa at Hester Creek to the winery

Salut!

Copyright © 2010 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.  
 

Hester Creek wines and eggs benny in the morning

What's better than tasting wine at 9:30 in the morning?

Not much, I'd venture. After all, palates and olfactories are well rested and untainted, yet awake enough to fully appreciate all the flavours and aromas a wine has to offer. 

We proved this to be true last week when we met with Hester Creek Estate Winery's Kathy Mercier (wine shop manager/events co-ordinator) and Lee Ann Openshaw (hospitality manager) at The Sutton Place Hotel in Vancouver.

Kathy and Lee Ann, two lively women who obviously love their work, shared three of their 2008 white wines: Semillon Chardonnay ($16.09/13.8% ABV), Pinot Blanc ($16.09/13.8% ABV), and Trebbiano ($19.09/13.5% ABV).

We started by tasting before ordering food. And then, when our food came, we had a whole new set of experiences.

I enjoyed the Semillon Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc (which proved to be my favourite as it warmed up a little) on their own but felt the Trebbiano would be better with food, especially a nice pizza.

All three Hester Creek wines worked well with my bacon-and-tomato Eggs Benedict (which I've always called Eggs Blackstone), but I found the Semillon Chard to be the best of the lot to go with the mix of creamy, rich textures and tangy flavours of my breakfast. And, later that day, I confirmed my suspicion that the Trebbiano would be a yummy partner to a home-made pizza with Roma tomatoes, spicy capicolla, fresh basil, and a light sprinkling of Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. I'm pleased to say that Vancouver-based wine writer, blogger, and lover Kelly Robson (@Kellyoyo on Twitter) likes it with pizza, too.

Here are my tasting notes:

1. Semillon Chardonnay
   Fruit forward with green apple, citrus (esp. grapefruit), and tropical fruits on both nose and palate, while nice acid makes this wine very food friendly and a good one to try with Easter brunch or your turkey or ham dinner later on.
2. Pinot Blanc
   Pear, honey, and stone fruit on the nose, with citrus, apple, and peaches on the palate, this wine is alive and juicy with a finish that gets better as it warms up a little. Also very food-friendly, the Pinot Blanc is my favourite solo sipper of the three.
3. Trebbiano
   This wine presents just a little bit of floral and spice on the nose, but gives me a lot more on the palate: citrus, green apple, tropical fruits, a mineral undertone, with a floral component and spiciness that combine to remind me of (okay...I'm warning you that this may sound crazy) Goodies, those little candy-coated licorice bits. No, dear friend, the wine does not taste like candy. It's acidic and juicy and needs, in my humble opinion, food to bring out its best.

Curious about Hester Creek's logo? Click here to read its story.

Salut!

Copyright © 2010 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.