“In this series we bring you our #FavouriteThings Holiday Gift Suggestions which we personally recommend”
The Cowichan Valley known for beautiful scenery and great wines. This local Vancouver Island winery is serious about the environment and sustainability.
The Blue Grouse Estate Winery’s philosophy is “stewardship”. Our aim is to make everything we touch better than it was when we found it. We apply this to training our team on the environment that hosts our vineyard and home, the vines we grow, the wines we make, the infrastructure that supports the winery and vineyard, and the economics of our business model – everything.
Bringing you three different wines that cover the gambit of styles so that there is something for every wine lover on your list.
2021 Quill Chardonnay
100% CHARDONNAY
Cowichan Valley
Cheers to our first release of Cowichan Valley Chardonnay. This cool climate-grown grape presents complex notes of minerality, tension from the acidity and creaminess from barrel aging. This light and elegant wine will pair well with trout amandine or halibut with white beans and a tomato vinaigrette.
Vineyard Notes
This Cowichan Valley Chardonnay is grown in Hillbank soils that are silty to sandy silty and loamy in structure located in the Glenora area. We partner with quality grape suppliers, with whom we have had long standing relationships.
Winemaker’s Notes
The grapes were brought in and destemmed into the press. After the juice had settled in the tank overnight, it was racked and warmed in preparation for yeast and transferred to barrels. We used eight barriques that were fourth fill and one 500L puncheon that was second fill. The wine fermented in barrel over four weeks and then went through spontaneous malolactic fermentation. The barrels were periodically stirred to incorporate the lees and add to the texture. The wine spent 8 months in French oak.
Profile & Food Pairing
Cheers to our first release of Cowichan Valley Chardonnay. This cool climate grown grape presents complex notes of minerality, tension from the acidity and creaminess from barrel aging. This light and elegant wine will pair well with trout amandine or halibut with white beans and a tomato vinaigrette.
$25.99 available online
2020 Quill Q Red
Cabernet Franc 45% | Okanagan – Oliver, Merlot 34% | Okanagan – Oliver, Marechal Foch 16% | Vancouver Island – Cowichan Valley, Syrah 5% | Okanagan – Oliver
This is a robust red blend. Expect to find flavours of blueberry pie and cassis on the nose and palate. The wine is juicy and slightly herbaceous, with medium tannins.
Vineyard Notes
The Merlot and Cabernet Franc are single vineyard Okanagan fruit from our grape growing partner just north of the town of Oliver. The vines grow in Parkhill soil, which is sandy loam formed from fluvioglacial deposits. The Marechal Foch is from a single vineyard in the Cowichan Valley about 14 kilometers northwest of our own estate (mid-valley). The vines are grown in Fairbridge soil that is made up of silty loam. Both are quality grapes suppliers who have long standing relationships with Blue Grouse.
Winemaker’s Notes
Each grape variety was handled and fermented separately. The Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc were allowed to soak for two days and then heated to initiate a natural fermentation. The high brix reading from these grapes forced a second inoculation with cultured yeast halfway through the process to ensure they fermented to dryness. The Marechal Foch was immediately inoculated with yeast and finished fermenting to dryness in 8 days. The wines were pressed separately and racked to a combination of American and French oak barrels. Each of the four wines were aged for 12 months in barrel and then the individual components blended to create the final wine.
Profile & Food Pairing
This is a robust red blend. Expect to find flavours of blueberry pie and cassis on the nose and palate. The wine is juicy and slightly herbaceous, with medium tannins. It will pair perfectly with most things barbequed. We suggest you give bison burgers or beef steak a whirl.
$28.99 available online
2018 Paula Sparkling
This cuvée is a true representation of what the Blue Grouse Estate can produce. Able to enhance many food pairings, light bubbles make way for lively freshness, pink lady apple, candied pecan, apple crumble, and a streak of seashore brininess.
Müller-Thurgau 48% | Cowichan Valley – Blue Grouse Estate, Ortega 45% | Cowichan Valley – Blue Grouse Estate, Pinot Gris
7% | Cowichan Valley – Blue Grouse Estate
Vineyard Notes
The grapes selected for our Paula Sparkling come from the oldest block on the vineyard. The blocks hosting these vines have a south-southwest aspect. They are 100% organically farmed using no till cover crop rotations, minimal irrigation, full leaf stripping and crop thinning to hit peak phenolic ripeness. The soils are Fairbridge, which varies from a fractured silt-loam to gravel and sand soil. The rows in this block have the widest spacing on the estate allowing for plenty of sunlight and excellent air flow. The grapes were hand harvested, with yields varying from 2.49 to 4.75 tonnes per acre.
Winemaker’s Notes
The Ortega and Müller-Thurgau were harvested specifically for this sparkling, later the Pinot Gris was added to give a bit more structure. The acid and alcohol were on target after assemblage and the flavour profile was as hoped. Following tirage, the wine was aged for 24 months prior to the first disgorgement. No dosage was added, and we would classify our sparkling as Brut.
Profile & Food Pairing
This cuvée is a true representation of what the Blue Grouse Estate can produce. Paula Sparkling, named for the owner’s daughter, is a traditional method wine with a non-traditional blend of Müller-Thurgau, Ortega, and Pinot Gris. Versatile and able to enhance many food pairings, light bubbles make way for lively freshness, pink lady apple, candied pecan, apple crumble, and a streak of seashore brininess. Well balanced, and brut in style, this wine pairs well at the beginning of your meal with oysters or cheese and would be a lovely finish to your dinner paired with dessert. A truly unique Bubble.
$36.99 available online
Blue Grouse Estate Winery
The Blue Grouse Estate Winery’s philosophy is “stewardship”. Our aim is to make everything we touch better than it was when we found it. We apply this to training our team on the environment that hosts our vineyard and home, the vines we grow, the wines we make, the infrastructure that supports the winery and vineyard, and the economics of our business model – everything.
Wine notes courtesy of the winery. Images: MyVanCity. I received complimentary wine to facilitate this feature.
