It is interesting the way that the Ontario and BC wine producing areas are developing in distinctive ways. My thoughts are pushed along this route again by the opportunity to taste recently a quite delicious, and varietally consistent, blend of the Rhone valley white wine varietals Marsanne and Roussane from Twisted Tree vineyards in British Columbia.
Ontario has done very well in giving specific VQA designation to distinctive micro-climates in the region, and figuring out which varietals best suit these sites. Their more difficult climatic conditions are forcing them to specialize.A good example here is the Closson Chase Chardonnay from Prince Edward County that we have in the shop. PEC is specializing in Burgundian varietals Pinot Noir and Chardonnay,and the Closson Chase is a beautiful expression of that aspiration.
British Columbia,despite the arguably more divergent climatic zones within the Okanagan valley,has been less open to defining micro-climates within their VQA legislation.Winemakers there want to be as free as possible to blend grapes from different parts of the valley. The climatic variation has also, however, made the BC industry somewhat more experimental, more willing to test whether interesting varietals (Marsanne and Roussane, Tempranillo, Carmenere, Malbec, Pinotage etc.) can find a comfortable niche.
But what a shame it is that Twisted Tree did not realize how important it is to establish and maintain a consistent identity in the marketplace. As I understand it from the Wine Access magazine 2011 Canadian Wine Annual, Twisted Tree no longer exists as such, but has been renamed because the owners concluded that the name was “bland.” Near Osoyoos, Twisted Tree is now called Moon Curser Vineyards.
Cheers,
The Professor