40 years of winemaking are represented in these two bottles, one from Mark Rattray's early years learning his trade in Germany in 1971 and the other from his own label in New Zealand, vintage 2011.
When Al and Marleen Hoag went looking for a winemaker for their planned winery, they travelled to New Zealand. Someone with cool climate winemaking experience would fit the bill, and they headed south, custom brochures in hand.
They visited winemakers, made some contacts and, on the last day of their trip, they stopped in at Floating Mountain Winery in the Waipara Valley. No one was around, so they left a brochure—it described the Creston Valley and the vineyard, with its various plantings, and the Hoags’ need for a winemaker—on the winery door.
“We were away that weekend and came home,” Mark Rattray recalls. “I went out to the winery and there was a brochure stuck in the door. Al and Marleen had put together this little brochure talking about a job opportunity in Canada.
“They were on their way back to Canada, sort of slightly disappointed that they hadn’t really succeeded. But they got home to find an email from me. “
Now, with seven Creston Valley vintages behind him (he stayed in New Zealand in 2012 and consulted by Skype and email—his new wife, Christine, didn’t want him to leave home so early in their marriage), Rattray has a good grasp of the potential for the wine industry in the Kootenays. He also notes some vast differences in the marketplace.
In the Creston area, he says, future vineyards will have to have to be site specific.
“I think there are probably other spots that might do okay, but Al might just have selected the best site in the entire valley,” he said. To date, Creston Valley’s small wine industry is clustered primarily around Skimmerhorn. Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery and its vineyard is next store, while John and Sandy Haley grow several acres of grapes just across the road. Most of their production is sold by contract. Wynnwood Cellars is located in Wynndel, about 15 minutes to the north and its primary vineyard is a few kilometers further north, on a hillside that slopes down to the shores of Duck Lake.
The Skimmerhorn vineyard is planted to cool climate varieties—Gewurztraminer, Ortega, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Marechal Foch. It also includes some test plantings, including a row of Riesling.
“I’d like to try doing a botrytis-affected late harvest wine,” Rattray says. But Creston Valley doesn’t have the moist air that promotes the fungus’s growth. The desired botrytis for winemakers is referred to as Noble Rot. It settles on the fruits’ skin and promotes dessication, leading to highly concentrated flavours. Botrytis can occur naturally, but it can also be introduced to a vineyard with sprays.
Rattray says part of his enjoyment in working at Skimmerhorn has come as a result of Al Hoag’s willingness to experiment. Earlier this year Hoag bought a still to produce alcohol, which he used to make a fortified Port-style wine by blending Marechal Foch and cherry wine. Now on the market, it’s called, cleverly, Old Koot.
“Al has a good knack for marketing and he knows what his customers like,” he says.
The New Zealand wine industry blossomed in the early 1980s, several years before BC’s renaissance began.
“The NZ business is basically export because there’ no population. With 4 million people you’re not going to get very far. It’s difficult to start up a winery thinking you’re only going to sell in New Zealand. The first thing you notice when you get to the US or Canada is that you’ve got a population and that makes it a lot easier. The first time I got to the States I was gob-smacked—I could see these guys have got it made. Lots of people with so much money.”
“Sauvignon Blanc still accounts for over 80 per cent of our exports,” he says. Pinot Noir has grown in popularity, and quality, but neither is what emerging markets like China are looking for.
“They like big red wines, like Merlot,” Rattray says.
By contrast, the vast majority of wine produce in BC is sold and consumed right here in the province.
When we spoke about the debate about whether BC should continue with producing whatever varietals grow best in a given vineyard or to focus one or two varieties, Rattray leans toward the latter.
“For a long time in New Zealand you’d have a vineyard and you’d grow every grape variety—you’d have 10 different varieties growing in exactly the same climate and exactly the same soil,” he laughs, shaking his head. “And it probably doesn’t work that well in the end, so you really probably ought to identify some grapes and push it.”
Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir come immediately to mind, he says.
With more than 40 years of winemaking experience it is clear that Rattray has enjoyed this latest phase of his career. Back home he and a partner run a winery supply business and he produces about 500 cases of wine under his own name, using grapes he purchases.
And he hopes to continue in his role with Skimmerhorn.
“Oh yeah,” he smiles, “I’d like to keep coming back as long as they’ll have me.”
La Dolce Vita - November 8, 2013
They visited winemakers, made some contacts and, on the last day of their trip, they stopped in at Floating Mountain Winery in the Waipara Valley. No one was around, so they left a brochure—it described the Creston Valley and the vineyard, with its various plantings, and the Hoags’ need for a winemaker—on the winery door.
“We were away that weekend and came home,” Mark Rattray recalls. “I went out to the winery and there was a brochure stuck in the door. Al and Marleen had put together this little brochure talking about a job opportunity in Canada.
“They were on their way back to Canada, sort of slightly disappointed that they hadn’t really succeeded. But they got home to find an email from me. “
Now, with seven Creston Valley vintages behind him (he stayed in New Zealand in 2012 and consulted by Skype and email—his new wife, Christine, didn’t want him to leave home so early in their marriage), Rattray has a good grasp of the potential for the wine industry in the Kootenays. He also notes some vast differences in the marketplace.
In the Creston area, he says, future vineyards will have to have to be site specific.
“I think there are probably other spots that might do okay, but Al might just have selected the best site in the entire valley,” he said. To date, Creston Valley’s small wine industry is clustered primarily around Skimmerhorn. Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery and its vineyard is next store, while John and Sandy Haley grow several acres of grapes just across the road. Most of their production is sold by contract. Wynnwood Cellars is located in Wynndel, about 15 minutes to the north and its primary vineyard is a few kilometers further north, on a hillside that slopes down to the shores of Duck Lake.
The Skimmerhorn vineyard is planted to cool climate varieties—Gewurztraminer, Ortega, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Marechal Foch. It also includes some test plantings, including a row of Riesling.
“I’d like to try doing a botrytis-affected late harvest wine,” Rattray says. But Creston Valley doesn’t have the moist air that promotes the fungus’s growth. The desired botrytis for winemakers is referred to as Noble Rot. It settles on the fruits’ skin and promotes dessication, leading to highly concentrated flavours. Botrytis can occur naturally, but it can also be introduced to a vineyard with sprays.
Rattray says part of his enjoyment in working at Skimmerhorn has come as a result of Al Hoag’s willingness to experiment. Earlier this year Hoag bought a still to produce alcohol, which he used to make a fortified Port-style wine by blending Marechal Foch and cherry wine. Now on the market, it’s called, cleverly, Old Koot.
“Al has a good knack for marketing and he knows what his customers like,” he says.
The New Zealand wine industry blossomed in the early 1980s, several years before BC’s renaissance began.
“The NZ business is basically export because there’ no population. With 4 million people you’re not going to get very far. It’s difficult to start up a winery thinking you’re only going to sell in New Zealand. The first thing you notice when you get to the US or Canada is that you’ve got a population and that makes it a lot easier. The first time I got to the States I was gob-smacked—I could see these guys have got it made. Lots of people with so much money.”
“Sauvignon Blanc still accounts for over 80 per cent of our exports,” he says. Pinot Noir has grown in popularity, and quality, but neither is what emerging markets like China are looking for.
“They like big red wines, like Merlot,” Rattray says.
By contrast, the vast majority of wine produce in BC is sold and consumed right here in the province.
When we spoke about the debate about whether BC should continue with producing whatever varietals grow best in a given vineyard or to focus one or two varieties, Rattray leans toward the latter.
“For a long time in New Zealand you’d have a vineyard and you’d grow every grape variety—you’d have 10 different varieties growing in exactly the same climate and exactly the same soil,” he laughs, shaking his head. “And it probably doesn’t work that well in the end, so you really probably ought to identify some grapes and push it.”
Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir come immediately to mind, he says.
With more than 40 years of winemaking experience it is clear that Rattray has enjoyed this latest phase of his career. Back home he and a partner run a winery supply business and he produces about 500 cases of wine under his own name, using grapes he purchases.
And he hopes to continue in his role with Skimmerhorn.
“Oh yeah,” he smiles, “I’d like to keep coming back as long as they’ll have me.”
La Dolce Vita - November 8, 2013
“How many winemakers do you think have been the very first to make wine in a new region?” I asked Mark Rattray on the day before he headed back to New Zealand, the BC wines now left to the care of Al Hoag, Creston Valley’s first winery owner.
“I know,” he laughed. “I’m just disappointed the statue hasn’t gone up!”
Mark Rattray was contracted to come from New Zealand in 2005 to have input to the construction of Skimmerhorn Winery, the East Kootenay’s first winery and the easternmost in the province. In 2006 he returned to make its first vintage.
Rattray’s early fascination with wine was stimulated by a source I haven’t come across before—wallpaper.
“I guess I was about 14, and I had started accumulating wine books. We had what we called a breakfast room in the house and it was decorated with wallpaper that had names like Scharzhofberger and Cote de Beaune, things like that and it just fascinated me,” he said. “So I started accumulating books on the subject. I was a founding member of the Christchurch Amateur Wine Society when I was about 15 years old and by the time I was 17 I had the opportunity to do a vintage in Australia, while I was still at school. So I did that. At that time in New Zealand there was hardly any wine industry at all. What there was, was very, very small.”
With not a thought that he might have find career in the wine industry, Rattray headed off to begin his post-secondary education, studying pharmacy.
At the age of 20, though, his break came in the form of a letter from Europe.
“By then I was writing to the Geisenheim (an educational institution) in Germany and they said I’d be able to go and do a year’s practical work first. And so I did that and I’ve never looked back.”
Rattray’s own lack of experience with wine as a youngster growing up in New Zealand mirrored his country’s culture.
“At Christmas my uncle would give me a red wine mixed with lemonade on Christmas Day.” he recalled. “More lemonade than red of course. I thought that was a fascinating flavour. But my parents? No (as far as serving wine at home). Wine wasn’t really big in New Zealand at that time. We didn’t drink that much wine in the house.”
In Germany, he worked for two-and-a-half years to get some much-needed experience, then went on to school there for another two years. Six months In Bordeaux followed that, then he returned home, where he was hired by Montana Wines, “which at that time was in a prolonged growth mode.” It is still New Zealand’s large wine company, with five wineries spread around the country.
Rattray can’t help but grin slyly at the thought of the early days in the Kiwi wine business. The 1980s were, apparently, a rough-and-ready era.
“The true story of New Zealand wine has never been told from that time because there was a lot more wine made than came out of the vineyards. There was a fair amount of corruption. “
He pegs 1982 as a watershed year (pun intended).
“It wasn’t until about the early 1980s that the addition of water to wine was actually outlawed. And that’s when the New Zealand wine industry really took off. It’s still young—from 1982 to what it’s achieved in the world is a very short time.”
After five years with Montana he moved onto another job in the wine industry for five years, the moved to the South Island, where he worked for a small company just outside Christchurch.
His next move was to the emerging wine centre of Waipara. In his 18 years there he established his own winery and helped others with startups.
His winery, Floating Mountain, included an 18-acre vineyard. He had his own wine-making facility, “which a lot of people don’t.” Even today custom crush facilities are common, as are co-operatives, in which a number of growers invest to build shared winemaking facilities.
Rattray sold Floating Mountain Winery after making his first Skimmerhorn Winery vintage in 2006.
La Dolce Vita, October 31, 2013
“I know,” he laughed. “I’m just disappointed the statue hasn’t gone up!”
Mark Rattray was contracted to come from New Zealand in 2005 to have input to the construction of Skimmerhorn Winery, the East Kootenay’s first winery and the easternmost in the province. In 2006 he returned to make its first vintage.
Rattray’s early fascination with wine was stimulated by a source I haven’t come across before—wallpaper.
“I guess I was about 14, and I had started accumulating wine books. We had what we called a breakfast room in the house and it was decorated with wallpaper that had names like Scharzhofberger and Cote de Beaune, things like that and it just fascinated me,” he said. “So I started accumulating books on the subject. I was a founding member of the Christchurch Amateur Wine Society when I was about 15 years old and by the time I was 17 I had the opportunity to do a vintage in Australia, while I was still at school. So I did that. At that time in New Zealand there was hardly any wine industry at all. What there was, was very, very small.”
With not a thought that he might have find career in the wine industry, Rattray headed off to begin his post-secondary education, studying pharmacy.
At the age of 20, though, his break came in the form of a letter from Europe.
“By then I was writing to the Geisenheim (an educational institution) in Germany and they said I’d be able to go and do a year’s practical work first. And so I did that and I’ve never looked back.”
Rattray’s own lack of experience with wine as a youngster growing up in New Zealand mirrored his country’s culture.
“At Christmas my uncle would give me a red wine mixed with lemonade on Christmas Day.” he recalled. “More lemonade than red of course. I thought that was a fascinating flavour. But my parents? No (as far as serving wine at home). Wine wasn’t really big in New Zealand at that time. We didn’t drink that much wine in the house.”
In Germany, he worked for two-and-a-half years to get some much-needed experience, then went on to school there for another two years. Six months In Bordeaux followed that, then he returned home, where he was hired by Montana Wines, “which at that time was in a prolonged growth mode.” It is still New Zealand’s large wine company, with five wineries spread around the country.
Rattray can’t help but grin slyly at the thought of the early days in the Kiwi wine business. The 1980s were, apparently, a rough-and-ready era.
“The true story of New Zealand wine has never been told from that time because there was a lot more wine made than came out of the vineyards. There was a fair amount of corruption. “
He pegs 1982 as a watershed year (pun intended).
“It wasn’t until about the early 1980s that the addition of water to wine was actually outlawed. And that’s when the New Zealand wine industry really took off. It’s still young—from 1982 to what it’s achieved in the world is a very short time.”
After five years with Montana he moved onto another job in the wine industry for five years, the moved to the South Island, where he worked for a small company just outside Christchurch.
His next move was to the emerging wine centre of Waipara. In his 18 years there he established his own winery and helped others with startups.
His winery, Floating Mountain, included an 18-acre vineyard. He had his own wine-making facility, “which a lot of people don’t.” Even today custom crush facilities are common, as are co-operatives, in which a number of growers invest to build shared winemaking facilities.
Rattray sold Floating Mountain Winery after making his first Skimmerhorn Winery vintage in 2006.
La Dolce Vita, October 31, 2013
Skimmerhorn continues to improve with age
Marleen Hoag pours a sample.
There are numerous reasons why a new winery’s products should improve noticeably in the first several years.
Most of them are obvious. As the vines mature they produce more, allowing for more selectivity in how much the winemaker wants thinned as the fruit develops—fewer tons per acre of better fruit equals better wine. At the same time, the vines’ roots are growing ever deeper, bringing up more and different minerals from the soil to the fruit, making the grapes more complex and interesting.
On a more subtle level, the vineyard manager is learning more about the microclimates that might slightly, but still noticeably, affect the growth of vines and development of fruit. Prevailing winds, angles of the sun, damp areas—all can have an impact on the ultimate taste of the fruit. Plant Sauvignon Blanc in one area of a vineyard and you might get consistent winter kill. Move it a few hundred feet and the results could be much better.
Also, while the fruit is developing with vine age, the winemaker is learning more about what he has, and can expect, to work with. His or her approach can vary with each vintage, and experience is a big factor in learning over a period of years.
So it shouldn’t be surprising when a winery, after a half-dozen years, produces wines that impart a greater sense of terroir—the message should come from the bottle that vineyard and winery personnel are growing in their knowledge of the land and climate and about how to bring out the best in the fruit.
That’s exactly what I was thinking recently when I tasted through the lineup at Skimmerhorn Winery. Like any start-up, owners Al and Marleen Hoag and winemaker (although he didn’t come back from New Zealand last fall, for the first time) Mark Rattray, went through learning a learning stage. One thing the Hoags have clearly learned is that it is important to listen to customers. More than a few winery owners haven’t succeeded, or at least failed to reach their full potential, because they produced what they want, and not want the market demanded. Ego is a necessary characteristic of successful business people, but not to the extent that it stops them from responding to the people who are buying their products.
Many is the time that I have heard a winemaker talk about a wine, explaining that “people kept asking for something a little sweeter, so I made this”. Most wineries produce more than just a couple different wines and there should be room for a variety of styles and sweetness levels. It’s smart business.
On the shelves right now at Skimmerhorn are:
2011 Pinot Gris: This versatile wine offers pink grapefruit and peach on the nose with stonefruit flavours and a lingering citrus finish. Pairs well with shellfish, turkey and cream-based dishes. Slightly off-dry.
2010 Gerurztraminer: This wine offers rose petal and spice aromas with tropical fruit notes. The palate follows suit with more spice and lychee fruit flavours and a soft, mellow mouth feel. A pleasing accompaniment to spicy Asian and Mexican dishes, pork, turkey and cheese plates. Slightly off-dry.
2011 Ortega: Ripe peach aroma with a full peach flavour, hints of cantaloupe and a crisp citrus finish. An excellent pairing for chicken and seafood fishes. Slightly off-dry.
2011 Autumn Tryst: Abundant aromas of stone fruit are followed by flavours of mulled apricot and lemon meringue. The superbly balanced sweetness and acidity create a smooth, lingering finish. Enjoy this wine on its own or paired with pork and chicken dishes. Off-dry.
2010 Pinot Rose With it’s deep pink colour, raspberry nose and raspberry with strawberry flavours this wine is a pure delight. Its crisp finish lingers pleasantly on the palate. Enjoy it well-chilled as an aperitif, with Asian cuisine, ham, or paired with semi-sweet to bittersweet chocolate desserts.
Devil’s Chair This deep ruby red coloured wine is a blend of Pinot Noir and Marechal Foch varietals and has aromas of plum and cherry along with spicy vanilla notes. It has a broad, velvety mouth feel with flavours of ripe stonefruit, plum, mocha and juniper with a berry finish. Enjoy with cheese plates, pastas and grilled or roasted meats of any kind. Dry.
Marechal Foch Intensely coloured with a complex earthy nose, this wine fills the mouth with velvety feel and flavours of ripe plum, dark chocolate and hints of tobacco. The soft tannins deliver a full, pleasant finish. This wine will readily pair with game meats, hearty beef dishes and full-flavoured tomato pastas. Dry.
The tasting room is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm. The popular, and very good, Bistro opens for the summer on June 12.
June 2012 - La Dolce Vita
Most of them are obvious. As the vines mature they produce more, allowing for more selectivity in how much the winemaker wants thinned as the fruit develops—fewer tons per acre of better fruit equals better wine. At the same time, the vines’ roots are growing ever deeper, bringing up more and different minerals from the soil to the fruit, making the grapes more complex and interesting.
On a more subtle level, the vineyard manager is learning more about the microclimates that might slightly, but still noticeably, affect the growth of vines and development of fruit. Prevailing winds, angles of the sun, damp areas—all can have an impact on the ultimate taste of the fruit. Plant Sauvignon Blanc in one area of a vineyard and you might get consistent winter kill. Move it a few hundred feet and the results could be much better.
Also, while the fruit is developing with vine age, the winemaker is learning more about what he has, and can expect, to work with. His or her approach can vary with each vintage, and experience is a big factor in learning over a period of years.
So it shouldn’t be surprising when a winery, after a half-dozen years, produces wines that impart a greater sense of terroir—the message should come from the bottle that vineyard and winery personnel are growing in their knowledge of the land and climate and about how to bring out the best in the fruit.
That’s exactly what I was thinking recently when I tasted through the lineup at Skimmerhorn Winery. Like any start-up, owners Al and Marleen Hoag and winemaker (although he didn’t come back from New Zealand last fall, for the first time) Mark Rattray, went through learning a learning stage. One thing the Hoags have clearly learned is that it is important to listen to customers. More than a few winery owners haven’t succeeded, or at least failed to reach their full potential, because they produced what they want, and not want the market demanded. Ego is a necessary characteristic of successful business people, but not to the extent that it stops them from responding to the people who are buying their products.
Many is the time that I have heard a winemaker talk about a wine, explaining that “people kept asking for something a little sweeter, so I made this”. Most wineries produce more than just a couple different wines and there should be room for a variety of styles and sweetness levels. It’s smart business.
On the shelves right now at Skimmerhorn are:
2011 Pinot Gris: This versatile wine offers pink grapefruit and peach on the nose with stonefruit flavours and a lingering citrus finish. Pairs well with shellfish, turkey and cream-based dishes. Slightly off-dry.
2010 Gerurztraminer: This wine offers rose petal and spice aromas with tropical fruit notes. The palate follows suit with more spice and lychee fruit flavours and a soft, mellow mouth feel. A pleasing accompaniment to spicy Asian and Mexican dishes, pork, turkey and cheese plates. Slightly off-dry.
2011 Ortega: Ripe peach aroma with a full peach flavour, hints of cantaloupe and a crisp citrus finish. An excellent pairing for chicken and seafood fishes. Slightly off-dry.
2011 Autumn Tryst: Abundant aromas of stone fruit are followed by flavours of mulled apricot and lemon meringue. The superbly balanced sweetness and acidity create a smooth, lingering finish. Enjoy this wine on its own or paired with pork and chicken dishes. Off-dry.
2010 Pinot Rose With it’s deep pink colour, raspberry nose and raspberry with strawberry flavours this wine is a pure delight. Its crisp finish lingers pleasantly on the palate. Enjoy it well-chilled as an aperitif, with Asian cuisine, ham, or paired with semi-sweet to bittersweet chocolate desserts.
Devil’s Chair This deep ruby red coloured wine is a blend of Pinot Noir and Marechal Foch varietals and has aromas of plum and cherry along with spicy vanilla notes. It has a broad, velvety mouth feel with flavours of ripe stonefruit, plum, mocha and juniper with a berry finish. Enjoy with cheese plates, pastas and grilled or roasted meats of any kind. Dry.
Marechal Foch Intensely coloured with a complex earthy nose, this wine fills the mouth with velvety feel and flavours of ripe plum, dark chocolate and hints of tobacco. The soft tannins deliver a full, pleasant finish. This wine will readily pair with game meats, hearty beef dishes and full-flavoured tomato pastas. Dry.
The tasting room is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm. The popular, and very good, Bistro opens for the summer on June 12.
June 2012 - La Dolce Vita
Skimmerhorn Winery still willing to try new things--will a Port-style wine be next?
Al Hoag has been busy this spring, experimenting with his new copper still to produce brandy that could be used in a future port-style wine.
“Still crazy after all these years!” I called out to Skimmerhorn Winery owner and winemaker Al Hoag when I entered the winery the other day. But more about that punful greeting in a moment.
It hardly seems possible that more than a decade has passed since Al and Marleen Hoag sold their fruit orchard in Canyon, a few kilometres southeast of Creston. Or that it was the coincidence of a 20-acre property in Erickson coming for sale that made them consider a move into the wine business.
Creston Valley wasn’t home to a commercial vineyard at the time, and the few hobby growers that I know of had planted mainly hybrids or juice grapes, like Concords. Personally, I was excited when I learned the Hoags were planting a vineyard. I knew them only by reputation—they were well-respected fruit farmers who had run a successful operation. Al’s dad was an orchardist, too, so a family pedigree was in place.
Fast forward to 2013. There are now three wineries in the Creston Valley, and another small commercial vineyard directly across the street from Skimmerhorn. The potential is there for expansion, but nothing like we have seen in the Okanagan. Creston Valley is a peculiar mix of topography and micro-climates that narrows down the potential for vineyard success to only a few small areas.
Back to my arrival at the winery. Al was monitoring the activity of a new piece of equipment, a copper still that was spewing out crystal clear liquid into a stainless steel bucket on the floor. My lazy plan to try get out to visit the winery this week had turned into a necessity when I learned that Skimmerhorn had added a still to its collection of equipment.
So once again the Hoags are ground-breakers. There are no other stills—at least of the legal sort—in the area. What is its purpose? Al says he and consulting winemaker Mark Rattray (who might be returning for a few weeks this fall from his home in New Zealand) had talked before about making a Port-style wine. High (18-22 per cent, typically) alcohol dessert wines are made by stopping fermentation of grape juice early, before the sugars have all been converted to alcohol. The addition of alcohol stops the fermentation process and also serves to preserve the juice.
There was also another reason, Al said, to acquire a still (made in the US by the nicely-named Revenoor Company). He had a quantity of wine that developed an unusually high content of wine diamonds, or tartrates, and he decided he didn’t want to sell it. The options were to dump the wine or turn it into alcohol.
So the still was brought in and Al, with a friend, developed an electronic control system to maintain accurate temperatures inside the still, where three electric heating elements heat the grape juice to a point where the alcohol begins to boil off.
As we talked, Al produced a wine-tasting glass, then bent over to collect a half-ounce sample from the steady stream emitting from a small copper line.
I had been forewarned, so I didn’t take a deep sniff, as I do with wine. The liquid, Al said, was 168-proof, or about 84 per cent alcohol. I took a small sip, swirled it around my mouth, then spit the contents through a grate in the concrete floor. Once the burn of the alcohol dissipated I was able to get a sense of a slight, pleasant oiliness and a subtle taste of fruit. To actually drink the distillate, one would cut its strength by adding an equal portion of distilled water, bringing it down to the 40-or-so per cent level that most spirits are sold at (cask-strength single malt whiskies being the most common exception).
My tiny sample would be tempting to refer to as vodka, because it was as clear as water. In fact, it was brandy, the term for a distillate made from wine. The amber colour we associate with brandy comes from contact with oak when it is aged in barrels and/or the addition of caramel colouring.
It will be interesting to see how Al proceeds with the use of his still. It is easy to foresee a product made from cherries, Kirsch (really a brandy made from cherry juice) possibly, because Skimmerhorn has plans to make another batch of its successful cherry wine this fall. Time will tell.
May 2013 - La Dolce Vita
It hardly seems possible that more than a decade has passed since Al and Marleen Hoag sold their fruit orchard in Canyon, a few kilometres southeast of Creston. Or that it was the coincidence of a 20-acre property in Erickson coming for sale that made them consider a move into the wine business.
Creston Valley wasn’t home to a commercial vineyard at the time, and the few hobby growers that I know of had planted mainly hybrids or juice grapes, like Concords. Personally, I was excited when I learned the Hoags were planting a vineyard. I knew them only by reputation—they were well-respected fruit farmers who had run a successful operation. Al’s dad was an orchardist, too, so a family pedigree was in place.
Fast forward to 2013. There are now three wineries in the Creston Valley, and another small commercial vineyard directly across the street from Skimmerhorn. The potential is there for expansion, but nothing like we have seen in the Okanagan. Creston Valley is a peculiar mix of topography and micro-climates that narrows down the potential for vineyard success to only a few small areas.
Back to my arrival at the winery. Al was monitoring the activity of a new piece of equipment, a copper still that was spewing out crystal clear liquid into a stainless steel bucket on the floor. My lazy plan to try get out to visit the winery this week had turned into a necessity when I learned that Skimmerhorn had added a still to its collection of equipment.
So once again the Hoags are ground-breakers. There are no other stills—at least of the legal sort—in the area. What is its purpose? Al says he and consulting winemaker Mark Rattray (who might be returning for a few weeks this fall from his home in New Zealand) had talked before about making a Port-style wine. High (18-22 per cent, typically) alcohol dessert wines are made by stopping fermentation of grape juice early, before the sugars have all been converted to alcohol. The addition of alcohol stops the fermentation process and also serves to preserve the juice.
There was also another reason, Al said, to acquire a still (made in the US by the nicely-named Revenoor Company). He had a quantity of wine that developed an unusually high content of wine diamonds, or tartrates, and he decided he didn’t want to sell it. The options were to dump the wine or turn it into alcohol.
So the still was brought in and Al, with a friend, developed an electronic control system to maintain accurate temperatures inside the still, where three electric heating elements heat the grape juice to a point where the alcohol begins to boil off.
As we talked, Al produced a wine-tasting glass, then bent over to collect a half-ounce sample from the steady stream emitting from a small copper line.
I had been forewarned, so I didn’t take a deep sniff, as I do with wine. The liquid, Al said, was 168-proof, or about 84 per cent alcohol. I took a small sip, swirled it around my mouth, then spit the contents through a grate in the concrete floor. Once the burn of the alcohol dissipated I was able to get a sense of a slight, pleasant oiliness and a subtle taste of fruit. To actually drink the distillate, one would cut its strength by adding an equal portion of distilled water, bringing it down to the 40-or-so per cent level that most spirits are sold at (cask-strength single malt whiskies being the most common exception).
My tiny sample would be tempting to refer to as vodka, because it was as clear as water. In fact, it was brandy, the term for a distillate made from wine. The amber colour we associate with brandy comes from contact with oak when it is aged in barrels and/or the addition of caramel colouring.
It will be interesting to see how Al proceeds with the use of his still. It is easy to foresee a product made from cherries, Kirsch (really a brandy made from cherry juice) possibly, because Skimmerhorn has plans to make another batch of its successful cherry wine this fall. Time will tell.
May 2013 - La Dolce Vita
Creston Valley's first ice wine is a brilliant success
In an age when limited edition has lost much of its meaning, the first 90 bottles of icewine made by Creston’s Skimmerhorn Winery must certainly lend credence to the term.
But first, a few things about icewine. First, it has to be the real deal to bear the name on the label — if not, it is a fraud. And frauds have happened many times in the past. To be the real deal, icewine has to be picked and crushed at below a specific temperature and the juice must have a minimum number of brix, or sweetness.
Picking grapes for icewine is hardly an activity for the meek. It is bitterly cold on the hands and the clusters don’t add up to a lot of weight. Because they have sat on the vine for many weeks and often several months before picking, they have desiccated, leaving behind little water, but a highly concentrated juice. Because the grapes are pressed at below freezing temperatures, most of the water is left behind in the form of ice crystals, so the resulting juice, what little there is of it, is extremely intense in flavor.
Obviously, leaving grapes on the vine for icewine is risky business — there is no guarantee that a hard freeze will allow for their picking before birds and other conditions render them useless.
In Canada, which along with Germany is the world’s largest icewine producer, 75 per cent of icewine is made in Ontario. Among the most common grapes used are Vidal and Cabernet Franc, along with Riesling.
Marleen Hoag says the Skimmerhorn experiment with icewine started last November, when her husband and winery co-owner, Al, and Skimmerhorn’s Kiwi winemaker Mark Rattray “were bored”. The temperature had dropped to an unseasonable -10 C so they ventured toward the east side of the vineyard, where some Riesling vines, largely experimental, had been left unpicked.
Rattray and Hoag got things going with the fermentation process, but then Rattray had to return to his native New Zealand. Hoag used the skills he has picked up by working at his mentor’s side, making the Creston Valley’s first ever commercial icewine.
Now, I knew none of this until Skimmerhorn sales rep Brenda Silkie told me about it last month. Because we were due to fly over to Europe for a holiday, it was the first thing that came to mind as a gift for friends who would host us in their hometown of Porthishead, near Bristol, on the first leg of our trip.
Gerry Salmon and Nicolet Lines are hardly unfamiliar with Skimmerhorn. For 14 years they have owned property in the Creston Valley. The retired British Airways employees ran a bed and breakfast here and continue to spend part of each year in Lister, where they have an acreage.
They were as surprised as we were that Skimmerhorn had produced an icewine and we looked forward to the first sip. We were not disappointed. The winery’s first foray is not just good, it is exceptionally good.
First, let’s admit that there isn’t much not to like about most icewines produced, well, anywhere. The sweet, often syrupy, liquid often evokes honey, that most precious of nature’s elixirs. But the Skimmerhorn version also offers up a surprising acidity, a characteristic that is so appealing in all good Riesling wines. It is that fruity acidity that makes Riesling such a great match for so many different foods.
The four of us agreed that this is a most satisfying and appealing icewine that lends itself to many different possible food matches. I doubt that one could go wrong serving it with any dessert that includes apples, pears, peaches or apricots, and I’m betting white chocolate would get a nice boost from it, too.
Sadly, we aren’t likely to be able to make too many experiments. Those 90 bottles aren’t going to last long at the winery. Unfortunately, as of this column’s writing, I am still in Europe, and I wouldn’t be the least surprised if Skimmerhorn’s first ever icewine is sold out by the time we return. That would be our loss, but the definite gain of those lucky few who make the effort to get a bottle or two. Or three.
April 2012 - La Dolce Vita
But first, a few things about icewine. First, it has to be the real deal to bear the name on the label — if not, it is a fraud. And frauds have happened many times in the past. To be the real deal, icewine has to be picked and crushed at below a specific temperature and the juice must have a minimum number of brix, or sweetness.
Picking grapes for icewine is hardly an activity for the meek. It is bitterly cold on the hands and the clusters don’t add up to a lot of weight. Because they have sat on the vine for many weeks and often several months before picking, they have desiccated, leaving behind little water, but a highly concentrated juice. Because the grapes are pressed at below freezing temperatures, most of the water is left behind in the form of ice crystals, so the resulting juice, what little there is of it, is extremely intense in flavor.
Obviously, leaving grapes on the vine for icewine is risky business — there is no guarantee that a hard freeze will allow for their picking before birds and other conditions render them useless.
In Canada, which along with Germany is the world’s largest icewine producer, 75 per cent of icewine is made in Ontario. Among the most common grapes used are Vidal and Cabernet Franc, along with Riesling.
Marleen Hoag says the Skimmerhorn experiment with icewine started last November, when her husband and winery co-owner, Al, and Skimmerhorn’s Kiwi winemaker Mark Rattray “were bored”. The temperature had dropped to an unseasonable -10 C so they ventured toward the east side of the vineyard, where some Riesling vines, largely experimental, had been left unpicked.
Rattray and Hoag got things going with the fermentation process, but then Rattray had to return to his native New Zealand. Hoag used the skills he has picked up by working at his mentor’s side, making the Creston Valley’s first ever commercial icewine.
Now, I knew none of this until Skimmerhorn sales rep Brenda Silkie told me about it last month. Because we were due to fly over to Europe for a holiday, it was the first thing that came to mind as a gift for friends who would host us in their hometown of Porthishead, near Bristol, on the first leg of our trip.
Gerry Salmon and Nicolet Lines are hardly unfamiliar with Skimmerhorn. For 14 years they have owned property in the Creston Valley. The retired British Airways employees ran a bed and breakfast here and continue to spend part of each year in Lister, where they have an acreage.
They were as surprised as we were that Skimmerhorn had produced an icewine and we looked forward to the first sip. We were not disappointed. The winery’s first foray is not just good, it is exceptionally good.
First, let’s admit that there isn’t much not to like about most icewines produced, well, anywhere. The sweet, often syrupy, liquid often evokes honey, that most precious of nature’s elixirs. But the Skimmerhorn version also offers up a surprising acidity, a characteristic that is so appealing in all good Riesling wines. It is that fruity acidity that makes Riesling such a great match for so many different foods.
The four of us agreed that this is a most satisfying and appealing icewine that lends itself to many different possible food matches. I doubt that one could go wrong serving it with any dessert that includes apples, pears, peaches or apricots, and I’m betting white chocolate would get a nice boost from it, too.
Sadly, we aren’t likely to be able to make too many experiments. Those 90 bottles aren’t going to last long at the winery. Unfortunately, as of this column’s writing, I am still in Europe, and I wouldn’t be the least surprised if Skimmerhorn’s first ever icewine is sold out by the time we return. That would be our loss, but the definite gain of those lucky few who make the effort to get a bottle or two. Or three.
April 2012 - La Dolce Vita
Skimmerhorn Winery celebrates 5 years open to the public
Last week marked the fifth year since Skimmerhorn Winery and Vineyard opened its doors to the public. In many ways, it seems like only yesterday, a sentiment that co-owner Marleen Hoag echoed when I joined Skimmerhorn sales rep Brenda Silkie for lunch on what has been an all-too-rare afternoon without rain this year.
In those five years, the winery and vineyard have become synonymous with many of the positives experienced in the Creston Valley in that period. There is a much greater awareness of food production and an increased enthusiasm for locally grown products. There are few more obvious examples of value-added agricultural businesses than a winery — grapes grown on-site don’t leave the property except in the form of wine, often in the hands of the end consumer. It doesn’t get any more local than that.
The mark of any successful business is that it never stands still. Last week, as I drove along 27th Avenue South in Erickson for my lunch appointment with Brenda, I was struck by the new entrance to the property. What once was a long swinging metal gate now holds a giant metal cutout that spells out Skimmerhorn. It now rises toward the sky when the winery is open, acting like a very inviting beacon for anyone approaching.
Earlier this year, I wrote about the newest Skimmerhorn product, a wonderful Riesling icewine, the East Kootenay’s first commercial product of its sort. New labels with a revamped logo are gradually being rolled out with new wine releases and they stand out nicely on wine store shelves.
Another change this spring is in the bistro, where chef Andy Robidoux brings experience from winter resorts like Fernie’s Island Lake Lodge to the Creston Valley. The bistro has been a pleasure to dine it since it first opened, but I will admit that I was completely unprepared for the outstanding dishes and beautiful presentation that came out of the tiny kitchen last week.
Brenda started with the Albacore Tuna Poke, a beautiful appetizer that includes pickled cucumber, sushi rice cake and wasabi ginger emulsion, topped with a wonton crisp. I couldn’t resist the AAA beef carpaccio, thin slices of rare beef with crumbled Stilton blue cheese, pickled red onion, truffle aioli, arugula and herb crostini. Delicious, was all I could say as I devoured it.
For our main dishes, Brenda opted for the corn meal crusted zucchini, which was also one of my considerations. The golden brown slices were served with roasted root veggies, white bean puree, sweet pepper coulis and other vegetables. When I took the first taste of my choice, seared albacore tuna, I immediately realized that it is going to be very difficult to order anything else on return visits. With sweet potato gnocchi, puttanesca sauce, local Mountain Grana cheese and seasonal veggies, I felt like I had been transported to another time and place, one that I never wanted to leave. My glass of Pinot Noir went nicely with both dishes and Brenda said the same about her glass of Gewurztraminer.
Co-owner Al Hoag and winemaker Mark Rattray have made a great team since they started making wine at Skimmerhorn and, as the vines mature and their familiarity with the terroir grows, the wines keep getting better and better. The Hoags made a canny decision a few years ago to supply Kootenay restaurants with reasonably priced white and red Kootenay Crush blends that are unavailable in stores or at the winery. It has been a good business decision and both versions are extremely food friendly.
In recent years, Al took a bit of a gamble by blending Pinot Noir and Marechal Foch to make what he calls Devil’s Chair, named for a rock formation on the Skimmerhorn mountain range. The gamble paid off. Each of the grapes seems to benefit from the other and the result is a big bodied, complex wine that has become so popular with customers that it has sold out.
Al and Marleen Hoag deserve a tremendous amount of credit for having the vision and courage to build the first commercial winery in the area. Next time you have a glass of Skimmerhorn wine, give them a toast of thanks. They have earned it.
July 2012 - La Dolce Vita
In those five years, the winery and vineyard have become synonymous with many of the positives experienced in the Creston Valley in that period. There is a much greater awareness of food production and an increased enthusiasm for locally grown products. There are few more obvious examples of value-added agricultural businesses than a winery — grapes grown on-site don’t leave the property except in the form of wine, often in the hands of the end consumer. It doesn’t get any more local than that.
The mark of any successful business is that it never stands still. Last week, as I drove along 27th Avenue South in Erickson for my lunch appointment with Brenda, I was struck by the new entrance to the property. What once was a long swinging metal gate now holds a giant metal cutout that spells out Skimmerhorn. It now rises toward the sky when the winery is open, acting like a very inviting beacon for anyone approaching.
Earlier this year, I wrote about the newest Skimmerhorn product, a wonderful Riesling icewine, the East Kootenay’s first commercial product of its sort. New labels with a revamped logo are gradually being rolled out with new wine releases and they stand out nicely on wine store shelves.
Another change this spring is in the bistro, where chef Andy Robidoux brings experience from winter resorts like Fernie’s Island Lake Lodge to the Creston Valley. The bistro has been a pleasure to dine it since it first opened, but I will admit that I was completely unprepared for the outstanding dishes and beautiful presentation that came out of the tiny kitchen last week.
Brenda started with the Albacore Tuna Poke, a beautiful appetizer that includes pickled cucumber, sushi rice cake and wasabi ginger emulsion, topped with a wonton crisp. I couldn’t resist the AAA beef carpaccio, thin slices of rare beef with crumbled Stilton blue cheese, pickled red onion, truffle aioli, arugula and herb crostini. Delicious, was all I could say as I devoured it.
For our main dishes, Brenda opted for the corn meal crusted zucchini, which was also one of my considerations. The golden brown slices were served with roasted root veggies, white bean puree, sweet pepper coulis and other vegetables. When I took the first taste of my choice, seared albacore tuna, I immediately realized that it is going to be very difficult to order anything else on return visits. With sweet potato gnocchi, puttanesca sauce, local Mountain Grana cheese and seasonal veggies, I felt like I had been transported to another time and place, one that I never wanted to leave. My glass of Pinot Noir went nicely with both dishes and Brenda said the same about her glass of Gewurztraminer.
Co-owner Al Hoag and winemaker Mark Rattray have made a great team since they started making wine at Skimmerhorn and, as the vines mature and their familiarity with the terroir grows, the wines keep getting better and better. The Hoags made a canny decision a few years ago to supply Kootenay restaurants with reasonably priced white and red Kootenay Crush blends that are unavailable in stores or at the winery. It has been a good business decision and both versions are extremely food friendly.
In recent years, Al took a bit of a gamble by blending Pinot Noir and Marechal Foch to make what he calls Devil’s Chair, named for a rock formation on the Skimmerhorn mountain range. The gamble paid off. Each of the grapes seems to benefit from the other and the result is a big bodied, complex wine that has become so popular with customers that it has sold out.
Al and Marleen Hoag deserve a tremendous amount of credit for having the vision and courage to build the first commercial winery in the area. Next time you have a glass of Skimmerhorn wine, give them a toast of thanks. They have earned it.
July 2012 - La Dolce Vita
Skimmerhorn winemaker pleased with harvest
Last week I enjoyed lunch with Skimmerhorn Winery’s Mark Rattray, a Kiwi who has been spending our fall season here in Creston since the winery first opened. Although he sold his New Zealand winery a couple of years ago, he keeps his hand in as something of a “garagiste”, making several hundred cases of wine annually from purchased grapes.
Rattray’s decision to test his skills in the Creston Valley has worked out well for him and Skimmerhorn Winery. He has enjoyed the challenge of setting up the winery and overseeing winemaking operations, and owners Al and Marleen Hoag have benefited from having a highly skilled fellow help launch their business.
I was pleased to see the excitement in Rattray’s eyes when he talked about the 2011 harvest, and what he is already seeing in the early stages of the vintage. After an almost frighteningly cool spring and early summer, it was hard to be optimistic about what might come out of the vineyards, but a long stretch of lovely weather from late July onward resulted in grapes of excellent quality.
Interesting to me was Rattray’s observation that fully or overly ripened grapes can cause their only challenges, not least because the skins of red grapes add huge tannins and other phenols into the wine. Bottle aging takes care of that problem, with the effect softening over a period of months. But in 2010 and 2011, when Skimmerhorn grapes might not have ripened to reach high sugar levels, the result has been surprisingly complex flavours. Less than two months after harvest, Ratrray said the wines are showing remarkable flavor complexity, something I also experienced in juice tastings next door at Baillie-Grohman winery.
Along with Skimmerhorn Winery sales rep Brenda Silkie, who arranged the lunch, we spent a happy hour talking about wine and it gave me the chance to ponder about how important luck is when establishing a new business. Luck played a role in Rattray being offered the winemaker job here and he’s proven to be the ideal match for Skimmerhorn — he gets along well with the owners, he’s extremely knowledgeable and he’s a good teacher. The latter is especially important because each December he heads back to New Zealand and leaves the winery in Al Hoag’s now capable hands.
Silkie brought along a bottle of the soon to be released 2010 Skimmerhorn Pinot Rose. I’m a big fan of the rosé wines that Rattray has been making and this might be his best offering yet. With a wonderful fresh strawberry taste, it has a most pleasing citrus finish, with a lovely nose and mouth feel. I promised Silkie I would report back with a suitable food pairing and it didn’t take long to come up with an idea.
On Grey Cup day, just before kickoff, I mixed about a pound of crabmeat, a half cup of bread crumbs, an egg, chopped green onions, a bit of mayonnaise, some spices, Worcestershire sauce and added a dash of Sambal Olek to add a little heat. I mixed the ingredients and quickly formed 10 patties, which when went into the fridge to chill.
At half time I began frying the patties in butter and olive oil, then made an aioli with mayo, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, thyme and chopped artichoke hearts, something we always keep in the refrigerator.
I put some cakes onto our plates, added some small slices of nice dark bread, then spooned some of the sauce on top. The combination was a great match with the wine. The rosé’s strawberry flavours went nicely with the sweetness of the crab and mayo while the citrus notes were balanced with the lemon juice in the aioli. The only ingredient needed to make it a perfect little meal was a Grey Cup win for the Lions. Happily, they obliged.
December 2011 - La Dolce Vita
Rattray’s decision to test his skills in the Creston Valley has worked out well for him and Skimmerhorn Winery. He has enjoyed the challenge of setting up the winery and overseeing winemaking operations, and owners Al and Marleen Hoag have benefited from having a highly skilled fellow help launch their business.
I was pleased to see the excitement in Rattray’s eyes when he talked about the 2011 harvest, and what he is already seeing in the early stages of the vintage. After an almost frighteningly cool spring and early summer, it was hard to be optimistic about what might come out of the vineyards, but a long stretch of lovely weather from late July onward resulted in grapes of excellent quality.
Interesting to me was Rattray’s observation that fully or overly ripened grapes can cause their only challenges, not least because the skins of red grapes add huge tannins and other phenols into the wine. Bottle aging takes care of that problem, with the effect softening over a period of months. But in 2010 and 2011, when Skimmerhorn grapes might not have ripened to reach high sugar levels, the result has been surprisingly complex flavours. Less than two months after harvest, Ratrray said the wines are showing remarkable flavor complexity, something I also experienced in juice tastings next door at Baillie-Grohman winery.
Along with Skimmerhorn Winery sales rep Brenda Silkie, who arranged the lunch, we spent a happy hour talking about wine and it gave me the chance to ponder about how important luck is when establishing a new business. Luck played a role in Rattray being offered the winemaker job here and he’s proven to be the ideal match for Skimmerhorn — he gets along well with the owners, he’s extremely knowledgeable and he’s a good teacher. The latter is especially important because each December he heads back to New Zealand and leaves the winery in Al Hoag’s now capable hands.
Silkie brought along a bottle of the soon to be released 2010 Skimmerhorn Pinot Rose. I’m a big fan of the rosé wines that Rattray has been making and this might be his best offering yet. With a wonderful fresh strawberry taste, it has a most pleasing citrus finish, with a lovely nose and mouth feel. I promised Silkie I would report back with a suitable food pairing and it didn’t take long to come up with an idea.
On Grey Cup day, just before kickoff, I mixed about a pound of crabmeat, a half cup of bread crumbs, an egg, chopped green onions, a bit of mayonnaise, some spices, Worcestershire sauce and added a dash of Sambal Olek to add a little heat. I mixed the ingredients and quickly formed 10 patties, which when went into the fridge to chill.
At half time I began frying the patties in butter and olive oil, then made an aioli with mayo, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, thyme and chopped artichoke hearts, something we always keep in the refrigerator.
I put some cakes onto our plates, added some small slices of nice dark bread, then spooned some of the sauce on top. The combination was a great match with the wine. The rosé’s strawberry flavours went nicely with the sweetness of the crab and mayo while the citrus notes were balanced with the lemon juice in the aioli. The only ingredient needed to make it a perfect little meal was a Grey Cup win for the Lions. Happily, they obliged.
December 2011 - La Dolce Vita
Skimmerhorn is creston's first winery
Creston’s original winery offers a good variety of wines at prices designed to be competitive on store shelves. It’s model that has worked well for owners Al and Marleen Hoag and winemaker Mark Rattray, who visits from his home in New Zealand for the Creston Valley harvest and winemaking season.
Last week we enjoyed our first bottle of Devil’s Chair, a blend of Marechal Foch and Pinot Noir grapes. It’s not a common blend and I was curious about its qualities. For starters, Marechal Foch isn’t a wine I normally turn to when I am choosing a wine. Full-bodied and soft in tannins, Foch has loads of flavour and is pleasingly dark, but I don’t find it particularly interesting. But I love well-made Pinot Noirs, with their silky mouth feel, subtle and usually complex flavours, and tannins that make it a great match for many foods.
Would the Foch in Devil’s Chair overpower the Pinot, I wondered? Or would the best characteristics of each combine to make an exciting blend?
We planned a quick, simple dinner to go with the wine. We are big fans of paninis, so I purchased a package of panini bread. On one piece of the bread I spread my favourite seedy mustard, then put a layer of wasabi-flavoured cheese slices on top. (We were introduced to this cheese by our office gourmand several months ago and it has become a favourite for its intense flavours.) Thin slices of pepperoni and pieces of artichoke were added in layers. The sandwich went into my George Foreman grill (the cheapest, simplest model, which is perfect for paninis or any type of grilled sandwich in addition to its many other uses) for a few minutes.
Once the bread was browned and the cheese started to melt we were ready to eat. A simple side salad took its place on our plates. I rarely worry about letting wine breathe any more—for the last couple of years I’ve routinely used a filter/aerator, a long, slim gadget that fits snuggly into the bottle and introduces lots of air into each pour. Into our glasses went the dark and subtly aromatic red.
To my pleasant surprise, the Devil’s Chair is an excellent blend. It has enough tannins to make it go well with food (really soft wines don’t do much for food), the overt flavours of the Foch were scaled back by the more subtle Pinot Noir and the mouth feel is extremely pleasant. We thoroughly enjoyed our wine and meal.
To be honest, I wouldn’t have thought of blending the two varieties. But both Pinot Noir and Marechal Foch are doing very well in Creston vineyards, and growers are not stuck with simply releasing single variety wines. Winemaker Mark Rattray is a skilled blender and the result of this particular combination is a winner.
Of course Skimmerhorn Winery and Vineyard has built its reputation with an outstanding selection of white wines. The Gewurztraminer is a multiple award winner and the spice and tropical fruit make it a great accompaniment to Asian foods, especially. Talk to regular Skimmerhorn customers, though, and chances are you will hear raves about Ortega. This white wine grape produces a luscious wine with citrus and pineapple flavours and it is easy drinking, indeed.
Another favourite of white wine drinkers is Autumn Tryst, a pleasing blend of Siegerebbe, Ortega and Gewurztraminer grapes that results in a off-dry sipper with a number of fruit flavours. Rounding out the white wine offerings is Pinot Gris, which is perhaps British Columbia’s most consistently good white wine. The Skimmerhorn version is made to evoke the Italian Pinot Gris style.
Since Skimmerhorn first opened, we’ve been fans of the Pinot Rose, a deep pink wine with strawberry and raspberry flavours complimented by a grapefruit finish. It’s another great summer treat.
And, finally, Creston has a long-talked about fruit wine. Cherry Twist is made from local cherries. It also has some sweetness, a great appeal for those who just aren’t crazy about the recent trend toward really dry wines.
As I write and think about Skimmerhorn, I am picturing some very pleasant lunch hours on the winery’s bistro deck, enjoying a superb meal, a glass of wine to match, the spectacular view and warm, sunny weather. Is summer almost here?
February 2011 - La Dolce Vita
Last week we enjoyed our first bottle of Devil’s Chair, a blend of Marechal Foch and Pinot Noir grapes. It’s not a common blend and I was curious about its qualities. For starters, Marechal Foch isn’t a wine I normally turn to when I am choosing a wine. Full-bodied and soft in tannins, Foch has loads of flavour and is pleasingly dark, but I don’t find it particularly interesting. But I love well-made Pinot Noirs, with their silky mouth feel, subtle and usually complex flavours, and tannins that make it a great match for many foods.
Would the Foch in Devil’s Chair overpower the Pinot, I wondered? Or would the best characteristics of each combine to make an exciting blend?
We planned a quick, simple dinner to go with the wine. We are big fans of paninis, so I purchased a package of panini bread. On one piece of the bread I spread my favourite seedy mustard, then put a layer of wasabi-flavoured cheese slices on top. (We were introduced to this cheese by our office gourmand several months ago and it has become a favourite for its intense flavours.) Thin slices of pepperoni and pieces of artichoke were added in layers. The sandwich went into my George Foreman grill (the cheapest, simplest model, which is perfect for paninis or any type of grilled sandwich in addition to its many other uses) for a few minutes.
Once the bread was browned and the cheese started to melt we were ready to eat. A simple side salad took its place on our plates. I rarely worry about letting wine breathe any more—for the last couple of years I’ve routinely used a filter/aerator, a long, slim gadget that fits snuggly into the bottle and introduces lots of air into each pour. Into our glasses went the dark and subtly aromatic red.
To my pleasant surprise, the Devil’s Chair is an excellent blend. It has enough tannins to make it go well with food (really soft wines don’t do much for food), the overt flavours of the Foch were scaled back by the more subtle Pinot Noir and the mouth feel is extremely pleasant. We thoroughly enjoyed our wine and meal.
To be honest, I wouldn’t have thought of blending the two varieties. But both Pinot Noir and Marechal Foch are doing very well in Creston vineyards, and growers are not stuck with simply releasing single variety wines. Winemaker Mark Rattray is a skilled blender and the result of this particular combination is a winner.
Of course Skimmerhorn Winery and Vineyard has built its reputation with an outstanding selection of white wines. The Gewurztraminer is a multiple award winner and the spice and tropical fruit make it a great accompaniment to Asian foods, especially. Talk to regular Skimmerhorn customers, though, and chances are you will hear raves about Ortega. This white wine grape produces a luscious wine with citrus and pineapple flavours and it is easy drinking, indeed.
Another favourite of white wine drinkers is Autumn Tryst, a pleasing blend of Siegerebbe, Ortega and Gewurztraminer grapes that results in a off-dry sipper with a number of fruit flavours. Rounding out the white wine offerings is Pinot Gris, which is perhaps British Columbia’s most consistently good white wine. The Skimmerhorn version is made to evoke the Italian Pinot Gris style.
Since Skimmerhorn first opened, we’ve been fans of the Pinot Rose, a deep pink wine with strawberry and raspberry flavours complimented by a grapefruit finish. It’s another great summer treat.
And, finally, Creston has a long-talked about fruit wine. Cherry Twist is made from local cherries. It also has some sweetness, a great appeal for those who just aren’t crazy about the recent trend toward really dry wines.
As I write and think about Skimmerhorn, I am picturing some very pleasant lunch hours on the winery’s bistro deck, enjoying a superb meal, a glass of wine to match, the spectacular view and warm, sunny weather. Is summer almost here?
February 2011 - La Dolce Vita
new winery brings in first harvest
New Zealand's Mark Rattray made Skimmerhorn's first vintages.
Until last week I was cautiously optimistic in my enthusiasm for a new winery being established here in the Creston Valley. After all, a first in any area is fraught with challenges and questions, the obvious being “Why hasn’t anyone done this before?”
After spending a sunny afternoon at the yet-to-be-opened Skimmerhorn Winery and Vineyard, however, my caution has been abandoned. I’ve driven past the property in Erickson a number of times, watching the progress of the vines closest to the road. And the new steel building was obviously the winery. Other than that I new little else.
The first person I came across last week was Mark Rattray (or Mac Retrie, if you speak Kiwi), a genial fellow who is Skimmerhorn’s winemaker. When he wasn’t unloading bins of freshly picked grapes that arrived steadily from the vineyard, Rattray was more than happy to talk about his background. A quick tour around the building revealed an impressive array of shiny new stainless steel equipment, including a crusher-destemmer, bottling machine and a number of temperature controlled fermentation tanks.
I was startled to see some new oak barrels, still wrapped in plastic, awaiting Skimmerhorn’s very first pinot noir. And they weren’t just oak, as in American or Slovenian. Those barrels were French, from a top cooperage in Burgundy. Rattray said he had used the barrels in his own winery, and he has built a solid reputation as a pinot noir and chardonnay maker in his native New Zealand, where he owns the small Floating Mountain Winery in the Waipara region near Christchurch.
I left Rattray to his work and walked into the vineyards, which were quietly being picked by six or eight people, including owner Al Hoag. Instead of continuing his picking while we talked, Hoag stopped to chat about the winery, vineyards, plans for the future and so on. When Al’s wife, Marleen, joined us we went for a walk around the property, where 14 acres are planted to such varieties as pinot gris, pinot noir, marechal foch and gewurtztraminer. Now in their fourth year, the vines are healthy and productive. The cool spring and hot summer, followed by a beautiful September, have been just what the vines wanted. The fruit we tasted was sugar-packed, ideal for making full-flavoured wines with plenty of alcohol. As in the Okanagan, the winemaker literally drools at such quality as it arrives from the vineyards—quality fruit makes his job much easier.
I already knew the answer to the earlier, obvious question about why no one else had started a winery in the area—it’s an expensive proposition, it takes a good five years to begin to make any money, not every plot of land in the Valley is conducive to the growing of grapes and not everyone has the many, many skills to become a winery owner, taking a product from the vine and getting it onto the consumers’ tables.
But the Hoags have long had a strong reputation as quality growers and marketers from their orchard days in Canyon. A meticulous man who recognizes that, at its core, a winery is just a value-added farm, Hoag appears to have the drive and temperament to make the enterprise succeed. Likewise Marleen, who will look after the marketing end of the business and, no doubt, be a charming host in the yet-to-be constructed tasting room and bistro.
Creston has much to be excited about with the establishment of Skimmerhorn Winery and Vineyard. We’ve long been talking about value-added businesses and a winery is as value-added as it gets. A solid, even if relatively small, wine industry means added tourism, too. Wine lovers will travel far to get the product they want and wine tourism has become a huge draw in many countries, including our own. And the Hoags agree that being the only winery in the Creston Valley isn’t what is needed. Two or three others would make Creston a genuine destination for people living both west and east, because they could make a day or weekend out of their visit. To that end, ten neighbouring acres are being planted to the north of the Skimmerhorn site and another nearby five acres are in production, this year’s harvest being processed by Hoag and Rattray and shipped to Columbia Gardens Winery in Trail. At least one more parcel has been planted this year and no doubt others will follow if the Skimmerhorn Winery appears to be an initial success.
The Hoags, by making a large investment in their business and hiring an experienced winemaker in Rattray, have done all the right things to send a message out that quality is job one at their new winery. I’ll be waiting, perhaps not so patiently, to try out the first gewurtztraminer when it is released next spring. And, given Rattray’s excitement about the quality of the pinot noir grapes on the vines this year, the release of Skimmerhorn’s first pinot noir will be an exciting day indeed.
October 2006 – La Dolce Vita
After spending a sunny afternoon at the yet-to-be-opened Skimmerhorn Winery and Vineyard, however, my caution has been abandoned. I’ve driven past the property in Erickson a number of times, watching the progress of the vines closest to the road. And the new steel building was obviously the winery. Other than that I new little else.
The first person I came across last week was Mark Rattray (or Mac Retrie, if you speak Kiwi), a genial fellow who is Skimmerhorn’s winemaker. When he wasn’t unloading bins of freshly picked grapes that arrived steadily from the vineyard, Rattray was more than happy to talk about his background. A quick tour around the building revealed an impressive array of shiny new stainless steel equipment, including a crusher-destemmer, bottling machine and a number of temperature controlled fermentation tanks.
I was startled to see some new oak barrels, still wrapped in plastic, awaiting Skimmerhorn’s very first pinot noir. And they weren’t just oak, as in American or Slovenian. Those barrels were French, from a top cooperage in Burgundy. Rattray said he had used the barrels in his own winery, and he has built a solid reputation as a pinot noir and chardonnay maker in his native New Zealand, where he owns the small Floating Mountain Winery in the Waipara region near Christchurch.
I left Rattray to his work and walked into the vineyards, which were quietly being picked by six or eight people, including owner Al Hoag. Instead of continuing his picking while we talked, Hoag stopped to chat about the winery, vineyards, plans for the future and so on. When Al’s wife, Marleen, joined us we went for a walk around the property, where 14 acres are planted to such varieties as pinot gris, pinot noir, marechal foch and gewurtztraminer. Now in their fourth year, the vines are healthy and productive. The cool spring and hot summer, followed by a beautiful September, have been just what the vines wanted. The fruit we tasted was sugar-packed, ideal for making full-flavoured wines with plenty of alcohol. As in the Okanagan, the winemaker literally drools at such quality as it arrives from the vineyards—quality fruit makes his job much easier.
I already knew the answer to the earlier, obvious question about why no one else had started a winery in the area—it’s an expensive proposition, it takes a good five years to begin to make any money, not every plot of land in the Valley is conducive to the growing of grapes and not everyone has the many, many skills to become a winery owner, taking a product from the vine and getting it onto the consumers’ tables.
But the Hoags have long had a strong reputation as quality growers and marketers from their orchard days in Canyon. A meticulous man who recognizes that, at its core, a winery is just a value-added farm, Hoag appears to have the drive and temperament to make the enterprise succeed. Likewise Marleen, who will look after the marketing end of the business and, no doubt, be a charming host in the yet-to-be constructed tasting room and bistro.
Creston has much to be excited about with the establishment of Skimmerhorn Winery and Vineyard. We’ve long been talking about value-added businesses and a winery is as value-added as it gets. A solid, even if relatively small, wine industry means added tourism, too. Wine lovers will travel far to get the product they want and wine tourism has become a huge draw in many countries, including our own. And the Hoags agree that being the only winery in the Creston Valley isn’t what is needed. Two or three others would make Creston a genuine destination for people living both west and east, because they could make a day or weekend out of their visit. To that end, ten neighbouring acres are being planted to the north of the Skimmerhorn site and another nearby five acres are in production, this year’s harvest being processed by Hoag and Rattray and shipped to Columbia Gardens Winery in Trail. At least one more parcel has been planted this year and no doubt others will follow if the Skimmerhorn Winery appears to be an initial success.
The Hoags, by making a large investment in their business and hiring an experienced winemaker in Rattray, have done all the right things to send a message out that quality is job one at their new winery. I’ll be waiting, perhaps not so patiently, to try out the first gewurtztraminer when it is released next spring. And, given Rattray’s excitement about the quality of the pinot noir grapes on the vines this year, the release of Skimmerhorn’s first pinot noir will be an exciting day indeed.
October 2006 – La Dolce Vita
