In order to survive, many wineries need to continue to expand and grow.
That is why large wine companies like Arterra Wines Canada have purchased many wineries in recent years.
The injection of capital into these smaller family-run estates has helped them to grow but also keep their distinctiveness.
I recently attended a tasting of wineries owned by Arterra Wines Canada and was impressed with two B.C. wineries, which I will highlight in this column.
Culmina Family Estate Winery was established by Don and Elaine Triggs (of Jackson Triggs winery) in 2007.
They named the winery Culmina, which translates to the ‘peak’ or ‘apex’ in Latin. The name was chosen to reflect their decades of knowledge in the wine industry, as well as a desire to produce top-quality wines. Their winery was purchased by Arterra Wine Canada in 2019.
I had the opportunity to taste their Stan’s Bench 2021 Blanc de Blanc, which is a sparkling wine made with 100-per-cent Chardonnay grapes using the same method used to produce Champagne.
The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks, undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle, where it is aged on the lees for three years before release.
You will get citrus, green apple and orange blossom aromas and citrus and lemon on the palate with a dry aftertaste. You can purchase this wine from the winery for $40 a bottle.
I also tasted their 2024 Saignée Rose wine. Saignee is a method of making rosé wine where a portion of the juice is bled off in the early stages from a tank of red wine that is fermenting (so that it has less contact with skins, which will produce a rosé instead of a red wine).
This juice is then fermented separately to produce a rosé wine. This wine is a blend of 47-per-cent Merlot, 20-per-cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 18-per-cent Petit Verdot and 15-per-cent Cabernet Franc.
You will get red plums and rhubarb on the nose and red plums, citrus and grapefruit on the palate. It is heavier in style than most B.C. roses, so it will pair well with grilled fish. This wine is priced at $26.99 at BC Liquor Stores.
Laughing Stock Vineyards was established in 2003 by David and Cynthia Enns.
They were involved in the financial industry, so their wines have a stock market theme with ticker tape labelling.
I tasted their 2024 In the Pink Rose. Unlike previous vintages, which were made with the Gamay grape, the 2024 vintage is made using a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
You will get red plums and cherries on the nose along with red plums, cherries and strawberries on the palate.
It is lighter-bodied compared to the Culmina rose. You can purchase this wine from the winery for $25/bottle.
I also tasted their 2022 Blind Trust Red Wine. The label does not tell you what grape varietals are used in the blend.
After you have tried to guess the varietals, you can discover what grape varietals are used in the blend by removing the capsule at the top of the bottle.
I won’t spoil this for anyone who wants to guess the blend (they do this with the grape varietals used on their website), but you will get an earthiness with cassis and black plums on the nose and dark plums, raspberry and black cherries on the palate.
You can purchase this wine from the winery for $33 a bottle.
Although both wineries are owned by Arterra Wine Canada, they have very distinct personalities and have different lineups of wines.
They both started as family-run wineries that have maintained their personalities while growing with the support of a larger conglomerate owner.
For more about my view on these wines, see here.
Until next time, happy drinking!
Tony Kwan is a Richmond News columnist. Lawyer by day, and a food and wine lover by night. Kwan is an epicurean who writes about wine, food and enjoying all that life has to offer.
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