The Etsell family has deep roots in the Fraser Valley. Patriarch Garnet Etsell spent decades working with dairy, sheep, poultry and hay in the Abbotsford area. His wife Debbie owned a hobby farm in Chilliwack and worked with the Agricultural and Research Corporation as well as the BC Blueberry Council in Abbotsford.
In 2010, they decided to plant new roots in nearby Mt. Lehman and open a family operated winery, Singletree. Garnet is the president, Debbie the marketing coordinator, their son Andrew the winemaker and viticulturist, and his wife Laura the social media and special events coordinator.
Last week I participated in a virtual wine tasting with Singletree customers. The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc ($17.30), like all their whites, is grown in the Fraser Valley at the estate vineyards. It has the characteristic SB aroma of guava and fresh cut hay. Taking a sip, I enjoyed the ripe juicy grapefruit, lime, and passion fruit flavours as well as the mineral background.
What’s interesting is that this white tastes bone dry but it’s actually the second sweetest white. But you won’t notice it. The Fraser Valley is a cool growing region, which produces grapes that are high in natural acid. This balances the residual sugar and your palate perceives dryness.
For food pairing with the Sauvignon, Andrew recommends garlic prawns, raw oysters, or salmon. I would also suggest goat cheese or scallops in a curry sauce.
When Singletree had their first vintage in 2013, they produced only three wines. Siegerrebe was one of the originals and has been very popular ever since. Six of the 15 acres are planted in this grape.
Because consumers find it challenging to pronounce Siegerrebe (see-geh-Ray-buh), it is now simply called Siggy.
The Singletree 2019 Siggy ($16.10) is a cross between Gewurztraminer and Madeleine Angevine. This genetic makeup explains the white’s generous aromatics and flavour: flowers, peach, pear, muscat, banana, almonds, and white pepper. Although it has the same amount of residual sugar as the Sauvignon, it has less acid so you notice its slightly sweeter style.
Although Singletree doesn’t produce any Riesling, they do make a 2019 Gruner Veltliner ($17.40). GV is an Austrian grape, which bears a close resemblance to Riesling. Both grapes have a great deal of natural acid that means the wine will be an excellent food wine.
It’s a bone-dry white with an apple and lemon profile with a hint of honey. Andrew suggests that you only chill it for half an hour. If the Gruner is too cold, the wine will be too tart. It’s delicious on its own but I really enjoyed it with Gruyere cheese. Andrew recommends serving it with creamy food like Pasta Alfredo.
The 2017 Singletree Merlot ($26.10) comes from their Crooked Vines vineyard in Naramata. Singletree has recently acquired vineyards in the central Okanagan where their red grapes are grown and where all their wines are produced.
This is the second year of producing Merlot. Aged in new and neutral French oak for 18 months and bottled unfiltered produces a complex red with plenty of character.
I suggest decanting the wine for an hour or two before sampling to open up the character of the wine. Savour the plum, black cherry, and blackberry with a kiss of chocolate bouquet and flavour with soft tannins. The Merlot screams out for barbecued rib-eye steaks.
The Etsell’s are now smiling more than they have for the past few months. The Singletree’s Mt. Lehman location near Abbotsford is now open Wednesday to Saturday 12 – 5:30 p.m. and their Naramata location is open Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
For Richmond residents, Abbotsford is just an hour’s drive to the Fraser Valley winery where you can taste, purchase wines, and enjoy a picnic along the Fraser with Mt. Baker in the background.
