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Wine Recommendation

Morning Bay Vineyard & Estate Winery 2006 Estate Bianco, Mount Menzies (Gulf Islands)

Morning Bay Vineyard & Estate

2006 Estate Bianco, Mount Menzies
(Gulf Islands)



Morning Bay is the first, and so far only, winery on Pender Island, one of the group of islands in the Strait of Georgia that recently have been given their own appellation. Morning Bay’s vineyards are relatively cool, within sight of the ocean. The Mount Menzies vineyard is on a slope that was formerly forested. Owners Keith Watt, a broadcast journalist, and Barbara Reid carved out an elaborated terraced seven-acre vineyard, fully planted since 2002.

They confront the issues of location head-on, making estate wines with moderate alcohol and bright acidity because that’s what the terroir gives them. Often the wines are blends and carry proprietary names because, as Watt explains, “we want consumers to anticipate something different.” Since he also has wines made from Okanagan grapes, Morning Bay’s tasting room is a vivid study in contrasting wine region styles.

This wine begins with an attractive floral fragrance. On the palate, there are notes of citrus and minerals, with a delicate spiciness. The low-acid Muscat varieties that comprise two-thirds of the blend effectively balance the tang of the Pinot Gris and Riesling. This is a light-bodied, refreshing white with a dry finish. 86 points.

Reviewed December 14, 2007 by John Schreiner.




Other reviewed wines from Morning Bay Vineyard & Estate

 

The Wine

Winery: Morning Bay Vineyard & Estate
Vineyard: Mount Menzies
Vintage: 2006
Wine: Estate Bianco
Appellation: Gulf Islands
Grapes: Schonburger, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris / Grigio, Riesling
Price: 750ml $16.99

Review Date: 12/14/2007

The Reviewer

John Schreiner

John Schreiner has been covering the wines of British Columbia for the past 30 years and has written 10 books on the wines of Canada and BC. He has judged at major competitions and is currently a panel member for the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards of Excellence in Wine. Both as a judge and as a wine critic, he approaches each wine not to find fault, but to find excellence. That he now finds the latter more often than the former testifies to the dramatic improvement shown by BC winemaking in the past decade.