Glenterra Vineyard

Tiny Glenterra Vineyards, located in the Cowichan Valley near Cobble Hill, is a gem among Vancouver Island wineries, with a growing list of awards to boast about. The grape growing and winemaking is handled by Glasgow-born John Kelly, who formerly ran a successful but boring business manufacturing highway signs until he was overcome by the passion for wine. In 1998 Kelly and his partner, Ruth Luxton, a chef, bought a Cobble Hill property that only had an acre of experimental grapes. Short on capital, they opened the winery two years later by converting a garage and, as wine sales generated cash, planted another 4.5 acres of vines over the next few years. Taking things one step at a time has worked: this fall, Kelly will crush his grapes in a brand new winery.

Estate-grown Pinot Gris has emerged as one of Kelly’s flagship white wines. There is never much of it: he has 1,300 Pinot Gris vines, just enough to make about 100 cases a year.

For this vintage, Kelly used only free-run juice (the press wine is blended into a tasty white called Vivace, along with an eclectic mix of varieties from the experimental plot). Kelly aged the Pinot Gris for six months in three-year-old French oak barrels. Consequently, the note of oak in this wine is subtle, showcasing the clean aromas and flavours of the variety. The flavours are a blend of white peach and citrus, with minerality and acidity combining to give the wine a crisp, dry finish. 90 points.

Reviewed September 20, 2006 by John Schreiner.