Averill Creek Vineyard Tasting

We are truly spoiled on vancouver Island with great food, distilleries, breweries and of course vineyards. Let me take you through my tasting at Averill Creek Vineyard the largest vineyard on the Island at this time in a stunning setting with a brilliant design and 32 acres of vines. This vineyard is made up of three building stacked together built into the side of Mt. Provost. This design results in the ability to use the gravity flow method meaning that wines arrive in the barrel room never having been pumped, perfect for the Pinot Noir heartbreak grape.  I arrived when Andy the owner and winemaker stopped in resulting in me having two collector bottles of signed pinot noir.

They offer a complimentary tasting at this winery, however for a small fee you have the opportunity to do a vertical tastings that you should not miss. A vertical tasting is sampling the same varietal but different vintages side by side. I chose this tasting which resulted in me taking home the two pinot noir I sampled side by side.

It is rare to sample a wine that even the following week you remember the aromas and the flavours as as clearly as the day you tasted it, that is why my top pick from this vineyard was the 2014 Somenos Pinot Noir. On the nose aromas of leather, black cherry and caramel, in the glass black cherry, plum, a hint of cassis and tobacco, with a long lingering finish. This wine has depth and will only get better with age.

Not to be left out is the 2013 Pinot Noir from a vineyard that is extracting richer denser flavours than most for this varietal. On the nose it is Violets, dark berries and butterscotch, in the glass it is a smooth mouthful of dark cherry, plum and a hint of spice. I look forward to pairing this with salmon pin wheels and a pinot noir reduction sauce. This means I will have to be back for two more bottles.

The other vertical tasting was two Marechal Foch blends. The Foch Cab 2013 is a lovely blend of Marechal Foch, Cab Foch, Cab Libre and Merlot with appealing notes of cassis and espresso on the nose. In the glass flavours of blackberry, peppery spice and rich dark chocolate finish.

The wine sampled vertically with this was the Foch Cab Reserve 2009 a perfect blend of Marechal Foch and Foch/Cabernet Sauvignon. On the nose is cassis, chocolate and an earthy note. In the glass it is a rich mouthful of dark berries and white pepper with a spicy finish. This wine would be perfect on a wintery night with a rich stew to warm you up.

This vineyard is the perfect place to host your special function or to take a leisurely afternoon picnic while enjoying one of the lovely wines on offer.

For the location, directions, and hours of operation please click the following link

http://www.averillcreek.ca