Two Wineries in the Creston Valley are Creating an Emerging Wine Region
British Columbia’s latest emerging wine region is in the scenic Creston Valley surrounded by the Kootenay Rockies. The unique microclimate is perfect for cool climate wines. Two area wineries are located right next to each other, the Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery and the Skimmerhorn Estate Winery They both offer distinct venues to try the wines that are starting to become known outside of this region.
Skimmerhorn Estate Winery
My first stop was the Skimmerhorn Estate Winery. It is named after the Skimmerhorn mountain range and the grapes are grown on the benchlands of the estate. Benchlands was a new word for me and is the flat stretch of ground below mountains. The combination of the distinctive terroir and micro-climate of the area helps to create exceptional wines.
I couldn’t wait to taste the wines at Skimmerhorn because they grow varietals I had not tasted before. Marechal Foch is a grape with a pigmented red flesh which produces a rich brown-red wine best paired with hearty beef dishes. You can try it as a single varietal wine or in their Devil’s Chair. I love a great blend and feel it really highlights the winemaker’s talents. Devil’s Chair is a blend of Pinor Noir and Marechal Foch varietals and is a fruit forward red. Pretty tasty.
On the white side, I tried Ortega which was described to me as summer in a bottle. It was a light almost clear fruity wine that is perfect for a summer day. Kootenay Crush is a white blend with Ortega, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris. I like how the Pinot Gris balances the flavors so it is not too sweet.
Plan to have lunch at the Bistro. This truly is a farm to table experience as you probably drove past many of the local suppliers featured on the menu. The menu changes frequently and reflects what is in season locally. Everything is served family style with the intent of sharing the dishes with your group so you can try a wider variety of the menu. Local suppliers include: Cartwheel Farms, Cookville Community Gardens, Famous Fritz, Faraman Farms, Kootenay Meadows, Egg Patch, Swan Valley Honey, Treasure Life Flour Mills, Lark Coffee Roasters, Kootenay Natural Meats, Yaqan Nukiy Farms, Wloka Farms, and Brittany’s Flower Farm.
Baille-Grohman Estate Winery
After lunch head over to the Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery. This is such a beautiful tasting room. It is bright and airy with great views of the Skimmerhorn range and it has an Instagram worthy stone archway that leads to the vineyards. The name comes from William Baille-Grohman, one of the regions pioneers. The name makes sense as the owners are “pioneers” in an emerging wine-growing area.
Baillie-Grohman wines are produced in small lots to make a super premium wine. They do everything by hand and the grapes are thinned to produce a low yield which increases the quality and concentrated flavors of the fruit. Their most popular wine is Recolte Blanche which is French for Harvest White. It is a blend of Pinot Gris, Schoenburger (new to me), Kerner (also first time trying) and Gewurztraminer. I can see why it is so popular. Even red drinkers like myself enjoy it.
Another wine worth trying it the Blanc de Noirs Rose which is 100% Pinot Noir. Made with grapes from their premium Pinot Noir blocks and harvested at two different times giving this wine an exceptional flavor.
I love smaller up and coming wine regions. Unlike visiting the large wineries say in Napa, smaller wineries offer a much more authentic experience. Oftentimes, you may have the opportunity to meet the winemaker who is often tasting room host and farmer as well. Hearing from someone so passionate about what they do is a priceless experience. I also exclusively purchase my wine from small wineries because I love seeing where it came from and learning about the winemaker. You also know exactly where your wine has been and how it was stored. The best bonus of all is you get to support a small, local business where all the profit remains in the neighboring community.
Press Trip: Thank you to Kootenay Rockies Tourism and Discover Creston Valley B.C. for setting up this trip for me.
You had me by the title of the story! 😀
I dont think I have ever been to a winery like that before, and I have been to quite a few 😀 It looks beautiful!
The cycle of wine making is so intrinsicly tied to the seasons, that it’s good to hear that they also keep their menu seasonal too. I see more and more of this relying of local seasonal produce rather than shipping in other produce from other areas, it makes sense for the environment.
Really enjoy visiting wineries. The scenery is always stunning and I’m becoming a bit of a wine snob in my old age. I do love the smaller wineries, like you say, they offer a far more authentic experience.
Wine tasting and farm-to-table dining! What a wonderful combination. Wine country terrain is always so beautiful too. Thanks for sharing about these places.
I really need to get to a winery or two! I love sweet white wines though which aren’t always as popular. Still I would love to go visit one.
I do love to visit a wine estate wherever I travel and this one looks great! It is nice to support smaller vineyards and discover their stories. You also seem to get a more personalised tour of the areas.
I have been to a few wineries and I too prefer smaller wineries. Devil’s chair seems to be the blend I will enjoy! That picture of the Instagram worthy arch leading to the vineyards caught my eye and is well-composed. Thanks for this enjoyable winery tour!
I like visiting wineries. The last one I saw was St Emilion in Southwest France. Not only does the wine taste really good, the vineyards are also so pleasing to the eye. So my perfect visit would be a hike across the vineyards and then a couple of sips of the products 😉