2017 grapes arrive Thursday September 14th 2017 – and the fun begins! Yes, it’s that time of year when the grapes start rolling in and the anticipation of perhaps another memorable year awaits the winemakers. Our friends from Victoria join us at the Cavallotti Lodge for an 8:30am start on the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Crush.
Over the course of the next month, five white grape varietals and six reds will leave their vines in the Okanagan and California and arrive in the Cavalotti Lodge, Nanaimo. Of course, we have no control over when they will arrive – mother nature determines that event.
So, we await the email notification from our Presidenty and remind our loved ones, friends, colleagues etc. that we may take off at short notice and return exhausted but full of anticipation of the wines……… that may evolve over the next 5 years!
It is a young man’s hobby, foolishly carried out by many seniors or their like, who are never quite sure, during the grape crush, whether they will live to enjoy the fruits of their labour!
Some statistics to appreciate the work of these vintners:
- Nanaimo Winemakers average volume of grapes received each fall: 35,000lbs.
- Average cost: whites $1.70/lb, reds $2.05/lb
- Average litres of wine per 100lbs of grape: 21L
- Average number of litres of wine in total: 7350L
- Average number of 750ml bottles: 9800
- Average grape cost per bottle: $7 plus or minus
- Average retail value per bottle: priceless!
Please drink responsibly.
Here is a list of wineries visited by the Nanaimo Winemakers Grape Team in 2017 and their impressions:
| Winery | Grape Team Experience Ranking1 | Wine Purchased | Cost | Grapes in Purchased Wines |
| Clos du Soleil Winery (Similkameen) | ***** | Clos du Soleil Signature 2013 | $40.50 | (Merlot 51%, Cab Sauv 34%, Cab Franc 11%, PV 2%, Malbec 2% |
| Orofino Winery (Similkameen) | ***** | Orofino Red Bridge Red 20143 | $22.50 | Merlot 70%, Syrah 20%, Cab auv 5%, PV 5% |
| Corcelettes Winery (Similkameen) | ***** | Corcelettes Menhir | $28.81 | Cab Sauv 60%, Syrah 40% |
| Red Robin Winery (Similkameen) | ** | Gamay | Don liked the Gamay; other wines not so good | |
| La Stella Winery (Osoyoos) | **** | La Stella Maestoso 2014 | $93.94 | Merlot |
| Le Vieux Pin Winery (Oliver) | **** | Le Vieux Pin Equinox Syrah 20132 | $92.09 | Syrah, Suncrest + Osoyoos |
| Church and State Winery (Oliver) | **** | Church and State Malbec 20142 | $28.00 | Malbec |
| Burrowing Owl Winery (Oliver) | *** | Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc 20142 | 29.72 | Cab Franc |
| Fairview Cellars (Oliver) | **** | The Bear and Mad Cap | The Bear is a Meritage, Madcap is Merlot dominant | |
| Quinta Ferreira Winery (Oliver) | ** | Obra Prima | $31.51 | 30% Merlot, 30% Cab Sauv, 23% Cab Franc, 15% Malbec, 2% PV |
| Notes: | ||||
| 1 Grape team ranking (out of 5 stars) based on quality of wines and our overall experience in the tasting room. | ||||
| 2 Wines tasted at the June 6 general meeting | ||||
| 3 Raffle wine at the June 6 general meeting | ||||