Robert's Report

Photos by Karen Sobiecki

 

Tucked away on a quiet road in Langley is Neck of the Woods Winery (3033-232 Street)which is home also to Backyard Vineyards. Opened in October 2009 the winery can produce up to 20,000 cases and has a 1200 square foot tasting room. As we entered we were immediately greeted with a hello and smile from the winery manager Tara McNeil.

We began our tour in the vineyards Neck of the Woods wines are crafted from all British Columbia grapes; some come from the Okanagan, but most of the grapes are grown right here in our Fraser Valley. The climate here is similar to that of our cool climate grape-growing friends in Northern France and Germany. The grapes seem to like it, especially the white varietals

You can just see the start of the new buds on the vine in this photo I took, it will be nice to return to the winery and watch the vines progress. Estate grown; Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Chardonnay

We visited the winery's processing facilities. This is where it all happens from pressing the grapes to final bottling

It was bottling day at the winery we were fortunate enough to watch them expell the gases from their new sparkling wine Blanc de Noir Brut made from 100% Fraser Valley-grown Pinot Noir. A Silver Medal Award Winner at the 2011 Northwest Wine Summit.

There is a knack to bottling sparkling wine. We witnessed one of the the bottles exploding,
a champagne shower occured

My favourite part of any winery is the tasting room. You can enjoy tasting from Neck of the Woods and Backyard Vineyards; special events are also held here. Under the direction of Tara the winery is fairly creative in what they offer. They work closely with Culinary Touch Catering, who can help plan the event and work within your budget.

Tara guided us through our tasting we sat a table almost surround by wine bottles, we had a great time. First up was the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Winner of the 2011 Judges Choice Award at the Wine Access International Value Awards. It was a smooth light crisp taste most refreshing, featuring a touch of green apple.

Our tasting continued with 2010 Nosy Neighbour. It was sweet but very refreshing, a good summer wine with hints of apple and grapefruit; a blend of Fraser Valley and Okanagan grapes.
Next came the Gewürztraminer BC VQA a gold medal winner at the Northwest Wine Summit. Hints of spice and honeysuckle combine to make this a very nice wine. Its subtle sweetness that spreads over the tongue makes this a perfect sunny afternoon on the deck wine.

Then it was on to the reds. Starting with the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon a bold red with hints of spice. A dry elegant wine a good long finish. It was followed by the Meritage an increasingly popular wine that BC winemakers are gaining a reputation for.

The 2010 Syrah was their best red a Petite Syrah with a big taste. Excellent colour fruits and vanilla dance on the tongue bursting into a strong finish a good one to puchase. See Roberts Selections

Backyard Vineyards is excited to have Tom DiBello as their consulting winemaker for Neck of the Woods and Backyard Vineyards wines. Mark Wendenburg has also joined the winemaking team and will spear the sparkling program Mark Wendenburg is a household name in the Canadian wine making industry for his winemaking role with Sumac Estate Winery for nearly two decades. David Chaisson is the assistant winemaker who works with the wines in the cellar on a daily basis. David brings a host of experience working in several Okanagan wineries and has been a key member of the winemaking team since 2010. David is known for his exceptional pallet and passion for wine

 

Blackwood Lane ~ Domaine De Chaberton ~ Roberts Selections

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