Robert's Report

with Barbara Bell

Township 7

21152 16th Avenue
Langley, BC

It was a very warm summer afternoon when Barbara and I drove through the countryside to visit Langley's Township 7. There are two locations, the original here in the Fraser Valley, and another in the Naramata Bench. The recently renovated Langley location is already a bit too small for it's ever increasing popularity.

Just look through the glass at the cases of wine piled towards the ceiling waiting for delivery to their wine club members and local restaurants. Greater Vancouver obviously loves Township 7 wines! But no worries, the main tasting room has plenty of wine and staff providing excellent hospitality under the guidance of winery Manager Jason Ocenas.

Jason -Township 7 Manager

A hometown boy, Jason began working in the hospitality industry at the young age of 15 while attending Langley Secondary. After a couple of adventurous stints owning coffee shops in Vancouver and Whistler, Jason returned to the restaurant business as Manager of Macaroni Grill and then General Manager at the Boathouse Restaurant. Barbara and I always look forward to the warm welcome we receive, this visit was to taste the new 2016 releases; we were not disappointed! Apologies for Barbara's water bottle hogging the photo but Jason's natural exuberance is not to be missed.

Along with visiting the winery to enjoy their fine wines you may want to take in one of their popular events. Township 7 offers a number of events throughout the summer months, for example, Bard On The Bench puts on a play at both locations. On Sunday, Aug 27 the local BC Osteoporosis Group will host a silent auction and "Fun" raiser at the Langley location, with taste testing and more! Please check their website for more information.

Jason started us with the 2016 Muscat. It has a distinctive and aromatic aroma. Nice array of flavours with a refreshing crisp finish. We were quite impressed!

Next came the 2016 Gewürztraminer with grapes sourced from the Loveridge Vineyard on the Naramata Bench. This Gewürztraminer is crafted in a classic Alsatian style with very nice aromas of lychee, tangerine and apricot. The palate plays on the tongue with notes of peach, grapefruit and pineapple.

The Pinot Gris was also good, hints of pear and touches of spice produced a refreshing patio wine. Perhaps the best of the best was the 2016 Viognier with flavours of peach and honeysuckle. It left you wanting more!

Now for the blends:

The 7 Blanc was very good, a sweeter wine featuring Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris with floral and citrus aromas. Followed by flavours of apricot apple and mineral hints.

Next came the Chardonnays

2016 Unoaked Chardonnay, dry with notes of green apple and a nice mineral finish.

2016 Chardonnay 50% stainless steel, 50% oak barriques for 6 months. Nice rich mouthful, soft smoothness, some caramel and butter notes. We are not Chardonnay fanciers but with results such as we tasted we could be.

Another impressive wine was the Rosé 2016. This one impressed Barbara who envisioned it with a pulled pork dish she makes. The wine is crafted primarily from estate grown Merlot grapes This vintage displays favours of fresh strawberry and plum.

Now it was time for bringing out the Reds, my wife's preference. Once again, Winemaker Mary McDermott's talent was displayed with her very impressive wines. The 2015 Merlot caught Barbara's attention, she is the Merlot expert in our house. Great aromas with a lingering after flavour.

2015 Cabernet Sauvignon was also an attention getter. So much so that Barbara chose to purchase a bottle instead of her usual Merlot. This may be a sign of more CabSauv than Merlot in our wine rack. A nice cherry aroma, sweetness on the palate with cherry, vanilla and caramel favours.

Marisol, a wonderful blend to finish off a perfect afternoon of wine tasting with Jason as our host.

A truly amazing cellar of wines, congratulations to Mary McDermott and the entire team at Township7. Mary's wine philosophy: "Each bottle should take you somewhere, and express where it came from." When you visit tell them Wines of Canada sent you :)

Fraser Valley Wineries
Robert's Selections