Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery is located in the peaceful country setting of Mount Lehman, the gateway to Fraser Valley Wine Country. David and Allison Zimmerman are the owners of this small Estate Winery that makes Fraser Valley and Okanagan Valley excellent quality (VQA) wines.
The community of Mt. Lehman is an important farming community with strong historical roots in the Fraser Valley. Visitors can take a quaint drive on North Mt. Lehman road through historical Mt. Lehman village, pass by the vineyards.
Vineyard
The 4-acre Seaside Pearl estate vineyard has 2.5 acres of Petit Milo and half an acre of Cabernet Foch. The vines are only 9 years old and are now producing quality wines. In addition to estate grapes, Seaside Pearl sources grapes from some of the best vineyards in the Okanagan Valley. This sourcing combination allows the best of both growing regions for their wines. They are planning to eventually make wine solely from their own vineyards.
Petit Milo¹ is a white wine grape, very early ripening and a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon, Riparia and Amurensis. The grape can achieve high sugar levels and retain good acidity and rates 8 for winter hardiness.
Cabernet Foch², a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Marechal Foch, was created by famed Swiss grape breeder Valentin Blattner. Experimental plots of Cabernet Foch have been planted in Ontario and British Columbia’s Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island DVA. Initial results with the Cabernet Foch have been very promising, both in terms of winter hardiness and the organoleptic qualities of the resulting wines.
Winemakers
David Zimmerman
After spending many years in the mining business, David Zimmerman’s dream was to own a boutique estate winery. David is the winemaker at Seaside Pearl under the guidance of winemaker and consultant Mark Simpson.
David keeps a close eye on the vine, oversees our entire operation and ensures that everything comes together in a harmonious symphony. You’ll also find David educating consumers during winery and vineyard tours.
David is a firm believer that the start of every great wine begins in the vineyard and he is passionate about crafting wines that express a sense of place.
Mark Simpson
Seaside Pearl’s wines are a reflection not only of the excellent estate vineyard sites but also artisanal winemaker Mark Simpson’s journey, care and passion as an award-winning winemaker. Mark is the principal of Vancouver-based Artisan Food & Beverage Corp., a consulting company. Mark’s dedication to making premium varietal wines begins by his hand selection of the finest quality grapes, crafting them into elegant well-structured wines. His objective is to produce distinctive, cool climate wines with a vibrancy that expresses the terroir.
Fraser Valley Wines
As the wine industry continues to grow in BC, emerging wine regions are also becoming more popular travel destinations. The expansion of BC’s wine industry has led to an emerging group of regions to watch in the coming years. The lesser-known areas, such as the Fraser Valley, are just beginning to hit their stride. Located less than 100 km from downtown Vancouver, the Fraser Valley is a great place to make premium cool climate wine. Mark is a driving force behind the Fraser Valley becoming a Wine Centre of Excellence in BC.
For notes on other Fraser Valley Wineries go to this link.
Harvest 2019
In the Fraser Valley, BC Harvest 2019 was earlier than normal. There was a light frost in one of the Langley vineyards that Seaside Pearl sources grapes from but their grapes had been picked before the frost. 3,500 litres of Petit Milo was harvested from the estate vineyard. During fermentation, the Petit Milo was already exhibiting excellent tropical notes of guava and pineapple. David was happy with the 2,000 litres Cabernet Foch he sourced from the Fraser valley but the yield was down due to bird challenges!
The October frost in the Okanagan created challenges for David as it expedited the harvest and reduced the time for collection the grapes he sources from this region. This turned the harvest into an “endurance race” as David had to drive to the Okanagan with little warning to collect the Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The grapes harvested look really good with some grapes having a 27 Brix. The high Brix due to some withering on the vine.
Harvest 2020
“This year for our grapes we had a light crop for Petit Milo but with great chemistry and the fruit was in good condition. For our Cabernet Foch, it was a normal to heavy crop. We let it hang longer so there was some bird damage not very many wasps this year.”
David Zimmerman
The Wines
Seaside Pearl Charlotte Estate Petit Milo ($22)
Inspired by Mount Lehman’s rich soil and prefect daffodil growing climate, English horticulturist Fenwick Fatkin invited local growers to showcase their daffodils in an effort to “make this a second Holland,” and honour his wife Charlotte. This was the humble beginning of the famous annual Flower Show.
Charlotte Petit Milo is clean and elegant with honey and citrus notes on the palate, finishing with tropical aromas of guava and pineapple.
This is a well balanced wine that pairs perfectly with spicy foods, sushi and rich seafood.
Seaside Pearl Lover’s Lane Cabernet Franc 2018 ($31)
The grapes are sourced from the Herrera Family vineyard in Keremeos.
13.6% Alcohol. A pale garnet colour. The medium-bodied wine has aromas of black currant and ripe raspberry with a hint of smoke when first opened. Airing reveals nuances of allspice and sage. High acidity with flavours of blackberry, black cherry, ripe raspberry, black currant and dark chocolate complemented by tobacco, earthy undertones and soft smoky oak. 92 Points
A silver medal winner at the 2020 & 2021 All Canadian Wine Championships.
Please visit the winery website for their complete portfolio of BC wine.
References
- Petit Milo grape details, Vinetech Canada
- Cabernet Foch grape details, AppelationAmerican.com
- Background, photos, and BC Wine tasting notes for the Petit Milo provided by Seagate Pearl Farmgate Winery.