The Chase Wines was Lake Country’s latest food and wine destination for us to experience. The winery is located on a picturesque property with panoramic views of the surrounding orchards, vineyards, rolling mountains and Lake Okanagan.
We were instantly impressed walking into the winery! Classic truck, impressive wine display and barrel room, so you think are the wines going to be “top shelf“ too?
Bottom line, we were not disappointed.
You can read about Edmonton businessman Dennis O’Rourke and The Chase Wines saga in John Schreiner’s earlier blog – Class of 2017: The Chase Wines.
The roughly 100-acre estate vineyards produce Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Rosé, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Talented winemaker Adrian Baker strives to produce complex, bright and exciting wines from these grapes.
The Winemaker
Adrian Baker was born in Wellington, NZ. He studied winemaking at the University of Adelaide in South Australia. He spent two years as assistant winemaker at Lawson’s Dry Hills Wines in Marlborough. In 2001, he joined Craggy Range Winery and in 2004 he became the Senior Winemaker making Pinot Noir, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc.
In 2011 he came to BC to work as the winemaker at 50th Parallel and two years later joined The Chase Wines.
The Wines
The Chase Riesling 2017 – A really special Trocken style Riesling. If you love green apples this is the wine for you! On the nose citrus and green apples. Flavours of lime, green apple with minerality and a hint of white pepper.
For other excellent BC Rieslings see this post – BC Rieslings that beat the Summer Heat
The Chase Pinot Gris 2016 Twenty percent of the wine was barrel fermented to add texture. The fruit forward wine is crisp and refreshing with aromas and flavours of pears, red apples, apricot and ripe peach. There is a hint of anise on the crisp dry finish.
The Chase Gewürztraminer 2016 You are greeted with a fabulous rose petal bouquet. The palate is rich with tropical fruit – mangos, lychees and grapefruit with a touch of sweetness.
The Chase Chardonnay 2015 The estate grown Chardonnay comes from the Carrs Landing vineyard. Aged 15 months in French oak barrels. Aromas of ripe peach and nectarines with spice and citrus notes. The palate is medium bodied, not overpowered by the oak ageing. A fine chalky texture to the finish with well-balanced acid.
The Garden Bistro
The combination of high-quality wines paired with Chef Alex Lavroff’s delicious cuisine makes the Garden Bistro a great value dining experience. We selected the $40 special of a bottle of wine and a pizza. Having enjoyed the Riesling tasting so much that we ventured to try it with the Elk Goteborg Pizza which also included toppings of crushed tomatoes, whipped ricotta and red onion.
For the full Bistro menu please visit The Chase Website.