The food and drink industry is nothing new to the Riga’s. They opened The Port Bistro-Pub in Matt’s hometown of Trenton in the summer of 2011. The restaurant quickly became popular with both locals and tourists. Having always enjoyed a nice glass of wine, the two regularly made day trips to the Prince Edward County region on their days off. The more they observed and helped in the wineries and vineyards the more they began to dream of one day owning their own winery, tending to their own grapes, and making their own wine. After three years of restaurant life, the pair decided it was time to make a change.
Longing to return to Vancouver Island and wanting to start a family, Matt and Natalie Riga sold their restaurant and purchased Chateau Wolff Estate in January 2014. Moving to Nanaimo in August of 2014 after the birth of their daughter Siena, they hit the ground running for the harvest that year. Luckily their time spent in Prince Edward County brought about a connection with their winemaker Mackenzie Brisbois.
Mackenzie is a graduate of the University of Guelph and Niagara College who has worked with Pinot Noir in South Africa, New Zealand and Ontario. She had been an assistant winemaker at Norman Hardy Winery, Matt and Natalie’s favourite Prince Edward County winery. Mackenzie saw the couple through their first year, teaching them the ins and outs of vineyard management and winemaking. 2015 saw the couple’s first harvest as a husband and wife team and they are excited for what is to come.
Vineyard
Chateau Wolff Estate Winery and Vineyard is located on Maxey Road in the Jingle Pot area of Nanaimo. The five-acre organic vineyard boasts some of the oldest vines on Vancouver Island. Planted by Harry Von Wolff in the early nineties, Chateau Wolff grows predominantly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. About 70 % of the estate’s vines
Winery
The boutique winery produces Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, a White Blend and a fortified red called Rouge. The winemaking approach is focused on growing high-quality grapes that speak for themselves. Minimalist intervention and traditional old-world methods see it through to bottle. The 2014 vintage was about 300 cases and is sold out. In 2015, they raised production to about 550 cases.
The Wines
Chateau Wolff Estate Viognier blend 2019
An aromatic blend of Viognier, Bacchus and Siegerrebe grapes. Dry with notes of white peach, melon and grapefruit. Wonderful on its own or pairs well with Asian and Curry dishes. 11% alcohol. 110 cases produced.
Chateau Wolff Estate Pinot Noir2018
Light and elegant with notes of strawberry and raspberry. Aged in French oak for 9 months. 100% estate grown. 11% alcohol. 110 cases produced
Chateau Wolff Estate Cabernet Franc 2018
Chateau Wolff’s first vintage of Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels for twelve months, this medium-bodied red is a crowd-pleaser.
Chateau Wolff Estate Syrah 2017 <Sold Out>
Notes of plum, blueberry, blackberry, tobacco and spice. Aged for twelve months in French oak. Unfined, unfiltered and 100% malolactic fermentation. 13.5% alcohol. 125 cases produced. Grapes are sourced from Naramata, Okanagan Valley BC. Food pairings: grilled steak, burgers or roasted lamb.
Chateau Wolff Estate 2016 Rouge.
Fortified wine made with estate-grown Dornfelder grapes. The 375ml bottle is perfect for sipping after a meal and pairs especially well with dark chocolate. 17% alcohol. 54 cases produced.
Future Plans
I had the opportunity to discuss their plans for the winery with Matt and Natalie back in 2016. Five years later they are still living the BC winemaker dream!
“We are just completing a major renovation to our production facility. We have also purchased the property adjacent to us for the possibility of planting new vines in the future. Other than that, we plan on focusing on perfecting the five products that we currently produce. We plan to keep Chateau Wolff as a family-run boutique winery.”
Matt and Natalie
If you are on Vancouver Island near Nanaimo, please take the opportunity to check out the BC wine at Chateau Wolff Estate.
Source: The photos and wine notes are courtesy of Chateau Wolff Estate. The original 2016 article was updated to include the current BC Wine portfolio.