It was a fine sunny spring day when we dropped in on the Little Straw Vineyards for an ad hoc wine tasting. The family-owned winery was established in 1996. The former winemaker, Peter Slamka, is known for his exceptional Pinot Noirs and for producing the only Auxerrois Icewine in Canada. The winery produces about 4,000 cases annually.
The Vineyard
The Little Straw Vineyard in West Kelowna is on the lower slopes of Mt Boucherie with an incredible view of the Lake Okanagan. The 12-acre vineyard contains around 13 different varietals. The dominant grapes are Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch and Auxerrois.
Auxerrois is a white wine grape that is important in Alsace and is also grown in Germany and Luxembourg. It is a full sibling of Chardonnay that is often blended with the similar Pinot blanc.<1>. The typical flavours include Apple, White flowers, Peach, Apricot, Lemon, Pear, Almond, White pepper and Nettle.
The Winemaker
In the fall of 2018, Little Straw hired a new winemaker to take over the reins from Pete Slamka, who decided to step back from his previous role in the family winery.
Barb Hall has a wide range of experience in the BC wine industry. A total of 16 years in various roles, including vineyard management, sales, and eight harvests as a winemaker.
She obtained her B.Sc. in Biochemistry from UBC Okanagan with the intention of becoming a winemaker. An Irving K. Barber research scholarship and a scholarship from Les Dames d’Escoffiers provided training opportunities in the industry before she had even graduated.
Barb’s winemaking philosophy is “… wine is grown, and the great wines connect us to the land and season. In its essence, wine is a moment in time captured that we are able to share with friends and family. Just like us though, the wine evolves as it ages, and it is how that moment turns into a story that is the most fascinating thing to me as a winemaker.”
The Wines
Tastings are $7.00 per person, but the fee is waived with a one-bottle purchase.
Little Straw Vineyards Tapestry 2019 ($16.00)
This vintage of the signature blend is 50% Auxerrois, 14% Siegerrebe, 23% Riesling, 10% Schönburger, and 3% Gewurztraminer, opens with a clean, fresh nose of white floral aromas. The palate is round and balanced with flavours of stone fruits, apples, and citrus that lead to a juicy finish. Tapestry is a versatile white wine that can be enjoyed on its own or paired with a variety of cuisines. A good value white wine.
Little Straw Vineyards Rosé 2020 ($17.43)
The 2020 Rosé is a blend of 31% Pinot Noir, 31% Lemberger, 22% Pinot Auxerrois , 8% Merlot and 8% Viognier. Fresh strawberries and raspberries are topped with cream on the nose of the 2020 Rosé. More of a focus on the Pinot varietals for this vintage, flavours of plenty of watermelon, citrus and cranberry are abundant on the palate and carry through in the finish.
This was my favourite of the wines I sampled.
Little Straw Vineyards Auxerrois Viognier Frizzante 2020 ($21.78)
The blend of the 2020 Frizzante is 73% Old Vines Auxerrois and 27% Viognier. The 52-year-old vines of Pinot Auxerrois provide a honeyed citrus aroma of oranges and lime on the nose. The bubbles impart a creamy texture to the wine with flavours of candied pineapple, banana from the Viognier shining through on the palate. The citrus flavours continue leading to a finish of an orange twist.
For the complete portfolio of Little Straw Vineyards BC wines please visit the winery website.
Reference
- Auxerrois blanc – Wikipedia.
Note: The original 2019 article was updated with the current wine releases.