British Columbia may be a relatively small wine-producing region, but few places pack quite as much climatic diversity into such a compact geography. That becomes particularly apparent when comparing two varieties that thrive under very different conditions: Pinot Noir and Syrah.
Pinot Noir generally finds its sweet spot in BC’s cooler regions, where long growing seasons help preserve acidity and develop delicate red-fruit and savoury flavours. Syrah, by contrast, reaches its greatest expression in warmer vineyards, particularly through the South Okanagan and Similkameen Valley, where sufficient heat allows the grape to develop its characteristic dark fruit, pepper, spice and structure.
These six wines provide a fascinating journey through that diversity. We begin on Vancouver Island with two cool-climate Pinot Noirs before moving into the warmer Okanagan Valley. Then we switch varieties entirely, following Syrah from the Similkameen and Okanagan Falls south to the warm vineyards around Osoyoos.
Inspired by the 2026 National Wine Awards
The idea for this tasting began with the 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada, where British Columbia once again demonstrated the remarkable breadth of its wine industry.
Wine Growers British Columbia subsequently provided four medal-winning wines for this article — Beaufort Organic Pinot Noir 2024, Stoneboat Reserve Pinot Noir 2023, Mt. Boucherie Reserve Syrah 2022 and Moon Curser Syrah 2022 — to explore how Pinot Noir and Syrah express themselves across BC’s dramatically different growing regions.
Syrah was particularly impressive at the Nationals. Fifty wines from BC and Ontario were entered, producing two Platinum, 10 Gold, 21 Silver and seven Bronze medals, with British Columbia capturing the majority. The Mt. Boucherie Reserve Syrah 2022 and Moon Curser Syrah 2022 both earned Silver, while the Beaufort Organic Pinot Noir 2024 earned Bronze.
I added the previously tasted Blue Grouse Pinot Noir 2023 and Vasanti Syrah 2022 to broaden the comparison and provide two additional benchmarks.
2026 National Wine Awards results
Beaufort Organic Pinot Noir 2024 ($35.90)
Comox Valley | Vancouver Island
The first stop is one of BC’s coolest wine-growing regions.
Beaufort Winery’s estate vineyard near Courtenay sits well north of the Cowichan Valley and benefits from the moderating influence of the nearby Strait of Georgia. Pinot Noir is particularly well suited to these cooler conditions.
The 2024 vintage is also an interesting one. While the devastating January cold event virtually eliminated the grape crop throughout much of the Okanagan Valley, Vancouver Island escaped the worst of the damage. Nevertheless, 2024 remained a challenging growing season on the Island, making wines such as this particularly interesting snapshots of the vintage.
Only four barrels of this estate Pinot Noir were produced. The grapes were harvested October 12, left on their skins for 26 days and then matured for 13 months in French oak, 30% new. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
At just 11.5% alcohol, it is a true cool-climate expression of Pinot Noir.
Tasting Notes
Bright, youthful and tightly wound, with vibrant acidity driving the wine. Red cherry, raspberry and cranberry lead the way, accompanied by subtle wild herbs and earthy forest-floor notes.
The palate is lean and precise, with fine tannins and a lingering mineral character. This is a young Pinot Noir with plenty of energy that should become more expressive as it settles in the bottle.
The vibrant acidity also made it an excellent partner for an Indonesian-style cod dish, where the wine’s freshness cut beautifully through the richness and spice of the food.
89 Points
Blue Grouse Pinot Noir 2023 ($39.99)
Cowichan Valley | Vancouver Island
Moving south on Vancouver Island brings us to the Cowichan Valley and a significantly richer expression of Island Pinot Noir.
The Blue Grouse Pinot Noir is made from 100% Pinot Noir sourced from the Blue Grouse Estate and selected Cowichan Valley growers.
The fruit was fermented in a combination of amphorae and stainless steel, followed by 18 months in new and neutral French oak barrels and puncheons.
Alcohol: 11.5% | pH: 3.74 | TA: 5.3 g/L | RS: 0.4 g/L
Tasting Notes
A classic Island Pinot Noir with a transparent ruby colour, medium body and bright acidity.
The wine opens with vibrant aromas of red cherry, rose petals and baking spices. The palate brings sour cherry, raspberry and pomegranate, accompanied by an intriguing touch of earthy forest floor.
Fine, beautifully integrated tannins provide structure without overwhelming the delicate fruit, carrying everything into a captivating, persistent finish.
93 Points
This remains one of the most impressive examples I’ve tasted of what Pinot Noir can achieve in the Cowichan Valley.
Stoneboat Reserve Pinot Noir 2023 ($32.90)
Okanagan Valley
Our Pinot Noir journey now moves from Vancouver Island to the warmer Okanagan Valley.
Stoneboat’s vineyards sit on the Black Sage Gravel Bar, a distinctive but unofficial micro-terroir within the broader Black Sage Bench. Its gravelly soils and warm South Okanagan growing conditions provide a dramatically different environment from the maritime vineyards of Vancouver Island.
The 2023 Reserve Pinot Noir is predominantly clone 667 and was matured for approximately 18 months in French oak, 50% new.
It’s a more robust interpretation of Pinot Noir than the two Island wines, demonstrating just how significantly location can influence the variety.
Tasting Notes
Violet aromas mingle with bright red cherry and raspberry, followed by cranberry, subtle spice and intriguing forest-floor and earthy mushroom notes.
Fresh acidity keeps everything lively, while the soft tannins and juicy red fruit give the wine an elegant, approachable texture.
Paired with BBQ ribs, the fresh fruit and acidity balanced the smoky, sweet richness of the ribs beautifully.
Elegant, savoury and distinctly Pinot — and proof that Pinot Noir can be terrific with BBQ.
91 Points
Turning Up the Heat: Three BC Syrahs
Moving from Pinot Noir to Syrah takes us into an entirely different world.
Syrah needs considerably more warmth to ripen successfully, which helps explain why some of BC’s finest examples come from the Similkameen Valley and South Okanagan.
The fruit becomes darker, the wines fuller and pepper and savoury spice increasingly important.
The three Syrahs proved particularly revealing. Although all come from the excellent 2022 vintage, they couldn’t be more different stylistically. The Mt. Boucherie leans toward a Northern Rhône expression, while the Moon Curser moves toward a richer Australian Shiraz style. Vasanti takes the ripe, powerful approach even further with 24 months in 100% new American oak.
Mt. Boucherie Reserve Syrah 2022 ($44.99)
Similkameen Valley | Golden Mile Bench | Okanagan Falls
Mt. Boucherie’s Reserve Syrah offers an intriguing introduction to the variety.
The fruit was sourced from Lazy River Vineyard in the Similkameen Valley, South Rock Vineyard on the Golden Mile Bench and Lost Horn Vineyard in Okanagan Falls.
The wine spent 15 months in French and Hungarian oak, approximately 20% new.
Variety: 100% Syrah | Alcohol: 13.1% | RS: 2.1 g/L | TA: 6.8 g/L | pH: 3.23
Those numbers tell an interesting story. At only 13.1% alcohol, with a low pH and relatively high acidity, this is a particularly fresh and restrained expression of BC Syrah.
Tasting Notes
Bright red cherry, raspberry and rhubarb lead the way, joined by violet, white pepper and savoury spice.
The palate is youthful and energetic, with lively acidity giving the red fruit a fresh, slightly tart edge. Fine tannins and subtle spice carry through the finish.
This is very much the Northern Rhône end of the BC Syrah spectrum — restrained, fresh and still tightly wound. It should benefit from additional bottle age.
92 Points
Moon Curser Syrah 2022 ($34.99)
Osoyoos | $34.99
Now we arrive in Osoyoos, where Syrah has established itself as one of the South Okanagan’s signature red varieties.
Moon Curser sourced this wine from four vineyard sites around Osoyoos, including vineyards on both the East and West benches. The grapes were harvested unusually late, between October 24 and November 2, at an average 23° Brix.
The wine was fermented at approximately 25°C with gentle pumpovers three times daily before undergoing an extended 24 months in French and Hungarian oak barriques, 28% new.
Variety: 100% Syrah | Alcohol: 14.0% | pH: 3.84 | TA: 5.4 g/L | RS: 2.2 g/L | Production: 883 cases
The extended élevage produces a noticeably richer and rounder style than the Mt. Boucherie.
Tasting Notes
A rich, polished Syrah showing layers of blackberry, blueberry and fig, complemented by violet, licorice, cocoa and baking spice.
Savoury notes of graphite, leather and white pepper add complexity and carry through the long, toasted finish. Despite the wine’s depth and 14% alcohol, sufficient freshness keeps everything nicely balanced.
Tasted alongside the Mt. Boucherie, the stylistic difference was striking. The Moon Curser is darker, broader and more polished, moving closer to an Australian Shiraz expression while retaining the peppery, savoury character of Okanagan Syrah.
We paired the Syrah with a Tomahawk prime rib, and it was difficult to imagine a better combination. The dark fruit, peppery spice, graphite and savoury character were right at home beside the juicy beef and deeply seared crust.
93 Points
At $34.99, the Moon Curser also represents excellent value, delivering impressive depth, complexity and polish for the price.
Vasanti Syrah 2022 (Club Members Only)
East Bench Vineyard | Okanagan Valley
The final wine takes the Syrah journey another step toward richness.
Vasanti’s 2022 Syrah was sourced from East Bench Vineyard and aged for an extended 24 months in 100% new American oak.
It’s an unusually ambitious oak regime, but the ripe South Okanagan fruit has sufficient concentration to carry it.
Alcohol: 14.5% | TA: 6.5 g/L | RS: 0.04 g/L | Production: Just 88 cases
Tasting Notes
A captivating Syrah that opens with a swirl of violets, exotic spice, black cherry and ripe plum.
The palate is bold and fruit-forward, layering black plum, blackberry and black cherry with hints of caramel, licorice and cracked pepper.
Despite the substantial new American oak, the wine remains well balanced. Silky tannins glide into a long, powerful finish with lingering savoury depth.
This is a substantial Syrah that is drinking beautifully but has the structure and fruit concentration to continue evolving in the cellar.
93 Points
The Blue Grouse Pinot Noir 2023 and Vasanti Syrah 2022 were tasted earlier this year.
Six Wines, Two Grapes and a Remarkable Range of Terroir
Tasting these six wines illustrates just how difficult it is to define a single “BC wine style.”
The two Vancouver Island Pinot Noirs operate at only 11.5% alcohol, emphasizing acidity, red fruit, earthiness and finesse. Moving into the Okanagan brings greater Pinot Noir weight and ripeness.
Then Syrah changes the conversation completely.
Perhaps the most interesting lesson from these six wines is that there really isn’t a single BC style. Blue Grouse and Stoneboat show how dramatically Pinot Noir changes between the maritime Cowichan Valley and the warmer Okanagan, while the three Syrahs range from the fresh, red-fruited, Northern Rhône character of Mt. Boucherie to the darker, richer style of Moon Curser and Vasanti.
The Mt. Boucherie emphasizes freshness and restraint at just 13.1% alcohol. Moving south to Osoyoos, the Moon Curser becomes darker, broader and more savoury. Finally, Vasanti pushes the style further with ripe fruit, 14.5% alcohol and two years in new American oak.
From the cool vineyards of Vancouver Island to the sun-baked benches around Osoyoos, BC’s diversity isn’t simply geographic; you can taste it in the glass.