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Fraser Valley Winery Visit
We left from our home in Tsawwassen to the Fraser Valley our plan was to visit two wineries, Neck of the Woods in rural Langley and The Fort Wine Co in the Fort Langley area. It was a great day for a drive in the country. Neck of the Woods Winery was our first stop.
Neck of the Woods Winery
3033-232nd Street, Langley, BC
The name Neck of the Woods was chosen because "The Fraser Valley wine industry is an emerging region in metro Vancouver. We wanted to highlight to the public that there are great wineries in their Neck of the Woods. One does not have to go far to experience the wine region and have exceptional quality local wines."
Located in a rural region of Langley which is an area known worldwide for horse breeding. The winery opened shorly before the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and experienced an increase in visitors due to games. The owners are Ewen Stewart and Trent Blackwell
We were warmly greeted by Stacy (the hostess) who answered all our questions in a very professional manner The winery
grows grapes in the estate vineyard on the property as well as purchasing grapes from the Okanagan's Black Hills
One of only a few wineries to produce Zweigelt. We tasted a Merlot, Gamay Noir and a Mertiage. They also produce a Rosea blend of Scheonberger, Zweigelt and Blanc de Noir from their vineyard. Their Chardonnay is quite good fruity with aromas of butter, vanilla, and caramel. My personal choice would have to be their Backyard Vineyards Okanagan Gewürztraminer, it is characterized by tropical notes and strong hints of pineapple, very smooth. The winemaker is Ron Taylor.
The Fort Wine Co.
26151-84th Avenue, Langley, BC V1M 3M6It is a beautiful drive through country roads to the winery. We chose a road that would lead us through the town of Fort Langley; past the historical Fort and alongside the Fraser River, before arriving at the well designed and inviting winery. The winery was founded in 2001 by tugboat captain and cranberry farmer Wade Bauck.
The charming interior is full of wines, jams, jellies and tapenades. We were warmly greeted by Blodwyn who invited us to taste their fine fruit wines. The Fort produces a number of fruit wines with cranberries being the main fruit used. My wife purchased a bottle of blueberry sweet wine and is looking forward to making bluebini's for sipping on the kitchen patio when the warmer weather arrrives, my guess is it will be enjoyed long before then.
Open seven days a week, 12–6 pm all year round with extended summer hours
Colourful labels characterize the wines. We started our tasting with Ghost of the Blog (0 sweetness)a white cranberry wine. The cranberries are harvested in late summer just before they turn red allowing the wine to have a remarkably crisp and refreshing taste. We also tasted Valley Girl made from local blueberies..Mmmm good! We also enjoyed Pick Me, a sassy strawberry wine that you didn't have to guess the fruit used.
Perhaps what the Fort Wine company does best is dessert wines. Sweet and delicious. We had a great time vsiting these wineries. See Fraser Valley for more information on the wineries in the areaOur previous trip took us to Lulu Island Winery
Next report The Wines of Naramata Bench
More of Robert's Reports
1. Labels 2. Proper Labeling 3. Cawston, BC 4. Paying for Etiquette 5. Nova Scotia 6. Walnut Wine
7.Christmas Wines 8.Tilman Hainle 9.Canada's Wine History 10. Wine Tasting Manners 11. Hospitality
12. Fraser Valley 13. Wine Language
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