Racy, Riveting, Rambunctious Riesling! Full of personality, Riesling is a great match for our BC climate and our Riesling makers love creating this wine. So versatile, Riesling is made in a variety of styles that range from sweet to bone dry with high acidity, lower alcohol and beautifully aromatic. Some of the buzzwords used to describe our best BC Rieslings include crisp, refreshing, mouth-watering, bracing, zippy, and it is always a great-with-food kind of wine.
Plan a taste tour of these radiant, raved-about local Rieslings asap:
Martin's Lane Simes Vineyard Riesling
Martin’s Lane Winery only focuses on the creation of two wines - Riesling and Pinot Noir - making them Riesling specialists. The architecturally stunning 100% "gravity-flow" Martin’s Lane Winery is also one of our most exclusive winery addresses. Tucked in beside its beautiful sister winery, CedarCreek Estate Winery, this is a winery with all the style and itself is a work of art. Winemaker/GM Shane Munn crafts a terroir-focused portfolio of Riesling and Pinot Noir from select vineyards. Tastings are now offered by appointment only. Make sure to book lunch prior to or following at CedarCreek’s award-winning Home Block restaurant.
2022 Vintage Notes: Off-dry in style to highlight & capture the vibrancy of this cool, lakeside parcel of Riesling. It's off-dry and had 6 hours of skin contact before natural fermentation in (mostly) stainless steel and neutral oak. Shane says, “It's bright, lively, and even though it has 28g/L RS its acidity is very bracing – hence it's very delicate and delicious”.
Tantalus Riesling
Tantalus Vineyards sits majestically on a luxurious, hillside that was first planted with table grapes in 1927. Today Tantalus is known as one of the oldest continuously producing vineyards in British Columbia. A state-of-the-art LEED winery complete with spectacular lake views and old vines, Tantalus is a must-visit. Winemaker/GM is David Paterson.
2022 Vintage Notes: This is Tantalus’ flagship wine. Pale lemon in colour, the wine has bright aromas of white flowers, lemon peel, mandarin flesh and gala apple with a hint of guava and pomelo. Fresh and vibrant on the palate with flavours of lime flesh, lemon oil, orange zest and white grapefruit with fresh kiwifruit and lingering mineral acidity. A touch racier in style than recent vintages, which is a true reflection of the cooler growing season of 2022.
Peak Cellars Riesling
O'Rourke's Peak Cellars is one of the two wineries owned and operated by the O’Rourke family in Lake Country. Under their Peak Cellars label, winemaker Stephanie Stanley creates exceptional cool climate wines including this award-winning Riesling. While visiting Peak Cellars, plan to dine at the Garden Bistro is set adjacent to the vineyard.
2021 Vintage Notes: Winner of Best of Class/Gold/96 points – 2023 LA International Wine Competition Silver – 2023 BC Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards. This vintage portrays a sweeter, fragrant, and more floral expression than its citrusy predecessor. As the layers unravel, aromas of honeysuckle, orange blossom and sandalwood are rounded with lemon meringue pie, tart McIntosh apple and a minerality that is lightly misted with the terpenes of expensive perfume and a spicy dash of incense. This wine acts as a wonderful palate cleanser and has round and then long, with a fine chalky and persistent finish.
St. Hubertus Riesling
St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery also feature some of Kelowna’s historic vineyards. These grapevines were originally planted in 1928 By J.W. Hughes, a pioneer in our agricultural industry. Now owned by the Gebert Families, the 80-acre vineyard is farmed using sustainable & organic farming practices to produce 100% estate-grown wines that reflect the terroir of the South Kelowna Slopes.
2019 Vintage Notes: Gold Medal, 2021 BC Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards. This dry Riesling is extremely versatile. Classically styled, it shows delicate floral aromas with a hint of honey, apple and lime.
Ex Nihilo Riesling
Ex Nihilo Vineyards is in the heart our Lake Country wine region. The name Ex Nihilo is Latin for ‘Out of Nothing’, referring to the soil that now bears beautiful grapes. First planted in 2004, the winery is now owned by Mike and Janet Azhadi with winemaker Jim Faulkner in charge of the cellar. The estate offers a restaurant on-site called Chaos Bistro.
2021 Vintage Notes: Bright aromas of fresh lemon verbena and honeysuckle. The palate is balanced with sweet Meyer lemons, granny smith apples and generous acidity.
