Gehringer Brothers

B.C.'s Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery is just such an enterprise and brothers Walter and Gordon are the reasons why. To suggest there is nothing flashy about Gehringer Brothers is probably an understatement. The winery's design is more modest than the brothers who for the longest time operated without an agent or distributor to promote and sell their wine in Vancouver. The winery has no website that I can find and I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen Walter or Gordon in Vancouver over the last 15 years. Yet the moment you turn off Highway 97 just south of Oliver, onto No. 8 Road, and make your way up the steep sloped entrance you can't help but be impressed by the meticulously tended vineyard that fronts the winery. Facing east and south, the main Gehringer vineyard gathers crucial warmth from the early morning sun and later in the day basks in the reflected heat that radiates off the massive rock outcropping that flanks the winery. Not all that long ago, Gehringer Brothers was best described as a B.C. winery making Germanic-style wines -- after all, the brothers are of German descent and they both studied winemaking in Germany. But in recent years the winery has added several new varietals to its portfolio including a chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, cabernet and merlot, which sell under the new Dry Rock Vineyards label. A pinot gris and pinot noir have appeared under a Private Reserve label and for the best selections from Gehringer there is now the prestigious gh Optimum Series wines. The brothers still make some wonderful and inexpensive German-style whites from riesling, ehrenfelser, schönburger and müller-thurgau not to mention what I believe is the best riesling icewine in the region. Today we look at a wide array of wines from Gehringer and for a refreshing change they are all available in government liquor stores. Here's what I found, The Pinot Blanc Private Reserve has a fresh, fruity nose that many other B.C producers would do well to copy. Look for a melon/peach aromas and flavours streaked with citrus. It's a fine, everyday white selling at a bargain price. The Private Reserve Pinot Gris has a pear, baked apple and mineral scented nose with a touch of dusty cardboard. The flavours are fine but the finish is slightly warm or alcoholic to my taste. Still good value for B.C. pinot gris. The 2000 Optimum Pinot Gris has a much more intense character than the preceding reserve with extra floral and spice highlights. Rich honeyed fruit marks the mid-palate but it finishes with a touch of bitterness. Good effort but this vintage might not be worth the extra $6. The Dry Rock 2000 Chardonnay has an appealing spicy, baked apple and pear fruit nose complete with a dusting of French oak and vanilla. A tasty, classic Gehringer wine that is fruit-driven, understated and inexpensive. The 2000 Riesling Private Reserve offers typical green apple and peach characters with a touch of citrus rind. It is a fresh, light, zippy-flavoured riesling with a clean Granny Smith apple and grapefruit finish. Serve with lightly spiced Asian food. The 2000 Pinot Noir Private Reserve has a fine dusty, black cherry, earthy character that reminds me more of gamay than pinot noir. On the palate the dry, earthy fruit with raspberry cherry highlights and round textures makes this a solid, everyday pinot choice at a giveaway price. The Optimum 1999 Pinot Noir is the more passionate version of the reserve. Look for spicy, clove, earth aromas with orange peel, barnyard and cherry fruit aromas. Soft, supple and pricey, it is well balanced and ready to drink. The tasting concluded with the dry, earthy, black fruit aromas of the 2000 Dry Rock Merlot. The entry is soft and but boasts plenty of cherry earth and dried cedar flavours. It's young and will need another year in bottle to lose some of its lean, dry, flavours. Weekend Wine Tasting: Gehringer Brothers Okanagan Valley, Oliver, B.C. Wine 2000 Pinot Blanc Private Reserve Price $11.25 Stock No. 503748 Score 14.5/20 Remarks Delicious melon peach and mineral flavours. Wine 2000 Pinot Gris Private Reserve Price $13 Stock No. 347203 Score 13.5/20 Remarks Baked apples and mineral fruit. Wine Optimum 2000 Pinot Gris Price $19.95 Stock No. 534883 Score 14/20 Remarks Floral spice honey. Wine Dry Rock 2000 Chardonnay Price $12.95 Stock No. 536169 Score 13.5/20 Remarks Clean, fresh, green apple fruit. Wine 2000 Riesling Private Reserve Price $13 Stock No. 347492 Score 14/20 Remarks Perfect for spicy stir-fry. Wine 2000 Pinot Noir Private Reserve Price $13 Stock No. 585711 Score 13/20 Remarks Clean, simple, mid-week pinot. Wine Optimum 1999 Pinot Noir Price $24.95 Stock No. 534909 Score 14/20 Remarks Soft round spicy pinot. Wine Dry Rock 1999 Merlot Price $14.95 Stock No. 559583 Score 13/20 Remarks Lean, dry, earthy red.