Pinot Gris: B.C.'s Reluctant Signature Varietal

pinot gris/pinot grigio category. With temperatures soaring this weekend, it seemed like a good chance to get you thinking about province's reluctant signature grape.

I say reluctant because despite impressive growth in vineyard plantings; production jumping from 203 short tons in 1997 to 1757 short tons in 2006; and regular retail sellouts, somehow local producers have failed to rally round the pinot gris flag in any significant marketing sense.

Around the globe, most shortlists of pinot gris/pinot grigio producing regions would include Italy, New Zealand, Oregon and France, with no mention of B.C. The reason is simple. They sell their stuff globally while we sell almost all of ours locally. What is more painful is that with the exception of New Zealand and some isolated Italian versions, none seem capable of reaching the same exciting level of quality now possible in B.C.

Generally, we make a more precise version of gris than Oregon and one that has more intensity than the pinot grigio of northern Italy. Ours is seldom as dry or as weighty as anything from Alsace and its fresh acidity makes it very food-friendly.

But having the right style and making some exciting early examples, is not enough to scare the international wine world. B.C. needs to become the centre of information and research for pinot gris if we are to establish ourselves globally. We need to be the experts on clones, soils, vines, rootstocks and winemaking techniques if we want the world to notice, and we need to share that information.

We should be inviting the pinot gris intelligentsia to B.C., where we pick their brains and they can see for themselves B.C. is serious about pinot gris. If we are not up to the intellectual or scientific challenge -- although it seems to me we have plenty of universities and specialists who could help out -- we might simply consider doing a more forceful job of marketing pinot gris.

Personally, I think we should go on the offensive and start an industry-wide initiative to push our pinot gris forward. We could begin by helping those unsuspecting wineries making defective pinot gris to cease and desist, or get out of the business. Then we should insist on a screwcap closure for every B.C. pinot gris -- it's called a point of difference and one we desperately need to exploit. It will by all accounts improve the product at the same time.

If we were really determined to make a global impression, we should coordinate a single recognizable colour for every B.C. pinot gris screwcap so that no matter where in the world it was opened, it would be recognized "visually" as a British Columbia pinot gris.

Or, we could continue to what we are doing. Namely selling everything we make locally and hoping beyond hope the entire local market will continue to buy everything we make. The economy might suggest we do some marketing before it's too late.

As for our update, the latest Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris 2007 remains on track with its fresh light fruity nose and floral, honey, lime rind notes. The entry is ripe juicy mineral red apple, tangerine rind and honey flavours. The finish is crisp and clean if just a bit off-dry. Well made and food-friendly.

A very pleasant surprise is the new Hester Creek Pinot Gris 2007, clearly a winery in transition, now under winemaker Rob Summers. Look for a round, fresh, elegant style with citrus, nectarine, pear skin, mineral, spicy, ginger flavours. A touch sweet and sour but good fruit intensity and balance. Well done. Pass the salmon, please.

Fresh and delicious are Lake Breeze watchwords, and while the wines are never easy to find, they are worth the hunt. Love the Lake Breeze Pinot Gris 2007. so bright and fresh. Look for tasty red apple, citrus, butter, pear, strawberry, mineral and grapefruit flavours. Textbook B.C. gris.

The Sandhill Pinot Gris King Family Vineyard 2007 is a fine follow-up to last year's excellent release, once again boasting bright Naramata King Family Vineyard fruit. Fresh and lively, it has a grassy, nutty, lemon-lime palate that persists from front to back. On the palate, more mineral, green apple skin and nutty citrus notes carry it through the finish. Delicious and widely available.

Next up is the Laughing Stock Vineyards Pinot Gris 2007, another Naramata Bench wine. This gris is a big fruit bomb drenched in honey/pear and ripe orange fruit. A dusting of one-year-old oak and plenty of lees adds complexity to the finish. Big and different, it could be an attractive wine with Indian food or other rich spicy offerings.

We close out with the very fine Herder Pinot Gris 2007, an un-oaked blend of fruit from the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys that delivers on all fronts. Look for fresh honey lemon citrus aromas and a flavour in what is a lively gris with plenty of minerality. A fresh lip-smacking style, with bits of fresh bread and citrus in its balanced finish. Well done.

BURROWING OWL PINOT GRIS 2007, OLIVER,

Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

Price: $20

UPC: 626990000075

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Ripe juicy mineral red apple, tangerine rind and honey flavours.

HESTER CREEK PINOT GRIS 2007, OKANAGAN VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Price: $19

UPC: 626990057574

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Fresh with citrus, nectarine, pear skin, mineral, spicy, ginger flavours.

LAKE BREEZE PINOT GRIS 2007, OKANAGAN VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Price: $19

UPC: 626990024392

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Textbook B.C. gris.

SANDHILL PINOT GRIS KING FAMILY VINEYARD 2007, OKANAGAN VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Price: $18

UPC: 00058976500048

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Grassy, nutty, lemon-lime palate that persists from front to back.

LAUGHING STOCK VINEYARDS PINOT GRIS 2007, NARAMATA BENCH, OKANAGAN VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Price: $20

UPC: 850451001145

Score: 88/100

Remarks: A big fruit bomb drenched in honey/pear and ripe orange fruit.

HERDER PINOT GRIS 2007, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Price: $19

UPC: 814372000304

Score: 89/100

Remarks: Fresh lip-smacking style. Very well done.