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Sparkling wine has never shone brighter.
Around the world, producers are redefining the concept of quality bubbles beyond Champagne. While Champagne remains the benchmark, global demand and rising prices have opened the door for new regions to develop their own styles, and the world's attention has turned to other cool-climate areas capable of crafting wines with equal finesse and precision.
Here in British Columbia, that energy is palpable. BC's sparkling wine scene is gathering real momentum, driven by an ideal mix of terroir, curiosity, innovation, and expertise. In recent years, several producers have elevated their sparkling programs, signalling a new level of ambition. Few projects illustrate this evolution better than seven stars by Township 7, a homegrown sparkling program that has grown from an experiment into a leading example of BC's potential. That progress was on full display at the masterclass the winery hosted last week.
For Gismondi on Wine subscribers and readers, Township 7 has made available two limited edition four-packs: the Signature Collection and Library Collection. Details are available below.
The session unfolded over three flights, each revealing the depth, breadth, and direction of the seven stars project. The first flight was a comparative tasting of the winery's flagship cuvée, SIRIUS 2017 LD (Late Disgorged, 72 months on the lees), alongside five benchmarks from the world's leading sparkling regions. Selected by Master of Wine Geoffrey Moss for their comparable quality, the lineup included Gramona (Corpinnat, Spain), Black Chalk (England), Louis Roederer Vintage Champagne, and two Canadian stars: York Vineyard (Niagara, Ontario) and Benjamin Bridge (Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia).
The goal wasn't to declare winners and losers. We can move on from discussing the potential of BC sparkling wine. It's here, now. Instead, the goal was to understand where BC fits in the world of sparkling wine, and how its identity shows in the glass. As the host noted, the purpose was "to make sure we keep benchmarking ourselves against the rest of the world to see where we're at." Each wine spoke of its origin, some marked by distinctive minerality, others by razor-sharp acidity, and reflected the winemaker's hand through decisions on oak, lees aging, and dosage. SIRIUS proved it belonged among these world-class peers, showing both complexity and precision while retaining the vibrant energy of its terroir.
Township 7 began in 2001 in South Langley as a small, locally focused venture before expanding to a second estate vineyard on the Naramata Bench in 2004. The winery now operates in two distinct regions: the cooler, maritime Fraser Valley and the warmer, semi-arid Okanagan Valley. This duality gives it valuable range and depth, especially for sparkling production, which demands both acidity and ripeness.
Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Township 7's fundamental shift toward premium sparkling wine began with the arrival of winemaker Mary McDermott in 2014. Originally from Ontario, McDermott started her career in hospitality as a sommelier before formalizing her passion for wine through Enology and Viticulture studies at Brock University. She gained hands-on experience at several top Niagara wineries including Cave Spring, Stratus, Trius, and Thirty Bench, honing her precision and palate for cool-climate winemaking.
At Brock's Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), McDermott worked closely with Dr. Belinda Kemp, an internationally recognized sparkling specialist. Their research on pressing and dosage, along with the collaborative atmosphere of the Canadian Fizz Club, deepened McDermott's fascination with sparkling wine and her commitment to elevating its quality in Canada. When she joined Township 7, the sparkling program was still a modest side project; with the support of former owner and now general manager Mike Raffan, she transformed it into a focused, standalone initiative.
The South Langley vineyard in the Fraser Valley supplies the grapes for SIRIUS. "We had this property in Langley planted with chardonnay and pinot noir. It seemed like the perfect opportunity," McDermott recalls. "Langley reminded me of conditions in Ontario, a cool-climate character that's ideal for sparkling." The soils are clay-based with a high water table and an underlying aquifer that moderates vine stress. The maritime climate means mild winters, cooler summers, and a long, slow ripening season that preserves acidity. Picking typically occurs later than in the Okanagan Valley, producing base wines with fine structure and crisp tension.
Moving onto the second flight, the tasting showcased the entire seven stars portfolio, highlighting the range, creativity, and technical precision driving the program. Six traditional method sparkling wines were presented, each with lees aging from 12 to 72 months. The lineup featured SIRIUS 2017 (60 months on lees), POLARIS, a Blanc de Blanc from Oliver and Naramata chardonnay; AURORA, a Blanc de Noir from Okanagan Falls pinot noir; and NEBULA, a rosé from the same site (formerly labelled EQUINOX).
Together, they demonstrated a consistent house style rooted in elegance and energy, while also reflecting McDermott's experimental edge. Beyond the classics, she pushes boundaries with RIGEL (Riesling) and VEGA (Viognier), broadening the scope of what BC sparkling can be. Dosage trials added further nuance: AURORA was finished with a riesling dosage, while SIRIUS incorporated barrel-aged chardonnay reserve wines. "The oldest wine in the house is often the best for dosage," McDermott notes.
The final flight focused on verticals of SIRIUS and NEBULA, illustrating how acidity and texture drive longevity. McDermott's picking decisions are crucial. Grapes are harvested just under 19° Brix to preserve tension and focus, producing base wines between 10.5% and 11.4% alcohol, so the finished sparkling stays below 12.5%. It sounds straightforward, but it's not. Picking early alone doesn't achieve this balance. Ripeness is equally essential for developing texture and the natural components that influence mousse quality. Managing this interplay — achieving ripeness without losing acidity, and guiding mousse development through extended lees aging — is where the craft truly lies.
McDermott's spirit of experimentation hasn't slowed. If anything, it continues to grow. She's constantly exploring new vessels and techniques. Most wines ferment in stainless steel to preserve fruit purity. "I find sometimes the fruit can get lost, and we want to show where we're coming from," she explains. Even so, she's recently begun working with concrete and older 500L puncheons to explore texture and depth. "I've stayed away from new oak because it can interfere a bit, but we're always learning and trying new things."
Pressing is another key focus. McDermott applies precision to fractional press cuts, an art that feeds directly into blending. It's part of what she believes sets them apart. Her enthusiasm peaks when she talks about the Coquard Press, the gold standard in Champagne, which allows ultra-gentle, whole cluster pressing to yield pristine juice. Her excitement reflects a genuine respect for craft, detail, and the relentless pursuit of quality.
In astronomy, a blue straggler is an unusually bright, youthful looking star found in an old cluster, its energy renewed by absorbing material from a nearby companion. BC's sparkling story isn't old; it's still forming. Champagne will always be Champagne, but like a blue straggler drawing strength from its neighbour, we learn from established regions, experiment, make mistakes, and keep improving. With time and persistence, we might shine a little brighter of our own accord. Township 7's seven stars project reflects precisely that spirit: ambitious, disciplined, and steadily gaining its own light in the global sparkling constellation.
Only 24 four-packs are available of each collection. Each set is individually numbered and includes a bottle of the Wine of the Year at the 2025 British Columbia Wine Awards, 2017 seven stars SIRIUS Late Disgorged, personally signed by winemaker Mary McDermott.
Signature Collection
2017 seven stars SIRIUS
2017 seven stars SIRIUS Late Disgorged
2021 seven stars POLARIS
2021 seven stars AURORA
Learn more about the Signature Collection
Package 2 – Library Collection
2017 seven stars SIRIUS
2017 seven stars SIRIUS Late Disgorged
2016 seven stars SIRIUS
2020 seven stars AURORA
Learn more about the Library Collection
