Mark Sheridan Takes the Reins at Hester Creek Estate Winery

Hester Creek Estate Winery owner Curt Garland is proud to announce that he has appointed Mark Sheridan as general manager. A seasoned viticulturalist who has built his name in Australia and a further decade in BC, Sheridan was officially welcomed to the Hester Creek team late last week. As Hester Creek’s general manager, Sheridan looks forward to the next phase of success for his career in the Okanagan, a place he now considers home.

Mike Nierychlo tours Hester Creek

The Building of Hester Creek Estate Winery's new facility

Are you coming to visit us this spring or summer? Our new facility opened in September 2009 to rave reviews; you can watch the building process at Western Industrial Contractor's Ltd. website.  Then, come see for yourself!

http://www.wicltd.com/hester-creek-estate-winery/

Wine Reviews from Wine Press Northwest

The Spring 2010 issue of Wine Press Northwest magazine reviewed the following wines:

Hester Creek Estate Winery 2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Okanagan Valley, $25.99 CDN
Rating: Excellent
Review: A tremendous amount of investment in the vineyards, the property and the winery also shows in the wines. This vintage was Robert Summers' first for Hester Creek, and it exudes an Old World influence starting with notes of cherries, leather, smoky plums, cedar, menthol and bell pepper. Some leafiness on the entry joins the structure of zesty acidity and maturing tannins to make for broad food applications. The finish of hazelnut coffee adds to the complexity.

Hester Creek Estate Winery 2006 Reserve Cabernet Franc
Okanagan Valley, $25.99 CDN
Rating: Recommended
Review: Enchanting notes of Bing cherries, plums, cloves, allspice, minced meat and alder smoke are within a sturdy entry, bright acidity and an huge finish of vanilla bean.

Hester Creek Estate Winery 2008 Cabernet-Merlot
Okanagan Valley, $15.99 CDN
Rating: Excellent
Review: Last year's edition produced a Platinum for Wine Press Northwest, and this multi-layered drink seems headed in the same direction. The nose features Cherry Vanilla Coke, jasmine tea, stewed plums, spearmint and orange rind. There's more light cherry on the very pleasing flavors on the entry with integrated cedar components, notes of cardamom and milk chocolate. In the finish is this remarkable hint of cherry lime sorbet.

Hester Creek Estate Winery 2008 Pinot Blanc
Okanagan Valley, $15.99 CDN
Rating: Excellent
Review: Some view this as the signature grape for the Okanagan Valley, and here's a user-friendly example. Aromatics include nectarine, orange oil and canned corn. The palate expands with peaches and sweet corn, backed by tropical fruit on the midpalate. There's a sheen of viscosity and sweetness before a cleansing finish of citrusy acidity of lime and grapefruit pith.

Hester Creek Estate Winery 2008 Trebbiano
Okanagan Valley, $18.99 CDN
Rating: Recommended
Review: As the story goes, Joe Busnardo used his suitcase to smuggle cuttings from Italy in the late 1960s to bring this variety to British Columbia's The Golden Mile back. This vintage produced notes of Rainier cherry, peach, Orange Crush, rosewater with a bit of minerality. There's a pleasing oily approach that yields to a long and lemony finish.

Hester Creek Estate Winery 2006 Reserve Merlot
Okanagan Valley, $25.99
Rating: Recommended
Review: Just south of the town of Oliver, B.C., this longtime winery is producing some superb red wines. This reserve-level Merlot by winemaker Robert Summers provides aromas and flavors of ripe red cherries, kitchen spices and just a hint of oak. (850 cases, 14.2% alc.)

Weekend Wine profiles Oliver's Hester Creek Estate Winery

Read Mike Klassen's post on Hester Creek Estate Winery on Weekend Wine, April 5, 2010. www.bcwinelover.com

Hester Creek wins at the New World International Wine Competition

Hester Creek wines have earned three new awards from the New World International Wine Competition held in Ontario, California:

Gold - 2006 Cabernet Franc
Silver - 2008 Semillon Chardonnay
Silver - 2008 Pinot Blanc

View the awards at http://www.nwiwc.com.

"Hester Creek is joining the 90 point circle"

John Schreiner writes, "The quality of [current Hester Creek] reserve wines should create a lot of excitement about future Hester Creek releases, a rising number of which should be in the 90 plus range." Read the article on John Schreiner on wine, www.johnschreiner.blogspot.com.