Cheers to the Season We’d All Been Hoping For | July Newsletter
Our Roots Run Deep & All Good Things Take Time…
Hester Creek Newsletter: July 16, 2026
The story behind our 2025 season: recognition, resilience, and a return to VQA status.
Delivered from the Golden Mile Bench in Oliver, British Columbia
Every so often, a milestone arrives that not only reaffirms our passion for winemaking but also shapes the story we’ll tell for years to come. For us, 2025 was that season: a vibrant chapter that set the stage for everything that’s followed. Our roots run deep here at Hester Creek, and all good things take time.
After a few tough winters, this past growing season brought a renewed sense of excitement and possibility to our team. With generous sunshine and ideal conditions, we watched the vineyards flourish once again. The fruit was exceptional, and our winemakers were inspired to craft wines for the 2025 vintage that truly reflect the spirit of the Okanagan Valley, recognized with national awards, glowing reviews from respected critics, and new medals proudly lining our shelves.
We share these moments because they belong to everyone who helps bring this place to life, on the land, in the cellar, and around the table. Your support is woven into every bottle we make. Continue reading this newsletter below for more details on what’s been happening lately at Hester Creek. Thank you for being part of our story.
Introducing the 2026 Legacy Award
We’re honoured to share that Hester Creek has been named the first-ever recipient of the 2026 Legacy Award from the All Canadian Wine Championships, Canada’s longest-running national wine competition, founded in 1981.
The award was created this year in memory of Brian Bannon, the championship’s founder, to recognize a winery that exemplifies excellence in winemaking, consistency, leadership, innovation, and a lasting contribution to the Canadian wine community. With more than 1,000 entries in their 2026 competition from wineries across the country, the ACWC made this inaugural win especially meaningful.
This award celebrates everyone who has helped shape Hester Creek, season after season. We’re grateful to share this with our entire team, past and present, whose passion and dedication have contributed to our legacy.
“When we visited in the fall of 2025, it was pure magic. We knew we had come to a very special place. Your property, people, product, literally everything spoke of a deep love for your own legacy. Hester Creek was my first thought when we decided to create this trophy. What everyone at your winery does embodies what our nation represents: diversity, honesty, trust, leadership, quality and pride.” – Tanya Sammut, ACWC Director.
A Closer Look at the Okanagan through the Lens of James Suckling
This May, renowned wine critic James Suckling and his team spent five days tasting more than 200 wines across the Okanagan Valley. We’re proud that four Hester Creek wines scored in the 90s, with our 2025 Viognier holding a place in the region’s Top 20.
Suckling described the Okanagan as a region finding its voice: fresh, precise, and terroir-driven, shaped by dramatic temperature swings and long summer days at the 49th parallel. That is exactly the style we’ve always aimed for on the Golden Mile Bench, and it’s rewarding to see it recognized on this world stage.
- 2025 Viognier: 95 points, Top 20 — “Wow. A brilliant, focused, aromatic and linear wine… so arresting, fresh and vivid on the palate and long in the finish.”
- 2025 Old Vine Pinot Blanc: 94 points — “A really snappy, fresh and pure-tasting white made from some of the oldest vines in the Okanagan, planted in 1968.”
- 2022 Undici: 94 points — “This impressive wine is a super-Tuscan-style blend of sangiovese grapes with red Bordeaux varieties… Full-bodied and well structured.”
- 2022 Garland: 92 points — “A brooding Bordeaux-style red blend that’s generous in oak-spice, dark-plum and dark-chocolate flavours on a full body.”
Back to VQA Status, Thanks to a Season Like No Other
There’s a reason 2025 feels different: it may be one of the best vintages the Okanagan Valley has ever seen. Consistent heat without extremes, low disease pressure, no spring frost, and the highest Growing Degree Days ever recorded in the region.
Grapes matured beautifully, and the vineyards thrived. Harvest began in late August and continued into early November, producing an abundance that exceeded our expectations and yielding wines with remarkable balance and vibrancy, qualities that make this vintage one to remember.
Bringing this vintage back to VQA status feels like coming home again. Every new bottle, grown, made, and bottled right here on the Golden Mile Bench, reminds us what’s possible when nature finally gives us a break. If you haven’t had the opportunity yet, we can’t wait for you to experience the 2025 new releases.
From vine to glass, every achievement this year is a reflection of the dedication and care from our entire community, team and guests alike. We’re grateful you continue to share in these milestones with us. We can’t wait to see what comes next.
FOLLOW US
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR GUEST NEWSLETTER
Stay in the loop with Hester Creek! Subscribe to our guest newsletter and be the first to know about exciting experiences and events.
