25 years Of Okanagan TerrOir CedarCreek estate Winery 96 www.bcliquorstores.com Senator ross fitzpatrick and son gordon fitzpatrick in a cedarcreek vineyard.
y rhys pender In 1987, when Senator Ross Fitzpatrick purchased what is now CedarCreek Estate Winery, it was a homecoming to the valley in which he grew up. Fitzpatrick had spent his childhood roaming the orchards around Oliver where his father managed a fruit packing house. Fast forward to 2011 and CedarCreek is now celebrating 25 vintages and the Fitzpatrick family is continuing its quest for quality. The winery founded back in 1980, was originally known as Uniacke Estate Winery. The Uniacke brand had hardly set the world on fire with the quality of its wines, so the injection of Fitzpatrick’s business acumen was a welcome boost. The shift from mediocrity towards quality was not instantaneous. In the early years of the Fitzpatrick reign and before to the landmark the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)event that changed the industry, things were slow to get going. The first big investment came just after NAFTA in 1991, when 20 acres of apple orchard at the winery site were converted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which remain two of CedarCreek’s strongest varietals today. A stable but relentless series of investments and improvements followed for 25 years to build what is now a winery producing more than 40,000 cases per year. Soon after, another meaningful event took place in the CedarCreek history. A 1992 vintage of Merlot inspired the judges of the Okanagan Wine Festival to such a degree that they created a special Platinum award, believing a gold medal was not adequate for such a wine. This event inspired the name of CedarCreek’s top tier of wines – Platinum Reserve. After those initial plantings at the home vineyard, the growth and expansion continued with purchases of land at Greata Ranch south of Peachland in 1994, Desert Ridge in Osoyoos in 2001 and Haynes Creek in Osoyoos in 2006. With sites in Kelowna, Peachland and around the hot south Okanagan desert n Osoyoos, CedarCreek now has 150 acres in a variety of climates, perfect for producing a wide variety of wines. Other than the exemplary 1992 Merlot, it was only after Ross’s son Gordon came on board in 1996 that the new era of wine quality really began. By this time the <strong>BC</strong> wine industry was starting to gain momentum and confidence that it could produce quality wine, so Gordon Fitzpatrick, after an analysis of the future direction for the winery, realized the focus needed to be on premium quality. This is the path the winery has pursued ever since. Gordon’s first big efforts towards top quality were to bring in the big guns from California in 1998. Winemaker Kevin Willenborg and vineyard consultant Eric Neil were hired to begin the turnaround. Willenborg left in 2000, but Tom DiBello another Californian, stepped into the role to oversee CedarCreek’s amazing period of success for the next 10 years. The early years of the DiBello era were full of excitement. The winery was completely rebuilt in 2002 with a big investment in both winemaking equipment and building design to take advantage of the stunning location above Okanagan Lake. An exciting year of recognition followed in 2002. At the Los Angeles County Fair CedarCreek won gold CEdarCrEEK CaBErnEt-MErlot Bc vQA $18.90 163303 With a deep ruby colour and classic cabernet aromas of cassis and typical merlot plummy notes. There are also savoury elements such as green tobacco, smoke, tomato leaf and cocoa with some pretty floral notes. The palate is dry and lean and full of juicy, tart-cherry, raspberry and plum finishing with a dry, refreshing note. CEdarCrEEK SyraH Bc vQA $24.90 417949 This wine has the classic deep purple colour and aromas of red fruits – plum, blackberry, black cherry – overlaid with chocolately oak and the hallmark Syrah bite of black pepper. The palate is dry with balanced acid and tannin and flavours of charred meat, violet and tobacco to go along nicely with the blueberry, plum and chocolate notes. CEdarCrEEK gEwürztraMinEr Bc vQA $17.90 240978 lifted floral, spice, ripe pear and subtle tropical aromas show on this typically pretty gewürztraminer nose. A hint of sweetness on the palate balances the medium body and fresh acidity. flavours range from floral, peach, mango and candied notes to citrus, pineapple and grapefruit pith that make refreshing finish. TASTE 97 FOCUS <strong>BC</strong>
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