100% Lillooet at Fort Berens Estate Winery

March 30, 2015

For immediate release

LILLOOET, BC – This week, Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet is releasing their 2015 spring line-up which includes their 2014 Pinot Gris, 2014 Riesling, 2014 Pinot Noir Rosé, 2014 23 Camels White and 2013 White Gold. Rolf de Bruin, founder and one of the owners of Fort Berens explained, “We are thrilled to announce that for the first time in our history, every single wine in our spring release is 100% Lillooet: 100% estate-grown, 100% produced on our own onsite facility and 100% bottled in Lillooet.”

Rolf continued, “These five new releases join our other 100% estate-grown whites, including our 2013 Chardonnay and our 2013 Late Harvest Riesling. These will be followed later this spring with the release of our 2014 Chardonnay and 2014 Late Harvest Riesling, which are also 100% Lillooet. We can’t even begin to express how much pride we feel now that our entire white wine list is 100% Lillooet.”

To commemorate this new milestone, Fort Berens will be running a 100% Lillooet contest from April 17th through to May 31st. Rolf explained, “When we realized that all of our white wines would be 100% Lillooet, we decided this milestone deserved to be celebrated! We will be giving away an exclusive Fort Berens prize package valued at over $1000 plus weekly prizes throughout the 6-week contest. The grand prize includes a one-year membership in our Discovery Club Wine Club and a private multi-course, wine-paired dinner for four people in our wine cellar with our winemaker. In addition, we’ll be doing a random draw each Friday for a Fort Berens prize package.” For your chance to win, enter the contest at FortBerens.ca or on the Fort Berens Facebook page between April 17th and May 31st.

As Lillooet’s first winery, in the heart of this emerging wine region, it’s important to the team at Fort Berens that they focus on producing wines that showcase Lillooet. Heleen Pannekoek, co-founder and co-owner of Fort Berens continued, ”Last year we won the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines for our 2012 Riesling. Winning this prestigious award for a wine made with 100% estate-grown grapes really proved that not only could we grow grapes in Lillooet, but that we could grow premium-quality grapes here. Now that we have our new winery built, a maturing vineyard, and our full vineyard and winemaking team in place, our focus has turned to truly understanding what we can produce with grapes grown in Lillooet. Our intention is to keep improving the quality of our wines and continuing to express the distinct flavours of Lillooet.”

Heleen summarized, “Releasing our new vintages and showcasing 100% Lillooet is a major milestone for our team.  In addition to that, we are absolutely thrilled with how our new releases are tasting. Our vineyard is in great shape going into the key growing period and we have exciting plans coming up for the upcoming season.”

While 2014 may have been a major milestone year for the team at Fort Berens Estate Winery, all indicators point to another banner year in 2015.

Fort Berens Estate Winery is a culmination of the dreams, vision and pioneering spirit of several entrepreneurs – Heleen Pannekoek, Rolf de Bruin, Hugh Agro, Sean Harvey, Jason Neal, John McConnell, Dan Barnholden and Patrick Downey. The eight owners of Fort Berens share a common belief in the incredible winemaking potential of the area and a shared vision to make Fort Berens into one of Canada’s leading producers of fine wine. With its vineyards on sagebrush-covered benchland along the Fraser River at the base of towering mountains, Fort Berens embraces the spirit of Lillooet. Alpine breezes, lingering summer sunlight and moderate winters provide a unique terroir ideal for growing premium grapes. Discover Fort Berens Estate Winery, Lillooet’s first winery, in BC’s newest wine region and explore 150 years of pioneering spirit. For more information, call 1.877.956.7768, visit www.FortBerens.ca, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

- 30 -

High resolution images and technical data sheets are available at http://www.fortberens.ca/About/Trade--Media.

For further information, please contact:

Kim Lawton
DogLeg Marketing & Business Solutions
250.488.0878
klawton@DogLegMarketing.ca

Cellaring wine

We have been getting a number of inquiries about cellaring our wines. The reality is that most people do not have a professionally built wine cellar that provides ideal aging conditions with temperature and humidity control. If that is the case for you, how can you best cellar wine in your home?

Keep in mind that cellaring conditions become more relevant the longer you cellar. If you are cellaring or storing wine for a few weeks or even a few months, conditions are not as relevant as when you are cellaring wine for 5-7 years. The majority of the wine purchased is consumed within hours or days of the purchase, in which case cellaring is really not relevant. However, knowing that many wines will improve with age, more and more people are looking to purchase wine and age it. Cellaring can improve our enjoyment of the wine.

So if you want to cellar your wine, there are a few considerations to keep in mind: temperature, humidity, position, vibration, and light.

Wine can be cellared at any temperature, but temperatures between 6 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius is more ideal. With higher temperatures the wine will age quicker, while lower temperatures will slow down the rate of aging. Temperatures can fluctuate throughout the year, where temperatures in the summer can be 18 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius in the winter. This is not a problem. However, fluctuations during the day should be minimal. So cellaring wine next to your fireplace is usually not such a great idea.

High humidity and storing wine horizontally used to be very important, but this is when all wine was bottled with a natural cork. The use of natural cork has declined in recent years, in favour of synthetic cork and screwcaps. Natural cork needs to be kept moist in order to keep a tight seal. If the cork dries out due to low humidity or when the bottle stands up straight for a long period, the seal may be imperfect and oxygen can enter the bottle, which can spoil the wine. Conversely, screwcaps and synthetic cork are not as picky and therefore storing wine under low humidity and standing up straight are not real issues.

Vibration is said to have a negative impact on wine. Many experts indicate that wine should not be stored in places with continuous vibration, like on top of your refrigerator, so look for a storage location in your home that is relatively stable. However, we also know that a lot of wine is shipped by boat, trains and trucks where it is exposed to a lot of vibration during transit. To address this, let the wine rest after purchase to allow it to settle.

Some people own a wine fridge, which is a special refrigerator that can maintain a temperature between 4-18 degrees Celsius. As a comparison, a normal fridge is not able to maintain a temperature above 10 degrees Celsius. A wine fridge often has two sections, one section for white wines with a lower temperature and one section for red wines with a higher temperature. Wine fridges are great because it means you can have wine ready to open at the perfect temperature. Using a wine fridge also means you can avoid having to stick your white wine in the freezer for half an hour to chill it. Have you ever done that and then forgotten all about it, only to find a nice ice wine surprise the next day? Because of the vibration your wine will experience in a wine fridge, I suggest that you don’t store wine in a wine fridge for an extended amount of time. If you plan to keep wine for a number of years, it is likely to fair better in the back of a dark closet than inside a wine fridge.

Another factor to keep in mind is that wine will deteriorate under direct sunlight. This is why wine is often in green or brown bottles. However, even these darker bottles will not prevent spoilage due to sunlight. A few hours of sunlight is surely not going to have a major impact, but aging your fine red wines in the window sill is not recommended.

It’s also important to note that when aging red wine, sediment can develop. Sediment in red wine occurs naturally and occurs in most red wines. The longer you age red wine, the more sediment you should expect. In unfiltered red wines that have not been stabilized, more sediment can occur, while there may be less sediment in more commercially produced wines. After aging these wines, set the bottle up straight for at least 24 hours, to allow the sediment to fall to the bottom of the bottle prior to opening the bottle. Then pour very carefully or better yet, decant the bottle to avoid pouring sediment into your glasses. I rarely discard the sediment, but pour the last bit in my own glass and savour the last drops of that special wine that’s been aged for so long.

Do you think these rules about cellaring your wine really helps? I read an interesting article about aging conditions a while ago. I have not seen a lot of scientific research where side-by-side comparisons have been done to determine the cellaring conditions on the wine, so for now I follow the tips when I can, but I don’t obsess about them.

Wine is pretty robust when it is young. It can stand up to a lot of abuse. However, if I had a 1947 Château Margaux or another special bottle, I would likely follow all of the rules to give it the best chance to age beautifully.

Oh and by the way, we are cellaring some of our vintages in our winery cellar (under pretty good conditions). Regularly, we release some of these older library wines to our Discovery Club members so you can enjoy some exceptionally aged wines without the need for your own cellar.

 

PRESS RELEASE: Fort Berens Estate Winery Welcomes Barnholden and Downey. 2015 Promises to be an Exciting Year!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 5, 2015

LILLOOET, BC. Fort Berens Estate Winery is pleased to welcome Vancouver-residents Dan Barnholden and Patrick Downey to the award-wining winery’s Ownership Team. Dan and Patrick have joined founders Rolf de Bruin and Heleen Pannekoek, along with early partners Hugh Agro, Sean Harvey, Jason Neal and John McConnell, to help fund Fort Berens’ estate-grown grape production capacity and future business growth.

“We are delighted to make this announcement. Dan and Patrick round out Fort Berens’ Ownership Team and their investment will allow us to expand the production and distribution of estate-grown grapes and wine from our Lillooet vineyard,” said co-founder, Rolf de Bruin.

Dan’s family roots in BC’s interior trace back several generations. A good friend and long-time business associate of a number of the owners, Dan’s high level of integrity and family connections in Lillooet make him a natural addition to the team.

Patrick brings to Fort Berens his boisterous spirit and infectious energy. Another good friend of a number of the owners, Fort Berens’ guests and patrons can expect to see a lot of Patrick at the winery in Lillooet and in the nearby town of Whistler where he frequently skis and cycles.    

2015 promises to be an exciting year at Fort Berens. Rolf explained, “2014 was an excellent year for us at Fort Berens as we completed construction and had the official grand opening of our new winery building and tasting room. As part of the next phase of our growth, this summer we will begin offering lunch service on our patio, which features a gorgeous view of our vineyard and the impressive Coastal Mountains.”

After selling out a number of wines in 2014, Fort Berens is also working on plans to expand production. Rolf continued, “We are working together with a few local farms to plant additional vineyards in the Lillooet region. We are also starting to think about the first steps in the development of our second estate vineyard on the benchlands directly north of our current vineyard. We have exciting plans for this year and we think 2015 will be another successful year.”

Fort Berens Estate Winery is a culmination of the dreams, vision and pioneering spirit of eight entrepreneurs – Heleen Pannekoek, Rolf de Bruin, Hugh Agro, Sean Harvey, Jason Neal, John McConnell, Dan Barnholden and Patrick Downey. The owners of Fort Berens share a common belief in the incredible winemaking potential of the area and a shared vision to make Fort Berens into one of Canada’s leading producers of fine wine. With its vineyards on sagebrush-covered benchland along the Fraser River at the base of towering mountains, Fort Berens embraces the spirit of Lillooet. Alpine breezes, lingering summer sunlight and moderate winters provide a unique terroir ideal for growing premium grapes. Discover Fort Berens Estate Winery, Lillooet’s first winery, in BC’s newest wine region and explore 150 years of pioneering spirit. For more information, call 1.877.956.7768, visit www.FortBerens.ca, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Credit: Brad Kasselman/coastphoto.com

-30-

For further information and additional photos, please contact:

Kim Lawton

DogLeg Marketing & Business Solutions

250.488.0878

klawton@DogLegMarketing.ca

Principles of Food Pairing

Principles of Wine Pairing

The holiday season is a fun and joyous time of year. It marks a time of celebration including get-togethers with family and friends, holiday parties and many festive dinners. With more wine-drinking opportunities, we get lots of questions about which wines are best to serve for different occasions or what new wine to try for a specific festive celebration.

Many food and wine pairing recommendations are classic and straightforward based on the meat. These pairing charts say, for example, to pair chicken with Chardonnay, turkey with Pinot Noir, and cheese with Merlot. In reality, these simple suggestions ignore that there are as many different ways to prepare chicken, as there are ways to produce a Chardonnay.

For example, chicken with lemon, chicken tikka masala, fried chicken or spicy Thai chicken are all chicken-based dishes, but each one tastes very different and each will pair better with different wines. When considering the food portion of the pairing, instead of looking at the main ingredient (i.e. chicken), we suggest focusing on the most prominent textures and dominant flavours in the dish.

Now, when thinking about the wine portion of the pairing, we suggest focusing on the style of wine rather than the grape varietal. A Riesling can be dry, off-dry, semi-sweet, sparkling, ice wine, late harvest or many other styles. Therefore, we should focus on the style of wine. The style can be described in terms of acidity levels, sweetness, texture and weight.

In this article, we will try to explain how to pair your wine so that you can make a great choice for yourself in any situation.

Here are a few general rules for pairing wines:

• Wine and food can complement each other, where the combination makes both the wine and the food taste better. It is also possible that the specific combination of wine and food have a negative impact on each other. It can be magical when the food and wine pairing enhances the flavours of both. However, in most cases, we should be happy with a combination that is appropriate. Pairings are rarely perfect, although some are certainly much better than others.
• A poor or flawed wine is not going to taste any better with a well-paired dish. Conversely, an unpleasant dish will not be any more appealing with a nice wine. So, both the cook and the winemaker have a job to do.
• Choose a wine that you like. If you don’t like a certain type of wine, you won’t like it any better just because it’s paired appropriately. If you cringe at the aroma of an older Riesling because it reminds you of your neighbour’s stinky garage when you were growing up, you won’t like it any better at Christmas, even when it is nicely paired with a wonderful dish.
• Be open-minded. We all have our favourite wines and we all have wines that we avoid, particularly when we drink the wine by itself. When pairing wine with food, be open for new discoveries. Allow yourself to be surprised by new varietals. Or say yes to a varietal you don’t normally drink. You may very well learn to like a specific style of wine, especially if it’s paired with the right food. So be open.

Now that we have the general rules laid out, let’s look at the basic principles of good food and wine pairings.

Rule One: Match the acidity level in the wine and food

Both food and wine can range from acidic or tart to rich. Generally, more acidic food pairs well with more acidic wine and richer food pairs well with richer wines. Foods and beverages that are tart can cleanse your mouth, creating a refreshing sensation. On the other hand, some food and wine can be very rich and buttery, which coats the inside of your mouth.

Keep in mind that at the extremes of the acidic to rich range, pairings are more difficult. A salad with a very tart vinaigrette is very hard to pair with any wine, no matter how tart. With dishes that are super-rich, sometimes contrasting the richness with a more acidic wine, creates a more interesting pairing. For example, cheese fondue is super rich, but often does better with a more acidic white wine. Be careful though when pairing cream based sauces with tart white wines, because although it may cut through some of the fat, the combination is prone to curdle.

Rule Two:  Match the weight in the wine and food

Pair a lighter dish with a lighter wine and a rich dish bursting with flavour with a rich heavy wine. The weight of a wine is influenced by alcohol, tannins, and flavour intensity. An unoaked Chardonnay will be lighter than a Chardonnay aged in French Oak barrels. The weight from food comes from fat, flavours and to some extent sweetness. The wine and the dish should be equal partners, with neither overwhelming the other.

Rule Three: Tannins need fat

Tannins in a wine can make the palate feel dry. Fat from meat, fish, or even cheese can soften the drying sensation from the tannins making the wine smoother. So younger wines with more astringent tannins do better with fatter cuts like Prime Rib. Wines with softer tannins, through aging, pair better with leaner cuts of beef.

Rule Four: Heat needs sugar

Many cultures that serve spicy dishes have side dishes to cool things down. Many people think that wine will cool a spicy dish down, but alcohol can actually intensify the heat. Because heat needs sugar to cool things down, when thinking about a wine pairing for spicy food, it is best to pair spicy food with a slightly sweet lower alcohol wine. This is why a slightly off-dry Riesling pairs so beautifully with lightly spicy food, while a sweeter Late Harvest Riesling can balance even more heat.

Rule Five: Avoid mixing tannins and salt

Salt intensifies the impressions of tannins and alcohol. It also can reduce the expression of fruit characteristics. Too much salt on a steak or in an aged cheese, can make a subtle Cabernet Franc turn into a hard, tannic wine that lacks fruit.

Rule Six: Match the sweetness level in wine and food

With dessert, you want the wine to be sweeter than the food. Luckily there is a wide array of possible wines to pair with almost any dessert. There are appropriate dessert-pairing wines ranging from lighter sweet wines to ice wines to rich heavy ports.

Often, we take special care with food and wine pairings for our special dinners with friends and loved ones. If you find that one of the pairings is not working out the way you had envisioned, consider replacing it with an alternative. There is no sense in drinking the whole bottle if the pairing isn’t working. Save the bottle for after dinner or enjoy it the next day with another meal.

Wine and Cheese

Because wine and cheese parties are so common during the holidays, we wanted to specifically address this pairing. Wine and cheese are a combination that are often served because the pairing can be quite stunning, enhancing both the wine and the cheese. However, there are literally hundreds of wine options and hundreds of cheese options, therefore making the pairings here very important.

When thinking about wine and cheese, all the principles from above apply without reservation. For example, soft, fresh and young (cow or goat) cheeses tend to be more tart with higher acidity. Therefore, try a crisp, fresh dry white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris with these. Soft cheeses with a bit more age, like Brie and Camembert do well with a bit richer wine like Chardonnay or Gewürztraminer. Semi-aged cheese that is bit firmer (and a bit saltier) can work well with red wines like young, fruity Pinot Noir or even Cabernet/Merlot blends that are soft and smooth. Hard aged cheeses, which tend to be salty, work well with Vintage Port, which is low in tannins and semi-sweet. And if you like blue cheese? Blue cheese, which tends to be very salty, pairs nicely with sweeter white wines, like a Late Harvest Botrytis affected Riesling.

So, whatever is on your menu this holiday season, keep these guidelines and principles in mind as you think about your pairings. Maybe you’ll even discover a new favourite! Whatever wine and food pairings you choose in the days ahead, have fun and savour the joys of this most wonderful time of year.

Fort Berens Wine Pairings

At Fort Berens, we offer a wide range of wines each with a distinct style. While the vintage may taste different from year to year, we try to keep the style consistent.

Camels White

Wine Style: dry, crisp, with higher acidity, fruit forward, light-medium body, low tannins (unoaked)

Pairings:

White fish, pan-seared with lemon, parsley and rice
Rocket salad, pine nuts, parmesan, olive oil and lemon juice
Fresh soft cheeses

Pinot Gris

Wine Style: dry, crisp, with moderate acidity, fruit forward, medium body (from lees contact), low tannins (unoaked)

Pairings:

Sautéed or grilled shrimp
Grilled summer vegetables
Shrimp and avocado sushi
Grilled chicken with Herbs de Provence off the BBQ
Goat cheese brie

Riesling

Wine Style: almost dry, crisp, with higher acidity, fruit forward, medium body (from a touch of sweetness), low tannins (unoaked)

Pairings:

Mild chicken curry (based on Thai or Indian recipe)
Munster cheese or other red rind cheeses

Chardonnay

Wine Style: dry, crisp, with higher acidity, fruit forward, medium body, medium tannins (lightly oaked)

Pairings:

Eggs Benedict - West Coast Style with smoked salmon
Sautéed scallops

Rosé

Wine Style: dry, crisp, with higher acidity, fruit forward, medium body, low tannins (unoaked)

Pairings:

Mushroom ravioli with parsley
Summer salad with grilled tuna
Bruschetta with tomatoes and shrimp

Camels Red

Wine Style: dry, round, with moderate acidity, fruit forward, medium body, soft tannins (oaked)

Pairings:

Spaghetti Bolognese with basil
Pizza with finocchiona salami, black olives, mozzarella di bufala and arugula

Pinot Noir

Wine Style: dry, round, with moderate acidity, fruit forward, medium body, soft tannins (oaked)

Pairings:

Grilled filet of salmon smoked on a cedar plank
Grilled quail with tomato and corn salsa
Pulled pork sandwich (not too spicy)

Merlot

Wine Style: dry, round, smooth, with low acidity, fruit forward, full body, soft tannins (oaked)

Pairings:

A “real” hamburger made from ground sirloin on a home-made sesame toasted bun
Leaner steaks from the BBQ, like striploin smothered in The Kitchen at Fort Berens’ BBQ sauce
Boneless saddle steak of venison on the BBQ

Cabernet Franc

Wine Style: dry, round, smooth, with low acidity, full body, medium tannins (oaked)

Pairings:

Juniper braised short ribs
Roast leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary
Shredded slow roasted duck with balsamic glazing

Meritage

Wine Style: dry, round, smooth, with low acidity, full body, medium tannins (oaked)

Pairings:

Best cuts from the beef: tenderloin, prime rib or rib-Eye with potato wedges
Lean cut of venison on the BBQ with polenta

Late Harvest Riesling

Wine Style: off-dry to semi-sweet, with higher acidity, rich fruit, medium body (from the sweetness), low tannins (unoaked), low alcohol

Pairings:

Cheesecake
Sautéed vanilla pears with Zabaglione
Wild raspberry crème caramel
Grandmother’s apple pie with vanilla ice cream

Fall News and Updates from the Winery and Vineyard

The summer was a whirlwind adventure for us! We completed construction and opened the doors to our beautiful new winery in July. Shortly after that, we had the incredible honour of welcoming the Lieutenant Governor and about 40 members of the Vancouver Consular Corps to Fort Berens. The dry, hot sun shone brightly in Lillooet as Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon presented us with the prestigious 2014 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines for our 2012 Estate Riesling. This was our first Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Fort Berens and the first for this emerging wine region.

The summer continued with a number of other special events including celebrating a first wedding on our winery patio, holding Discovery Club events and welcoming over 1,000 wine and craft beer lovers to the 5th Annual Lillooet Beer and Wine Festival. In September, we also held our official grand opening celebration for the new winery and raised a new flag to mark the opening of our new fort.

This fall we are off to a busy start. We just bottled our 2013 red vintage in Lillooet, and started our harvest on September 12th. We are quite impressed with the vintage thus far! We have particularly high expectations for this vintage as it is the first time we will produce the wine from start to finish in Lillooet. The 2014 vintage will be estate grown, estate produced and estate bottled. With our new winemaking team and our new facility, we are working with smaller batches and lots of even smaller experiments to make our wines even better. We just set out on a huge learning curve to discover what Lillooet really tastes like.

We’ve recently released our fall releases including our Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Meritage and Chardonnay. We are getting some wonderful feedback and reviews already on these new vintages and we are honoured to report that in the recent BC Wine Awards, we received Gold for our Cabernet Franc and Silver for our Pinot Noir and Meritage.

As we approach the upcoming holiday season, we are open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 4pm. Come in and try our new releases. Maybe you'll find a new favourite for your festive parties and holiday dinners. We also offer a selection of wine and gift items perfect for the wine lover on your list. 

PRESS RELEASE: Fort Berens opens new winery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 23, 2014

LILLOOET, BC. On September 18th, Fort Berens Estate Winery held an official grand opening ceremony to celebrate the opening of their new winery building. To mark this key milestone, Hugh Agro, Heleen Pannekoek and Rolf de Bruin, on behalf of the entire ownership team, raised a new flag at their new winery. Dignitaries, media, staff and key supporters were in attendance for the special ceremony.

Photo Credit: Brad Kasselman/coastphoto.com

Rolf de Bruin explained as part of the grand opening ceremony, “More than 150 years ago, with the discovery of gold in British Columbia, the Hudson’s Bay Company set up a trading post on this very site called Fort Berens. The early pioneers that came to Lillooet during that time came in search of gold. They came from afar and often had no idea of what lay ahead. However, they were determined and willing to work hard to uncover the riches of this uncharted territory. They saw the potential of this land and seized it. While the trading post didn’t last long, the pioneering spirit has been forever instilled on this property. At Fort Berens Estate Winery, we’re also pioneers, much like those who settled the area so many years ago. Only this time, instead of gold mining, we’re discovering a new viticulture region in British Columbia and developing a new culture of grape growing and winemaking. Today we mark the official grand opening of our new winery building. Instead of a traditional ribbon cutting, as a tribute to those that built the Hudson’s Bay fort on this site 150 years ago, we are raising a flag to commemorate our new fort.”

Photo Credit: Brad Kasselman/coastphoto.com

Fort Berens’ new winery building is a 9,500 square foot facility including tasting room, crush pad, wine cellar, warehouse and surrounding guest patio and picnic areas. Toronto-based David Agro and Vancouver-based Richard Newell were collaborating architects on the project and Okanagan-based Greyback Construction built the new winery. The tasting room provides a spectacular view of the coastal mountain range and vineyard, so that people can get a sense of the area while enjoying the wines. It was also designed so that guests can view it as a working winery where they can see the process of creating the wine from grape to bottle. The new winery was completed over a period of about twelve months at a cost of approximately $3.5 million. This takes the committed investment into Fort Berens to $8 million to-date and is reflective of the owners’ confidence in Lillooet as an emerging high-potential winemaking region in BC.

Photo Credit: Brad Kasselman/coastphoto.com

Hugh Agro talked about the potential for Fort Berens, Lillooet and this emerging wine region. “From the beginning, all of us involved in Fort Berens have believed in the potential of this business, this terroir and the Lillooet area. We have taken calculated risks and we have constructed a solid foundation from which to build a celebrated brand worthy of the accolades we receive. We feel like we’re on the right path and we are excited to mark this next step in our journey.”

Heleen Pannekoek described the team’s journey so far “We have grown from humble beginnings, selling 170 cases of wine in 2009. This year we plan to produce 6,000 cases. And this is the first year that we will produce our own wine, on our own property, with our own full time winemaker. On our adventure, we have learned and we have experimented. We’ve discovered things that we can do differently. Ways that we can push the boundaries. And we’ve had some great successes. From our early days, we have received a number of awards for our wine. BC, Canadian and International awards and most recently a Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines. These awards show us we are on the right track.”

At the completion of the special ceremony, Rolf summarized, “At Fort Berens, we continue to push the boundaries and mindfully and responsibly search for excellence. We look forward to continuing to learn more about the terroir in Lillooet and we are excited to produce unique wines that highlight the distinct flavours of Lillooet.”

They now have the facility to do precisely this! Congratulations to the team at Fort Berens Estate Winery. It will be exciting to watch for their next milestones!

Photo Credit: Brad Kasselman/coastphoto.com

Fort Berens Estate Winery is a culmination of the dreams, vision and pioneering spirit of seven entrepreneurs – Heleen Pannekoek, Rolf de Bruin, Hugh Agro, Sean Harvey, Jason Neal, John McConnell and Dan Barnholden. The seven owners of Fort Berens share a common belief in the incredible winemaking potential of the area and a shared vision to make Fort Berens into one of Canada’s leading producers of fine wine. With its vineyards on sagebrush-covered benchland along the Fraser River at the base of towering mountains, Fort Berens embraces the spirit of Lillooet. Alpine breezes, lingering summer sunlight and moderate winters provide a unique terroir ideal for growing premium grapes. Discover Fort Berens Estate Winery, Lillooet’s first winery, in BC’s newest wine region and explore 150 years of pioneering spirit. For more information, call 1.877.956.7768, visit www.FortBerens.ca, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

-30-

For further information and additional photos, please contact:

Kim Lawton

DogLeg Marketing & Business Solutions

250.488.0878

klawton@DogLegMarketing.ca

 

PRESS RELEASE: Fort Berens Receives Prestigious Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in BC Wines!

July 30, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LILLOOET, BC.  Saturday marked a momentous day for Lillooet’s Fort Berens Estate Winery. The dry, hot sun shone brightly in Lillooet as Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon presented Fort Berens the prestigious 2014 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines for their 2012 Estate Riesling.

In addition to the Lieutenant Governor, there were close to 40 members of the Vancouver Consul Corps, local dignitaries including Mark Strahl, Member of Parliament for Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon, Jacquie Rasmussen, Electoral Area B Alternate Director, Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, Lillooet Mayor and Councillors Dennis Bontron, Marg Lampman and Wendy Parker, media, staff and local residents in attendance at the awards presentation.

The Fort Berens team and a crowd of steadfast supporters all choked back feelings of pride and gratitude as Her Honour presented the award. Rolf de Bruin and Heleen Pannekoek, founders of Fort Berens, accepted the award on behalf of the entire team. Rolf first expressed his heartfelt appreciation for this recognition. “One hundred and fifty years ago, early pioneers came to Lillooet to realize their dreams, and with this award, today we realize one of our own dreams. As we look into the future, we see a landscape with the potential to help achieve many more dreams.”

Heleen continued, “Today we are celebrating a Riesling made exclusively with grapes grown in Lillooet. A Riesling deemed to be among the best wines in British Columbia. The viability of grapes in Lillooet was a key milestone, and this marks a new milestone that proves grapes from Lillooet can be of exceptional quality. We are thrilled to be a part of this growing wine region and we are excited to explore all that this region will produce in the coming years.”

The awards ceremony took place outside on the deck of the gorgeous, new winery that opened up earlier this month. Talk about a special way to commemorate the opening! “We have come a long way, and today’s milestone is another important marker on our journey that still has many exciting times to come,” Heleen explained. At the end of the day, Rolf, Heleen and the team raised a glass to celebrate this milestone. It was a very special day where special memories were created for the Fort Berens team.

Fort Berens Estate Winery is the first winery in Lillooet, BC. It is located on a sage-brush covered bench at the base of the Fraser Canyon’s snow-capped mountains. For more information, call 1.877.956.7768, visit www.FortBerens.ca, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

-30-

For further information, please contact:

Kim Lawton

DogLeg Marketing & Business Solutions

250.488.0878

klawton@DogLegMarketing.ca

Fort Berens Wins First Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in BC Wines!

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our 2012 Riesling was just awarded the very prestigious 2014 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines. This award marks the first ever Lieutenant Governor’s Award for our winery and the first for our emerging wine region.

This prestigious award is an important milestone for our growing business and the emerging wine region in Lillooet. We have worked very hard on achieving a level of quality that would be worthy of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in BC Wines. This award for our 100% estate grown 2012 Riesling shows that the Lillooet region has the capacity to produce grapes of such high quality.

We established Fort Berens as the first winery in Lillooet in 2009. To be just five years along this journey and to win such an honour is incredibly humbling for us. We have been able to form a great team of very passionate and dedicated people. Our winery attracts pioneering spirits seeking new adventures that provide them with a chance to mindfully and responsibly explore uncharted territory. Together, we have discovered a new viticultural region in British Columbia that we continue to explore and develop.

Our 2012 Riesling was one of just 12 wines from BC that received this award. Given that this year was the largest competition in the 12-year history of the Lieutenant Governors awards, with 436 wines submitted from 119 wineries across the province, we are truly honoured.

Although our 2012 Riesling is in short supply, our 2013 Riesling, which is also made from 100% estate-grown grapes, is now available and also receiving wonderful early-praise and recognition including a Gold Medal at the Pacific Rim Wine Competition at the end of April and a Silver Medal at both the 2014 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition and the 2014 Riverside International Wine Competition.

Her Honour, the Honourable Judith Guichon, will visit our winery on Saturday, July 26th to present this award. Her Honour will be accompanied by 40 members of the Vancouver Consul Corps. For the full list of winners and for more information visit http://goo.gl/x3ORll

2014 is shaping up to be a tremendous year! We are nearing completion of the building of our new winery, which will open later in July. We will need to find a special shelf in the new winery for this prestigious award. Thank you for all of your support and for being a part of this amazing journey with us.

Job Posting: Discovery Club Coordinator (CLOSED)

Fort Berens Estate Winery’s Discovery Club is growing rapidly, and to better serve our wine club members we’re hiring a Discovery Club Coordinator. This is an exciting opportunity to advance your career in wine industry while having fun. Experience is good, but our priority is finding the right person to join our team and help us deliver exceptional service to Discovery Club Members.

Responsibilities:

The Discover Club Coordinator will be responsible for:

Coordinating wine club shipments to club members
Organizing member-only events in Lillooet and cities across BC
Creating newsletters and club related marketing collateral
Developing phone, web-based, and email campaigns to increase member engagement

This role allows for a flexible work schedule and a home office.

Qualifications:

Proven retail sales or customer service experience
Strong organizational skills with attention to detail
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
Passionate and knowledgeable about wine
Proficient with office software
Must be at least 21 years of age with valid driver’s license.

This role is best suited to someone with initiative, who demonstrates an entrepreneurial spirit, and who is customer service oriented.

We offer a part time contract that can grow into a full time permanent contract. Compensation package will include salary, sales commission, benefits and wine allowance

How to apply / contact information:
Apply by sending your resume and cover letter before May 4th to:

Email: rolf@fortberens.ca
Fort Berens Estate Winery
Attn. Rolf de Bruin
PO Box 758
Lillooet, BC V0K 1V0
250-256-7788

Location:
1881 Highway 99 north
Lillooet, BC V0K 1V0

About us:
Our vineyard is located in the magnificent Fraser Canyon across the Fraser River from the town of Lillooet. Lillooet is one of the "Hot Spots" in Canada, with a climate that is comparable with the South Okanagan. The Coast Mountains to the west of Lillooet keep rain and clouds away, ensuring that the vines receive plenty of sunshine. In 2009, we planted 20 acres with six varieties: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. In the future, we will expand with another 20 acres.

We make and sell premium, award winning BC VQA wines. We believe that great wines are grown, not made. 

Spring Blossoms at Fort Berens Estate Winery

Press Release

April 15th 2014 — LILLOOET, BC – The weather is heating up, the sun is shining and the season is off to a great start for Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet. With some major milestones behind them, including the groundbreaking of their new winery in the fall and winning White Wine of the Year at Cornucopia in November, the team is bursting with excitement as spring blossoms. For Fort Berens, this spring brings new growth to their team, the blossoming of their winery construction project and a bountiful spring release of their favourite and new varietals.

Rolf de Bruin, founder and one of the owners of Fort Berens, announced, “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Megan de Villiers and Danny Hattingh to the Fort Berens team. Megan is our new Vineyard Manager and Danny is our new Winemaker. They are a couple in real life and also in the vineyard and cellar. They have worked together as a winery team for a number of years and join our team with experience from South Africa, the Southern Gulf Islands and the Okanagan. When Heleen and I met with Danny and Megan, we felt an immediate connection with them as we discovered that their journey was not unlike ours. We have all enjoyed many great adventures along the way. While our paths were different, those paths led all of us to Lillooet, and we are so pleased that Megan and Danny are joining us here.”

Megan and their dog Kimbra have already settled in Lillooet and Danny will be joining them in the next few weeks. Megan explained, “We feel like we are very compatible with Rolf, Heleen and the team. We are both ready for this next adventure and to begin exploring Lillooet. Geologically, this area is very different from other areas where we’ve worked, yet the climate is very similar, so we are excited to work in this new area and to see what we can create in this unique geographical pocket. We are both very passionate and motivated as we take on these new challenges in our careers.”

Given the growth that Fort Berens has seen in recent years and their future plans, Danny and Megan are well positioned to help Fort Berens meet their ambitious goals. Winery co-owner Heleen Pannekoek continued, “Hiring Danny and Megan, combined with the building of our new winery, are major steps forward. We have moved from purchasing Okanagan fruit to growing our own grapes. This year, we anticipate 75-80% of our wine will be made with estate grown grapes. In addition, all of our wine will be made in our own onsite cellar and bottled in our own facility.”

Rolf also provided an update on the winery construction process. “We are on track with the building of our new 9,500 square foot building which will include an 1,100 square foot tasting room, overlooking the vineyards with a gorgeous view of the mountains in the background. We anticipate opening the tasting room by the end of July, and we are already working on plans for an official grand opening celebration in September.”

After a few years of working at different wineries, Danny, who is eagerly anticipating the completion of the construction so he can begin making wine in this new state-of-the-art building, is also very excited to work with Megan again. He explained, “We both studied in the same school. We know and trust each other and we can communicate what we need from each other. It’s been said that wine is made in the vineyard and I truly believe this. I want to make wine from the vines and grapes that Megan tends to. We are on the same page and we take a real team approach to the way we grow grapes and make wine. Rolf and Heleen have an amazing vineyard and, along with the other owners, they have a very specific and well thought out plan for the future. There are an additional 20 acres on the Fort Berens property to be planted in the coming years, so we’ll be working hard to learn which varietals, clones and rootstocks are best suited to the area.”

Spring marks a key time of renewal for the team, as they release their latest vintage. Heleen beamed with excitement for their spring releases, “We have finished bottling and are extremely pleased to be launching our latest releases. Our last vintage of wines sold out early, so our shelves have been empty for some time. We are delighted to start showcasing our new vintages, which include our 23 Camels White 2013, 23 Camels Red 2012, Pinot Gris 2013, Riesling 2013 and Pinot Noir Rosé 2013. This vintage marks another important milestone for us, as all of our 2013 white releases are 100% estate grown for the first time in our history.”

 “In addition, we continue to expand our portfolio, and we are happy to (re-)introduce a new product, our Late Harvest Riesling 2013. This food friendly wine is a beautiful pre-dinner apéritif and it also pairs perfectly with dessert. Our enhanced product line means we now have a Fort Berens pairing for every course in a multi-course dinner.”

 “All of the pieces of our plan are really coming together and we feel like we are in great shape going in to this key season. We are very pleased with our growing team, the progress on the construction of our new winery and our new releases. Our vineyard is in great shape and producing at full capacity, and we are ready and excited for the season”, explained Rolf.  With everything in place for spring and the upcoming season, both on the team and in the wineshop, 2014 is looking to be an excellent year filled with important milestones for Fort Berens.

Fort Berens Estate Winery is the first winery in Lillooet, BC. It is located on a sage-brush covered bench at the base of the Fraser Canyon’s snow-capped mountains. For more information, call 1.877.956.7768, visit www.fortberens.ca or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

- 30 -

High resolution images are available at /About/Trade--Media.