It's being called the comeback of all comebacks, the hero journey, the gratitude tour, proof of resiliency and the abundance revival.
We're speaking, of course, of the incredible bounceback of the Okanagan's wine grape harvest in the fall of 2025 and the release of some of those wines this spring to rave reviews after January 2024's brutal freeze killed the 2024 grape harvest.
"Everyone loves a comeback," said Joanna Schlosser, marketing director of Quails' Gate Winery in West Kelowna.
"2025 has so much positive energy."
Schlosser was speaking at an event at Quails' Gate to launch April's BC Wine Month.
While the month happens every year, there's so much more to celebrate this year with the return to Okanagan grapes in the glass for the 2025 vintage.
A panel of speakers at the BC Wine Month launch were all stoked for this spring's release of 2025 white and rose wines.
"There's gratitude. There's abundance," said Quails' Gate winemaker Kailee Frasch.
"The 2025 grapes and wine give us such depth of fruit and freshness."
Allison Moyes is the winemaker and general manager at Solvero in Summerland.
"2025 is one of the best vintages I've ever seen," she said.
"Initially, I had no idea what to expected, but we got a bumper and balanced crop of excellent quality."
Jason Parkes Customs has Crown & Thieves, Black Swift and The Hatch wineries, Truck 59 Ciderhouse and The Hatching Post restaurant.
"BC wine is back," said Jason Parks Customs' business development manager Craig Pingle.
"Only those that are truly passionate remain and we have laser focus for quality wines."
Stephanie Mosley is the sales and marketing manager at Tantalus Vineyards, the winery on the East Kelowna Slopes known for its Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wines.
"We're here to have fun -- and be sustainable," she quipped.
We all know the drill.
The vicious cold snap in January 2024 killed all the buds on grape vines in the Okanagan ensuring there would be no harvest in the fall of 2024 and therefore no 2024 vintage Okanagan wines.
Okanagan wineries turned on a dime and sourced grapes -- mostly from Washington state and Oregon -- to make so-called 'replacement wines' to keep staff employed and have bottles to sell.
No one knew exactly what 2025 would bring.
But, the Okanagan vines that survived came back gangbusters, producing a bumper crop of grapes to be made into 2025 vintage wines.
The first of those wines -- aromatic whites and roses -- are now being released.
We'll start with three stunners from Quails' Gate, since it is the winery where the BC Wine Month launch was.
- 2025 Herloom White ($24)
So named because the dominant varietal in this blend is Chasselas, a heirloom grape for Quails' Gate, first planted at the estate in 1961.
There's also a bit of Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc in the mix.
Aromas and flavours of peach, pear, lemon and white flowers.
An ideal spring sipper.
- 2025 Chenin Blanc ($27)
Not very many Okanagan wineries make Chenin Blanc -- a varietal that originated, like many wine grapes in France, before also gaining fame in South Africa.
The Quails' Gate version is a little tropical with a pineapple and lemon profile.
- 2025 Rose ($24)
Vibrant and delish with aromas and flavours of strawberry, cranberry and honeydew melon.
The very definition of a patio wine that also plays well with food from cheese and charcuterie to pork tenderloin and pizza.
Hester Creek Winery in Oliver has just released a whole crop of exciting 2025 vintage aromatic whites.
- Sauvignon Blanc ($22)
Your go-to picnic wine with a pear-lime-and-gooseberry profile.
- Pinot Blanc ($23)
An underappreciated varietal that over-delivers here with aromas and flavours of apple, lemon and lemon curd.
The winery recommends drinking it with oat-crusted steelhead in a lemon maple butter sauce.
- Trebbiano ($27)
Hester Creek is the only winery in the Okanagan that grows and makes Trebbiano, a mainstay in its native Italy.
There's definitely Italian flair here with an exotic profile of tangerine, melon and minerality.
- Pinot Gris/Viognier ($22)
An unusual blend that works -- pear, lime, honeysuckle and more minerality.
- Pinot Gris ($20)
The most planted white wine grape in the Okanagan is classic here with notes of pear, lemon and cantaloupe.
- Character White ($20)
An affordable and approachable crowd-pleaser blend of unoaked Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris.
Bring on the lemon, lychee and rose petal profile.
BC Wine Month doesn't ask much of you.
Simply step into the April sunshine and celebrate BC wines by purchasing and drinking local wine be it at the winery, a restaurant, at home, on a patio, picnic, boat or bike ride.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
