Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Vineyard is located in Duncan on Vancouver Island. The Cowichan Valley is there, and the wine is beginning to gain some traction, as vineyards sprout up and begin to mature. The winery’s Quill Riesling ($20, made with fruit grown near Tuc-el-Nuit Lake in Oliver) is a great example of what riesling can be in this part of the world. Classic petrol notes give way to some hints of thyme and robust citrus. Plenty of minerality, so this wine is dry as they come. Fantastic to sip on its own to get you through the beginning of the third season of Hannibal.
From Serendipity Winery, on the Naramata Bench, comes a lovely pinot noir ($25) jam-packed with fresh dark fruit flavours, violets, and a hint of cigar box. Put your best effort forward with a roast chicken, freshly foraged mushrooms, some root vegetables, and the wine will reward you with every sip.
