Pender Island may not be the first place you look for a winery, but if you do, a pleasant surprise awaits. It is Sea Star Vineyards, and they are hitting their stride with some great aromatic wines. Ian Baker makes the wines, and stays within the bounds of what the soil and climate offer, making some fascinating wines in the process. The Siegerrebe, $20, is a great place to start: it is absolutely loaded with fresh, vivid summer fruit, such as peaches, apricots, and a hint of grapefruit. Most impressively, it has a racy acidity to keep it all in proportion, making this a sippers’ delight, but also making it a good accompaniment to spicy dishes, almost any array of appetizers, even an on-the-hot-side butter chicken.
