Press Releases

  • Howard Soon honoured with The Order of Canada

    By

    Howard Timothy Lee Soon, C.M.
    Kelowna, British Columbia

    For his leading role in shaping, expanding and elevating British Columbia’s wine industry.

    Read the official press release here:
    https://www.gg.ca/en/media/news/2019/governor-general-announces-83-new-appointments-order-canada

     

     

     

     

     

     

    In the words of John Schreiner, Canada’s most prolific author of wine books:

    “The Order of Canada is the highest honour that Canada can give to a citizen. No one is more deserving of such an honour than Howard Soon. He will do his 40th vintage this year at Vanessa Vineyard, which he joined in 2017 on retiring from Sandhill Wines. Throughout his illustrious career, his wines have won more than 100 major awards. He has mentored numerous other winemakers. He was a pioneer in championing single vineyard wines and in elucidating the concept of terroir. Becoming the first BC winemaker to receive the Order of Canada crowns a remarkable, and continuing, career.”

  • Nine Times a Winner: Vanessa Vineyard Collects Honours at Home and Abroad

    By

    Three competitions award BC winery with Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze

    Cawston, BC — June 27, 2018: Acclaimed British Columbia winery Vanessa Vineyard has brought home a combined nine honours from three prestigious international competitions — an exceptional feat for a winery of such relative youth.

    The 2018 edition of the All Canadian Wine Championships (Canada’s oldest wine competition), held June 12 – 14 in Prince Edward County, Ontario, awarded three medals to Vanessa Vineyard. They are:
    • Double Gold (Best in Category): Cabernet Franc 2015 (Category: Cabernet Franc – over $30)
    • Gold: Right Bank 2014 (Category: Bordeaux Blends, Older Vintages)
    • Silver: Rosé 2017 (Category: Rosé, Blush Style)

    In its 79th year, the Los Angeles International Wine Competition bestowed five medals upon Vanessa Vineyard following its blind tastings from May 23 – 24. They are:
    • Silver: Syrah 2014
    • Silver: Merlot 2014
    • Silver: Right Bank 2014
    • Bronze: Meritage 2014
    • Bronze: Cabernet Franc 2015

    Syrah du Monde is a judging of the world’s best Syrah and Shiraz wines. Held in northern Rhône Valley, France, it took place this year from May 16 – 18, and awarded Vanessa Vineyard’s 2014 Syrah a Bronze title.

    Planted in 2006 under the guidance of renowned viticulturists Robert Goltz and Richard Cleave, Vanessa Vineyard is situated on a hillside overlooking the Similkameen Valley, comprising 75 acres of extremely rocky terrain. The quantity of rocks on the site initially made vineyard development exceedingly challenging; however, the rocks are a key asset to the property’s unique terroir, allowing day heat to be harnessed and imparted throughout the cooler nights, thus enabling the fruit to produce flavours and minerality that are truly distinctive.

    Since 2012, Vanessa Vineyard has produced small quantities of premium red wines using only estate-grown fruit — its long-term goal is to become one of the best red sites in Canada. In late 2017, the winery marked two milestones: it opened an elegant tasting room on its grounds, and legendary vintner Howard Soon was appointed Master Winemaker. “Each of Vanessa’s wines are distinctive and attractive,” says Soon. “Their common thread of minerality and structure makes me proud to know that they offer something a little extra from our single vineyard in the Lower Similkameen.”

    Wine bottle images are available here.

    About Vanessa Vineyard
    Vanessa Vineyard is dedicated to producing wine that is true to the heritage of its terroir — one of the finest vineyard regions of Canada. Situated on a hillside overlooking the Similkameen Valley, Vanessa grows its grapes on 75 acres of sloping, well-drained rocky terrain. Its tasting room is located 1090 Highway 3, Cawston, BC. Daily summer hours are 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

  • Master Winemaker Howard Soon Joins Vanessa Vineyard

    By

    Vanessa Vineyard is proud to announce Howard Soon as our Master Winemaker. A pioneer in the BC wine industry, he has been awarded with innumerable accolades and established many firsts in the province, including the first to release a series of single vineyard designated wines.

    “I’ve worked with Vanessa Vineyard grapes since its founding, and believe it is unlike any other vineyard due to the site’s unique topography, climatic conditions, and soil types – the perfect combination for making truly distinctive wine. When we first started getting fruit from Vanessa for Sandhill Wines we saw the potential, and when I tried our first vintage of Cabernet Franc I was blown away.” said Howard Soon, Master Winemaker. “I’m excited to go back to the workbench, it will be refreshing to be hands-on with these small productions. I believe this special terroir is the best site for growing premium reds in Canada.”

    Vanessa Vineyard is situated high on a hillside overlooking the Similkameen Valley with red grapes cultivated on sloping terrain. The vines grow in rows of rock, absorbing the day heat and imparting that warmth during the cooler nights, thus bestowing complex flavours and minerality that are truly distinctive. A burgeoning appellation, the Similkameen Valley is touted as “the next great Canadian wine region.”

    Viticulturist Robert Goltz comments, “I’ve been planting vines in the Okanagan for over 40 years and in the Similkameen since the NAFTA grape pullout. From the start, we recognized the Vanessa site was ideal for premium reds, there is just so much sun exposure in the summer and the rocks were both a huge problem and an advantage.”

    “Over the past decade we’ve worked closely with Howard. He helps growers and everyone else excel at their craft in the expertise he provides. He is unique among winemakers in giving us such incredibly detailed feedback on exactly what he’s looking for on the palate so that we can make changes in the vineyard to meet the precise flavour profile he’s trying to achieve in the fruit. Now that he’s with Vanessa, he will have even more freedom to continue this,” Goltz said.

    “We aspire to produce the best red wines in the country and are proud to have a winemaker of Soon’s expertise on our journey. With this premier site and an extraordinary winemaking and viticulture team, we can craft profound wines that reflect this truly distinctive vineyard,” said Suki Sekhon, co-founder Vanessa Vineyard.

    A living legend, for over three decades Howard Soon has been on the leading edge of winemaking innovation. Originally a brewmaster, a taste for more creativity saw him join the fledgling BC wine industry in 1980. Amongst numerous other milestones, Howard was the first winemaker in the province to receive a Gold Medal at the Chardonnay du Monde in France; release a series of single vineyard designated wines; and sweep the Canadian Wine Awards receiving Red Wine of the Year, White Wine of the Year and Winery of the Year — the only winery to ever win all three. Most recently, Soon was recognized at the 2015 Vancouver International Wine Festival Celebrating Excellence Awards with the highly coveted Spirited Industry Professional.  His collaborative relationships with growers led him to Vanessa Vineyard in 2006, where working with their viticulture team, he oversaw the planting of their vineyard. He subsequently purchased the vast majority of their grapes for his highly-acclaimed Sandhill Vanessa Vineyard wines. In 2017 Howard “retired” after 37 years with one of Canada’s largest wine companies to focus on truly small lot winemaking as Master Winemaker for Vanessa Vineyard.

  • Starstruck! Vanessa Vineyard Debuts at Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver

    By

    Starstruck! Vanessa Vineyard Debuts at Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver With The First Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Ceremony in Canada

    ATT00003VANCOUVER, BC – APRIL 13, 2016: Vanessa Vineyard is honoured to debut at Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver for the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star dinner. The winery’s 2012 Syrah was chosen as the entrée wine pairing by Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver for the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide Awards Ceremony this evening, the first time it has been held outside the USA in its 58-year history.

    Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver was selected by Forbes to host the annual gala celebrating the worldwide recipients of the prestigious Forbes Five-Star Hotel Rating, of which Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver is one. The evening will be attended by the 250 General Managers of each Forbes 5-Star property from around the world. It is the first time the event has been held internationally, and is a rare opportunity to showcase British Columbia to the world with a Pacific Northwest inspired evening.

    ATT00002Vanessa Vineyard is situated on a hillside overlooking the Similkameen Valley, comprising 75 acres of extremely rocky terrain. Planted in 2006 under the guidance of renowned viticulturists Robert Goltz and Richard Cleave, the quantity of rocks on the site initially made vineyard development exceedingly challenging. The rocks, however, are a key asset to the property’s unique terroir, allowing day heat to be harnessed and imparted throughout the cooler nights enabling the fruit to produce flavours and minerality that are truly distinctive. In 2012 the owners Suki Sekhon and John Welson transitioned from grape growers to vintners. After ensuring the fruit was of superior quality, they began crafting small quantities of fine wine for their two reds, a premium Syrah and Meritage.

    The Vanessa Vineyard 2012 Syrah is a full-bodied wine with well-integrated tannins, superior structure and concentrated flavours. Black fruits, leather, white pepper, and chocolate notes fill the mouth layered over silky tannins. A small percentage of Viognier was co-fermented with the Syrah in the traditional northern Rhone style. Produced in a small lot of 200 cases, the 2012 vintage retails for $33.83 and is sold out. The 2013 vintage will be released in May and available at vanessavineyard.com, as well as select fine dining establishments in Vancouver and the Okanagan.

    ATT00004“We are very excited to be showcasing the Vanessa Vineyard Syrah as we host the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Awards Gala. As the Similkameen & Okanagan valleys continue to gain notoriety internationally, specifically for Syrah, we felt that Vanessa was a benchmark for B.C. in terms of its elegant styling via its Rhone Valley inspiration, without sacrificing the opulence and richness that the great reds from 2012 show. It was the perfect selection to present B.C. wine at its best for this highly influential global hospitality celebration,” said Steven Lane, Sommelier, Yew Seafood + Bar, Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver.

    “A decade ago when we first started planting, we were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of rocks on the property, which covered the majority of our arable land. This has however, proven to be a phenomenal and unique attribute in the Valley with the vineyard transcending our expectations on its ability to produce quality fruit and wine,” said Suki Sekhon, co-owner vanessavineyard.com

    Vanessa Vineyard. “We were honoured when Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver approached us to provide the red wine for their Forbes Five-Star Gala. Four Seasons extraordinary level of excellence is truly worthy of the Forbes Five-Star rating and is a perfect pairing with Vanessa.”

    Suggested tweet: Official @VanessaVnyrd debut @FSVancouver, 2012 Syrah paired w/
    @NedBell cuisine for @ForbesInspector gala http://tinyurl.com/j5jgybm

    ABOUT US:
    Vanessa Vineyard is dedicated to producing wine that is true to the heritage of its terroir, which is located in one of the finest vineyard regions of Canada. Situated on the hillside overlooking the Similkameen Valley, Vanessa Vineyard grows its grapes on 75 acres of sloping, well-drained rocky terrain. vanessavineyard.com

    MEDIA CONTACT:
    Lori Pike-Raffan
    Vanessa Vineyard
    920-475 West Georgia Street | Vancouver, BC | V6B 4M9
    T: +1 604-689- 3800 | F: +1 604-689- 3722 C: +1 604-808- 6655
    Email: lori@vanessavineyard.com