Iif there was an award for best wine shop experience, Meyer Family Vineyards would be a definite favourite to take home the honours. “Sharon is the best,” says winery Co-owner Janice Stevens about Wine Shop Manager Sharon Misselbrook. “She’s always coming up with new snacks to pair with our wines.”
Visitors in the fall were treated to snacks like ginger snaps, buttered popcorn, blueberry licorice and chocolate treats, all chosen to showcase MFV’s many award-winning wines. With each selection, Sharon explained how the taste of the wine was influenced by the food.
2012 has been a banner year for media accolades and awards for MFV, kicked off by a Globe and Mail feature on the winery by Beppi Crosariol, who lavished praise on Winemaker Chris Carson’s Pinot Noir: “A suave pinot that may turn you off shirazes and cabs for good.”
It’s not JAK Meyer’s or Janice Stevens’ goal to turn off wine drinkers from what they like, but their wines are certainly turning on lovers of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer.
The September-October issue of Wine Access placed the MFV 2010 Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir among its nine choices for The World’s Best Wines $25 and Under feature. It was the only Canadian wine to make the list.
The coming spring will mark the sixth release of Tribute Chardonnay, a special label designed to recognize a Canadian for outstanding achievement in their field. The choice for the 2011 vintage, Winnifred Stewart, championed the rights of people with developmental disabilities in Alberta.
The Tribute Series is not only a great way to recognize people for their contributions—it’s an outstanding wine. The December-January issue of Wine Access agrees—the 2010 Tribute Series Chardonnay took a Gold Medal in the magazine’s Canadian Wine Awards, was named the Best Wine in BC and was one of the Top 5 Best White Wines in Canada!
The McLean Creek Chardonnay also won a Silver at the 2012 Canadian Wine awards for those that like a Chardonnay with more minerality. The Okanagan Valley Chardonnay is for those that prefer an unoaked version.
~ Lorne Eckersley