Diversity is what makes the wines at Stag’s Hollow, namely, the diversity of terroirs between their two main vineyards, Stag’s Hollow Vineyard and Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard. Both produce a variety of grapes that give winemaker Dwight Sick a range of possibilities for making wine.
The two vineyard sites are very different. The Stag’s Hollow Vineyard, that surrounds the winery, is a deep kettle of gravel, cratered out by a massive block of ice during the ice age. When the ice melted, it left a beautiful, sloping site perfect for a vineyard. Shuttleworth Creek is the outer rim of alluvial fan that contains seams of gravel and sand that indicates the location of old stream flows. It is a flatter site that slopes slightly east west, much different than the bowl-shaped slopes at Stag’s Hollow. Both sites complement each other well and allow Dwight to maintain a finely tuned portfolio of wines.
Two wines made from Spanish grape varieties illustrate this diversity well. The Albariño 2016, with beautiful crisp apple and melon flavours, comes from the Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard and is the second vintage produced. The Tempranillo, with beautiful black cherries and leafy herbal flavours, includes fruit grown in the Stag’s Hollow Vineyard. Both have won high profile medals (Albariño – Double Gold and Best in Class at 2017 Cascadia, Tempranillo – Gold at 2016 All Canadians) confirming that both vineyard sites are well suited for growing top quality fruit.
Check out their whole portfolio in the tasting room or online at www.stagshollowwinery.com.