Colio Estate Wines officially kicked off its harvest season on September 6 with its Pinot Noir, which is used in the winery’s Sparkling wines.
“It was a classic Sparkling harvest,” said Lawrence Buhler, Colio’s Winemaker. “The initial pressed grapes are exhibiting a nice bright acidity and great flavour.” Buhler felt the Pinot Noir definitely hit the mark for an ideal Sparkling Wine.
The Pinot Noir grapes were treated to an extended pressing in the new membrane press, which slowly and gently extracts the flavour and colour into the finished wine. Following fermentation, the wine will be fashioned into the popular Girls’ Night Out line of wines as a new VQA Rosé Sparkling Wine due to hit LCBO shelves next March 2014. It will retail for $14.95.
The regular table wine harvest started with Pinot Gris on September 9. The fruit exhibited bright citrus and nice minerality. Buhler characterized the vintage as one that will be exceptionally strong for aromatic white wines such as Pinot Gris with a very elegant style expected from the Bordeaux reds. While there was a slow start to the year, the heat experience in late July and August resulted in the vines catching up and maturing quickly.
