The Wine Syndicate

Autumn is settling in at Château Roubine Cru Classé 🍁 the team is busy in the cellar while the grapevines begin their dormancy cycle 🧡

What a treat to host Federico Raviola from Frasca Wine in Vancouver! Thank you to La Tana for a lovely wine dinner that showcased the other side of Piedmont! 🇮🇹

Some lovely photos from Alessandria Fratelli 🤍 Nebbiolo that shows a sense of place! The name Nebbiolo is derived from ‘nebbia’ which means fog in Italian. How fitting! 🇮🇹

Burgers and Bordeaux! What a treat to have Gerard Blanloeil, Managing Director for Clarendelle join us in Vancouver today!
Our Coravin sure came in handy to taste the 2010 Château Haut-Brion! Quelle plaisir! 🇫🇷 Merci beaucoup!

That autumnal feeling! 🍂
The team at Sordo Wine are bringing in the last of the Nebbiolo grapes for this year’s harvest 🍇 Now we must patiently wait for them to turn into one of our favourite Barolos!

Sweet harvest snaps from our friends at Musella Winery & Relais 🍇

Harvest is looking a little different for many of our pals in the Okanagan Valley this year!
1 Mill Road is busy collecting Grenache and Syrah from Horse Heaven Hills in Washington 🇺🇸

Winemaker Ben Bryant says, “We couldn’t be more excited to be working with these varieties and such exceptional growers!” 🍇

Follow their stories as they continue to share this unique vintage with you!

The grapes are officially in at Champagne Roger Constant Lemaire 🍇 now the magic begins in the cellar ✨

Az. Agr. Fontodi Vigna del Sorbo now at Everything Wine in Langley!

Gran Selezione wines must be a minimum of 90% Sangiovese, and a maximum of 10% indigenous red grapes.
The grapes can only be sourced from estate-owned grapes, from a single vineyard (and/or a selection of the best grapes) and bottled at the estate.
The wines must be aged for a minimum of 30 months (with at least 3 months in bottle).
This wine comes from an incredible old vineyard (called Vigna del Sorbo) with 55 year old vines.
Fermentation takes place in stainless steel with wild yeast, then aged for 30 months in French oak barrels (50% new Troncais and Alliers barrels)
On the palate, this wine is savoury and elegant, with notes of wild strawberries, blackberry, cardamon, and leather 🍓

Château Roubine Cru Classé has a history dating back to the 14th century. Located in a picturesque setting between the Alps and the Mediterranean, it is recognized as one of the oldest Cru Classés of the Côtes de Provence 🇫🇷�They are certified organic and have been using biodynamic practices in the vineyard for many years.
This is a blend of Semillon and Rolle (a.k.a. Vermentino!) The wine in aged in barrel for 8 months for added texture and longevity - Lemon, anise, pear and river stones. Oui Merci! ��

One of our Favorita wines! From our friends at Alessandria Fratelli 🍋 fun and fresh with notes of yellow apple, white blossom, and ginger! Yes please!

Harvest at Stoller Family Estate kicked off with the first pick of Chardonnay and Meunier for their sparkling wine program! It’s officially the best time of the year 🍾 Happy harvest everyone!

Veraison is underway at Champagne Roger Constant Lemaire 🍇

We are soaking up the dog days of summer with our pals in the Okanagan! The tasting room is still open 7 days a week at ROCHE wines in Penticton 🌞 Don’t forget to check out their tasty wines under the Vig Wines lineup 🎨

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And just like that, harvest is underway at Honig Vineyard & Winery in California! Ella helped to bring in the first Sauvignon Blanc grapes from their Rutherford vineyard 🐾 This Block 14 fruit will be fermented in new French wood and will eventually be blended into their Estate Bottled Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 🌞
It’s the best time of the year!

The Cave des Vignerons de Buxy was born from the desire to unite around the common project of representing the grape growers and terroirs of the Côte Chalonnaise 🍇 The coop is a collective of 120 farms and 200 vignerons.
The Côte Chalonnaise is located between the Côte de Beaune and the Mâconnais 🇫🇷
The grapes are planted on limestone-rich soils, giving a mineral edge to the wine. On the palate, this wine is bright and elegant. Notes of red cherry, red plum, raspberry, licorice and pepper. Great value for Burgundy! Perfect for tomato season! 🍅

Prep 500 in full swing at Rippon Vinyard & Winery 🐮🌚

Filling cow horns will fresh cow manure is one of the preparations in biodynamic agriculture as indicated by Rudolf Steiner during his 1924 lecture series, intended to bring a spiritual foundation to renew the state of agriculture following an increase in the usage of chemical fertilisers following the first world war.
Cow horns are filled with fresh cow manure (preferably from a lactating cow) they are then buried in the ground for the winter, before being retrieved in the spring, stirred into water (in a specific way), and then sprayed across the land.
It is understood that this preparation helps improve the soil structure, regulates the pH, and dramatically boosts microbial activity, bringing many benefits and a new sense of vitality to the land 🌱

We’re quenching our thirst with some Cava tonight! The Francesc Ricart Brut by Vintae is made in the Traditional Method and spends 14 months on its lees for some added texture 🍾 Energetic and fresh with notes of green apple, pear and honeycomb ✨

Some incredible images of some of Anthonij Rupert Wyne old vines throughout the years. The Old Vine Project (OVP) is dedicated to preserving and honouring the country’s invaluable old vine heritage 🇿🇦

Cellar sips ✨

Our friends at Casamolina in Vancouver are pouring some seriously tasty Garnacha by the glass! Vintae shares that “The Garnachas Project ("Proyecto Garnachas") looks to revive a forgotten variety that is full of opportunity but has been underrated for decades. To do so, we have selected old vines, from which six wines have been created to show the character of the Garnacha variety, representing the region where they are elaborated.”
Concentrated yet lifted, with notes of red cherry, blackberry, earth, wild herbs and sweet spices 🍷 ¡Salud!

We’re soakin up these goodies from Planeta Winery🌞 Planeta has been around since the mid 1980’s and today they have 6 estates across Sicily that are planted to both indigenous and international varieties. Certified Organic since 2014 and committed to sustainable farming/winemaking always 🇮🇹

A stunning view from Swerwer by JC Wickens Wines 🇿🇦 The kloof above Tiernes Chenin Blanc vineyard, planted in 1983. This image shows just how wet this kloof and vineyard can be and why it was drained and trained up in the early 90s 🌱

Our pals at Bravo Vancouver have a tasty selection of wines to accompany their lovely small plates 🐟 Check them out for some South African Chenin from Anthonij Rupert Wyne 🇿🇦
Green apple, honeycomb, and wild herbs - yes please!

BBQ season in full swing 🌞 We're indulging in the good stuff tonight!