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Meet Summerhill Pyramid Winery
The Chef & The Grape
By Chef Kristof Gillese
Regular readers know that I have long been a believer in the exemplary quality of sparkling wine from Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna, British Columbia.
In fact the Summerhill Ariel vintage sparkling made it into my Top Wine & Spirits 2014 list which had over 2,000 entries and showcased the best value and quality of three producers in each class. To say nothing of the massive list of awards it has garnered the world over.
But at a certain point we must ignore the praise of others and turn our attention to what is actually in the glass! This year, as in others, the releases from Summerhill have been significant; as concentrated as they are nuanced, as articulate about B.C. terroir as they are developed in Old World technique.
And so when my friends at Summerhill invited me to a luncheon/wine tasting which would compare their newest bubbles versus some of the best of their colleagues from around the globe I accepted gladly. The location for the luncheon is as much an icon for food as Summerhill is to wine: Hawksworth in downtown Vancouver. Known as one of the finest chefs in Canada, David Hawksworth and team outdid themselves with a stunningly elegant, sophisticated, approach to pairing against the two wines for each course. But then, we have come to expect such finesse from this brigade – voted best restaurant in Vancouver multiple times.
And then came my window of opportunity to sit with Eric and Ezra: discuss what was at the heart of creating some of the finest sparkling wine in the world. Their thoughts may surprise you! Watch here.
The conclusion to my interview with Ezra Cipes & Eric von Krosigk of Summerhill Pyramid Winery:
“What is the secret to producing some of the world’s BEST sparkling #wine?” Listen here.
And there it was: the true greatness in sparkling wine and, indeed, in all wine seems to come from unison above and beyond all else. Ezra’s comment may have been the most intelligent articulation I’ve heard yet: “The land (terroir) is the potential – it is the winemaker who unlocks that potential.”
The talented team that Eric and Ezra have assembled are unlocking the potential of Canadian sparkling wine in a manner that almost defies logic: from obscurity to prominence in less than a generation. There is a range to these Champagne rivals that isn’t covered in this article… I hope that you seek them out in your local market and I hope that you enjoy them as much as I.
Here are two full reviews to whet your appetite!
n/v sparkling “Cipes” Rosé
$27 CAD at the winery, 92 points, EXCELLENT Value+
If one must have sparkling rosé, then under $50 Cdn this is THE option. Realizing that I sound biased, this is one of the finest examples of this type of methode traditionale that I have ever had. Vintage after vintage this winery impresses not only with quality, but with unique expressions of terroir and varietal as well as world-class technique.
On the nose the first impressions are of a crushed-rock mineral quality; so fresh and intense that it supersedes the impressive red currant jelly/cranberry sauce bouquet that follows. The palate refreshes with a fine/pearl-like mousse delivering fully intense/fully integrated acid and a fully intense/youthful concentration of flavors which sync with the aromas admirably. True craftsman’s level balance and structure; worthy of cellaring this is a treat to enjoy in its youth and will continue to develop and evolve for many years: enjoy 7-10 years after purchase.
When I taste this wine, all that comes to mind is a traditional North American Thanksgiving dinner because, to my mind, nothing will pair better with it than roast turkey… real gravy, stuffing with currants and sage, butter fried Brussel sprouts, whipped potatoes. Perfection. Try a trick I use: rub the turkey with bacon fat rather than butter! This wine will love a touch of saltiness to food which enhances the natural minerality.
2010 sparkling Blanc-de-Noirs
$30 CAD at the winery, 91 points, EXCELLENT Value
A contemporary classic and a MUST for all serious bubbly lovers! This über-professional wine stands its ground against wines from better known regions that are $20-$30 more per bottle; soft yet concentrated young aromas of white peach, Golden apple, Bosc pear, chamomile and vivid minerality. Fine/rich mousse delivering a fully intense yet fully integrated citrus acidity while the palate matches the nose in intensity and dimension. Will age easily to 2025 and continue to evolve gracefully.
Food pairings with this wine abound; from fresh white fish to simple roast duck and even many pork dishes such as a (traditional or not) schnitzel – but my first choice would be using this (relatively) inexpensive bubbly to give depth and dimension to Sunday brunch. With egg-based dishes the bright, lively acid will sing and the fine/creamy mousse keep the palate fresh and clean! I do an eggs Benedict with a fresh chive and parsley hollandaise (I stole the recipe from Martha Stewart, god bless her) that would be brilliant: the herbs playing off the orchardfruit and young stonefruit qualities in the wine.
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Many thanks to the Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Ezra Cipes, Eric von Krosigk and Townhall Brands (media relations/PR for Summerhill) for their immense hospitality and coordinating such a stellar event.
– Kristof Gillese: Trained chef, certified wine steward and proud journalist. To chef Kristof it is the story that takes priority: to tell the tale of common people accomplishing uncommon goals. In the world of wine these tales are prolific. It is chef Kristof’s privilege to have worked with, and/or told the story of, luminaries such as Pierre-Henry Gagey of Maison Jadot, Nik Weis of St Urbans-Hof, Ray Signorello of Signorello Estates and Ezra Cipes of Summerhill Pyramid Winery; leaders in the industry. With almost three decades of experience working with the magical synergy between food and wine, chef Kristof is proud to share the stories of these amazing stewards of the land. These articles showcase a respect for the balance between our current mercantile economy and the-now-in-vogue ancestral farming methods/biodynamics/organic farming principles. All articles are written with a profound reverence for the family aspect to winery culture as, to this writers understanding, nothing has ever had a more far-reaching effect than the love and devotion for a parent to a child. All great wineries are built by parents for their children and grandchildren and it is because of this that chef Kristof writes.
You can read more of his rants-on-wine including full portfolio reviews, interviews with winemakers and notes from the illustrious #WineTastingCircle on his website www.TheChefandTheGrape.com and his blog www.AStudentofWine.blogspot.com.
Twitter: AStudentofWine and on Facebook: TheChefandTheGrape
