S p e c i a l F e a t u r e
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Chaberton Estate.indd 1 16-04-19 2:49 PM
the next level with its Wine Experience
Centre, an immersive, seated tasting
room located in the middle of the
vineyard. Guests are treated to a tasting
of six di•erent wines, each served in its
own varietal-speciŠc Riedel glassware,
and paired with a personalized "wine
evangelist"Žwho guides them through the
journey from grape to glass.
"Our guests can look two feet away
and see the very grapes used to produce
the wine they're tasting," says Glenn
Fawcett, president of Black Hills. "This
forms a memorable connection between
our wine and our terroir, and creates an
overall guest experience inspired by the
best practices we've seen in tasting rooms
around the world."
Poplar Grove has also found success
with its exclusive Wine Club program,
which treats members to regular
deliveries of its wines, as well as preferred
access to special releases like its signature
estate-grown cabernet franc. "We Šnd
that consumers really like the exclusivity
of our wine club, and the personalized
experience that it provides," say Carlson.
Beyond the Okanagan, the Fraser
Valley is another of the province's ripe
wine-producing regions. Established
in 1991, Chaberton Estate Winery in
South Langley is one of the largest estate
wineries in the province and the oldest in
the Fraser Valley. With a terroir similar to
other countries that produce world-class
wine, the winery sees an average of 60
per cent less rain than Vancouver.
"Wines represent a sense of place,
and at Chaberton we strive to respect the
nature of our terroir," says Brian Ensor,
general manager. "Whether harvested
here in the Fraser Valley or by our
Okanagan growers, our wines re—ect
the natural qualities of the land and
the grape."
Situated a short 45-minute drive away
from downtown Vancouver, the winery
is enjoying an increasing number of local
visitors as well as tourists from nearby
Washington State. "I think people are
becoming more interested in our wines,"
says Ensor. There's a growing awareness
that these are world-class wines, and
they're produced right here in B.C."
