Blue Grouse Charme D’ile

The Blue Grouse Estate Winery’s philosophy is “stewardship”. Their aim is to make everything They touch better than it was when they found it. They apply this to training their team on the environment that hosts the vineyards and home, the vines they grow, the wines they make, the infrastructure that supports the winery and vineyard, and the economics of our business model – everything.

Made with a blend of 100% Vancouver Island grapes from both Blue Grouse Estate and growers this bubbly white blend is comprise of Schönburger, Müller Thurgau, Bacchus, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. The grapes were destemmed, juice pressed off the skins and then fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve aromas. The dry, finished wine was then mixed with a bit of sugar and yeast and allowed to ferment in a sealed tank. With nowhere for the carbon dioxide to escape, as the wine fermented for a second time, the pressure climbed creating lots of bubbles. The bubbly wine was moved carefully to bottled and finished with a cork.

Vancouver Island is a cool growing region producing wines with natural acidity. The maritime influence helps keep the vineyard warm in the winter and cool in the summer, allowing for steady ripening and protection from very cold temperatures. The slow ripening during the growing season produced a wine with intense aromas and juicy flavors of melon, lychee and peach candy.