Curbside visits in wine country

Vineyards make a beautiful scene. In any season. In the fall, the bushy leaves change from deep green to rusty and golden hues. In the winter, the rows of barren vines take on a minimalist look. A dark gnarly silhouette against the white snow. 

Each day I visited the Twenty Valley this fall and winter was special. Winery tours and tastings with friendly servers. A cosy fireside raclette. Even a brewery visit in the midst of the vineyards. I was looking forward to returning in the spring to see the changing landscape once again.

I assumed I could return. Again and again. Whenever I wanted. 

How wrong I was.

Three months of shelter-in-place, only going out for essential errands and neighborhood walks, changed my perspective. Many activities that I took for granted, now feel like a privilege.

I felt quite lucky to venture into wine country this June, at the tail end of spring. I pre-ordered curbside pickups. It was refreshing to be back on those rolling country roads. The vineyards were completely transformed from my last winter visit. The rows of vines were a vibrant fresh green. The bunches of grapes minuscule. Look closely and you can see the tiny tiny grapes. Nature has been hard at work over the last 3 months (and I imagine, everyone involved in cultivating the vineyards!)

My first stop was Featherstone Winery. I learned about the winery in the delightful book To build a vineyard: an adventure of love, wine and courage. It’s the story of Back 10 Cellars and they acknowledge the mentorship of Featherstone co-owners (David Johnson and Louise Engel) to help them get their “vineyard feet”. So of course I wanted to taste their wines too.

The curbside pickup was absolutely lovely. My package of three wines was part of a charming vignette on an old wooden bench alongside a bunch of purple wildflowers. A hand written note from Louise thanked me for my order. “You have a great cross section. Enjoy!”

I could see the large wrap around veranda would be a lovely place to linger over a glass of wine. Ah, those vineyards seem to stretch in every direction.

From Featherstone, I had a short drive to collect my other goodies.

Vineland is one of the oldest wineries in the region, but there is nothing stuffy about the Kick Ass Sass made in collaboration with the rock’n Sass Jordan. In the fall I tried the white wine, a fresh and sassy combination of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chardonnay. It was really tasty so I was keen to try the red version as well. Walking towards the main building, I was greeted by friendly Catalina ready with my order.

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The lush pink peonies were in full bloom at my next destination, Ridgepoint Wines. My curbside pickup was for some bottles of the White Cab. It’s an intriguing white wine made from Cabernet Franc grapes. If you look closely, there is a hint of blush in the bottle revealing brief contact with the red skins. The pencil drawing of a white taxi on the label suggests a fun wine. And it is. The stone and citrus flavours, with a little sweetness, make for a pleasing and easy drinking wine.

At Back 10 Cellars, my box of Rose Coloured Glasses Rosé was packed and waiting for me outside. Andrew, one of the co-owners, kindly offered to place it in my trunk, which I was happy to accept. The box was a little, ahem, heavy for me. We have been enjoying this tipple quite a lot lately in the hot weather. The world looks a little brighter, a little prettier, a little nicer, under the tint of Rose Coloured Glasses. It’s true.

My visit to the Twenty Valley was different. Certainly. But the warm hospitality at each winery was the same. There were smiling eyes over a masked smile. Friendly greetings. Pride in the wines.

And I received so many ‘thank yous’ for my order. The wineries are very appreciative of the support as they generally rely on sales from their retail store and onsite visits. If you are a wine drinker, home delivery is also a great option. There is generally free shipping with a minimum order, and so many delicious wines to choose from. Plus, you avoid a trip to the store!

Back home, I have now tasted two of the Featherstone wines on my backyard ‘tasting’ patio. Both were refreshing on a warm summer evening. And oh so yummy. The Four Feathers, a combination of 4 grapes (Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer) has a beautiful floral fragrance. The Rosé is vibrant pink and luscious, with lots of ripe red berries on the nose.

Let’s just say a home delivery order is already on its way. I feel so fortunate to have this lovely wine region at my doorstep.