Laura Starr’s Favourite Drops of 2016

By VITA Daily

Sparkling & Whites: It has been an auspicious year for me, diving into a career that was once just a weekend hobby, awakening a provocative passion for wine that fuels my creativity, stimulates my intellect, and whets my lips from morning to night. And I mean that literally. I taste wine every single day. From courses to tastings to conventions to promotions to work and to play, I sip and spit, sip and spit, sip and…maybe spit. Despite the thousands of bottles and varietals and blends and styles of wine you might encounter though, all you have to do is close your eyes to remember which marvelous concoctions made your toes tingle. Of all the wines I was fortunate enough to stumble upon in 2016, here are 5 spectacular bottles that branded themselves permanently into my vault of favourite sips! Read Part 2 next week for more favourites! —Laura Starr

• 1. Bella Wines: Methode Ancestrale Brut (Chardonnay) 2015, Naramata, BC

  By VITA Daily

  Mother Nature’s wine. Completely organic with zero intervention (meaning the grapes were picked, pressed, bottled, and no other methods were used to alter the product), this sparkling wine is an outstanding showcase of BC terroir and expertise. Green fruit comes through bright and pure, and melts into warm toasty notes, with lively bubbles, a hint of sweet, and a finish that never ends.

• 2. Sage Hills Wines: Brute Sauvage (Pinot Gris) 2014, Summerland, BC

  By VITA Daily

  Another BC champion (and you will notice I am a sucker for wineries that are sustainable, organic, and embrace natural winemaking methods). This sparkling delicacy appeals to my savory side: dry in style, elegant in the mouth, and full of toasty and mineral notes, with a touch of truffle.    

• 3. Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2014, Oregon, US

  By VITA Daily

  An Oregon vineyard with authentic dedication to sustainability (read their farming philosophy here), this Chardonnay is Burgundian in style. Rich, nutty flavours wrap through a creamy, full body of wine, with a hint of butterscotch. Balance is attained with crisp fruit, firm acidity, and a beautiful finish that leaves you torn between politely savouring, and fighting for the last drop.    

• 4. Ferraton, ‘La Source’ Saint-Joseph (Marsanne) 2014, Rhône Valley, FR

  By VITA Daily

  I fell in love with Marsanne this year, a lesser-known grape that I cannot embolden you more to try, try, try! Round and textural in body, it has a beautiful mineral backbone, expressive of the granite it grows in, and ripe fruit and honey notes that linger, linger, linger.    

• 5. Littorai: ‘Mays Canyon’ (Chardonnay) 2013, California, US

  By VITA Daily

  Again, sustainable and biodynamic farming practices tug at my ethical heartstrings, but what captured my heart was the pureness of this Chardonnay, and my immediate understanding of what makes a quality wine. This is a fine, fine wine. Nutty with elegant spices, white fruits, and a round, textural body that glides like silk over your tongue. This is California Chardonnay done right.