September Wine Club Feature: Lang Vineyards
It’s a name that has been synonymous with Okanagan Valley winegrowing for over 25 years now. Located on BC's coveted Naramata Bench, Lang Vineyards celebrated their silver jubilee in 2015, and have recently released a handful of wines that were made during those celebrations. It’s been a fascinating quarter-century for sure, beginning with Kristina and Guenther Lang attaining the first-ever Farm Gate Winery license in 1989 after growing grapes since 1980, which enabled them to start their own winemaking operation.
If you’ve never tried their wines, or if it’s been a long time, now is a great time to give them a whirl. If you join My Wine Canada’s Wine Club by tomorrow (Sept. 15), you’ll get a curated selection of Lang Vineyards wine delivered to your door!
Their wines were highly-acclaimed right off the bat, and why wouldn’t they be? Lang Vineyards is situated on Lake Okanagan, which moderates those hot daytime temperatures and aids in cooling things down at night; that natural acidity the region is known for came to them in spades. The area’s mineral-rich soils lend expressiveness to the wines, and an abundance of sunshine allows stunning concentration and purity of fruit.
After a solid run and moments of expansion on the Bench, Guenther sold the winery in 2005. After the company had ventured in a few different directions with various ownership groups, the current owner brought Guenther back to Lang Vineyards as a consultant in 2010, and installed his nephew Mike Lang as General Manager. Once again, the winery is being cared for by family, and is back to its roots of crafting high-quality, boutique wines.
Here’s a sample of what I’ve tasted recently:
Lang Vineyards 2015 Farm Reserve Riesling ($21)
Plenty of apples and pears slathered with honey and fresh herbs. The acid is well-integrated, and there’s a long, only slightly-off-dry finish.
Lang Vineyards 2015 Viognier ($24)
Pretty orange-blossom aromatics lead to baskets of sun-baked peaches, nectarines. and apricots. A worthy accompaniment to Indian curries or Thai food.
Lang Vineyards 2014 Meritage ($29)
A Bordeaux-inspired red blend chock-a-block with forest floor notes, dusty plums, currants, blackberries, and a pinch of sage.
Lang Vineyards 2014 Marechal Foch ($24)
A cult-favourite for many years; black cherry, fresh-carved roast beef, roasted hazelnuts, stewed dates and caramelized orange peel towards the finish.
Kurtis Kolt is a Vancouver-based wine consultant, writer, competition judge and enthusiast. Track him down at KurtisKolt.com, or on Twitter and Instagram @KurtisKolt.
