Church & State Wines over-delivers on that promise, proving that goal setting is an important investment of time and energy.
Proprietor Kim Pullen set out with specific goals for the winery. It’s fair to say he has succeeded, with Church & State wines being named the best in Canada by Jancis Robinson, the Canadian Wine Awards and the All-Canadian Wine Championships.
Visitors to the Coyote Bowl winery—the original, in Victoria’s Brentwood Bay, is equally as impressive – can enjoy tastings at the outdoor bar or inside, which offers views of the barrel room and the Black Sage Bench, where some of the finest grapes in the country are grown.
Big, complex wines emerge from the Coyote Bowl winery. Meritage, Petit Verdot/Malbec and Bordeaux blends prove that Jeff Del Nin knows how to bring out the best of what the fabulous vineyards on more than 50 acres of prime Black Sage land give him. 2008 Quintessential, a classic Bordeaux blend, brought home a Gold from the San Francisco International Wine Competition last year. The soon-to-be-released 2009 version did even better at this year’s competition, earning a Double Gold.
Taste through a selection that also includes Syrah, Viognier and Chardonnay, some available only at the winery, and see if you don’t use the word “fabulous” with astonishing regularity.
Church & State is a winery that deserves some time to savour. Sip a glass of wine, listen to the music, take in the view or watch a music video, maybe even play a little bocce. Settle in and enjoy what wine critic Anthony Gismondi describes as “The two best wine bar experiences in the South Okanagan.”
“We want you to come in and sit for a half hour and then remember us after you have left,” says Coyote Bowl manager Trish Lynn.
~ Lorne Eckersley