Kudos.  Serious kudos.

You’ve got to give Glenterra credit.  Dry farming grapes in Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island in a sustainable manner is no easy feat and can’t be for the faint of heart.  They’re located in a tiny micro-climate, but it’s still a very wet part of Canada’s western most province, British Columbia.

On 5 acres of land, Glenterra is using major canopy management to avoid mildew and botrytis (by pruning the vines properly, you ensure good, drying airflow) and they’re not using any chemical herbicides or pesticides.  Their wines are fermented without commercial yeasts, they’re unfiltered and in this one, there was no animal-based fining agent used (vegan friends, rejoice – you can drink this one guilt free).

The Brio is a red blend with 60% planted in 1992 of Dornfelder, Zweigelt, Fruhburgunder, Dunkelfelder, Pinot Meunier, Lemberger, Agria, Samtrot, Heroldrebe, Helfensteiner, Hungarian Blue, and Cabernet Franc.  These are grapes that are well suited to a damp climate.  The remaining 40% is Okanagan grown Merlot (40%).

The Brio is very clean and direct. On the eyes, its ruby tones have gorgeously deep aromas of blueberry, fieldberry and freshly turned dirt.

The palate is dry with strained tannins and flavours of tart blackberry and cherry, dried leaves and wet, black earth.

My only criticism is their use of a plastic cork.  Crunchy, tart, fresh and clean, this wine is WSET Good Plus.

Picture from Glenterra Vineyards (I recycled too quickly).