Harvest Update 2021

Harvest is well under way! Our local VQA wineries are getting a good feel for what the 2021 vintage is going to be like, and it is shaping up to be a good one. The hot growing season, particularly during August, helped accelerate the ripening process, and our winemaker René is anticipating some memorable wines from this vintage. “We are seeing some spectacular grapes in the vineyard this year,” says René, “We had a great start with a hot, sunny spring, then managed to avoid a damaging frost. That was followed by hot summer days with a manageable amount of rain. The grapes are looking good on the vine and will make some incredible wines.”

It is all action and rolled sleeves for our team at The Foreign Affair Winery, as we finish the harvesting for our premium white and sparkling wines; the team are working with fruit from our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards, in addition to Riesling and our small lot of Sauvignon Blanc. This fruit will be destined for our premium wines, including our Sparkling Rosé, our wine club member exclusive Small Lot Sauvignon Blanc and our second Traditional Method Sparkling – if you’re waiting for our inaugural release of the Sparkling, keep your eye out in the coming months! René is quietly excited about this release, made in the traditional method and leading a beautiful balance of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The team are also experimenting with some interesting styles, as they look to integrate exceptional tastes and textures into the wines at The Foreign Affair. We look forward to sharing sneak previews throughout the year.

In the coming weeks, René and the team will turn their attention to our reds, harvesting our first-ever crop of Syrah and Malbec grapes that were planted at the Lincoln Lakeshore vineyard in 2018. In his initial tastings of the red grapes at our vineyard, René said “We’re already seeing wonderful depth of flavour and aromas developing, with very little green character, thanks to the hot growing season this year. I expect the final harvest in the coming weeks for our Bordeaux varietals to be in exceptional shape.”

This time of year is a great time to make a venture in wine country. The vineyard is full, the grapes are getting ripe on the vine and visiting a winery is a great way to celebrate the grape harvest. Why not consider an excursion to our local wineries throughout the harvest? The weather is quite beautiful during fall, and with the changing colours enveloping the Province, the view will be fantastic. We look forward to seeing you at The Foreign Affair.