All summer long our winery was buzzing with hummingbirds and honey bees attracted to our extensive flower plantations. That is not all that was buzzing, when not working in the vineyard or the cellar, we were kept busy hosting many visitors who have discovered what LaStella has to offer.
The highlight of our summer however, was when LaStella hosted an event to celebrate the launch of “The Wine Society”. 200+ guests traveled from all over BC, Alberta and from far places like NYC, Los Angeles, Montreal and Toronto to be in attendance.
August 27th was the night of the “Symphony for the Senses”. More than just wine and food; a trio of wine, food and music pairing tantalized the guests.
On this night, each of our wines were joined with classical musical pieces and heartwarming dishes made with the freshest local produce. For instance, Fortissimo, a boisterous Tuscan inspired red blend was joined by the equally boisterous dish of morels with truffled gnocchi while the guests were listening to the Okanagan Symphony Strings’ take on Fortissimo.
The evening was complete with a performance by Classical Nouveaux, a young and talented vocal quartet from Vancouver.
To view pictures from the party, click here.
What is “The Wine Society”?
LaStella’s Wine Society is our way of inviting you to join us for a celebration of la Dolce Vita, LaStella style. We offer you ways to become part of our family and enjoy special celebrations at the winery, guaranteed a selection of all our “New Releases”, 10% discount on all orders, access to exclusive wines made in very small batches that are not normally sold via retail channel, and rare wines from our wine library.
We are only offering 100 membership opportunities because of our limited production. Once our membership is full, we will start a waiting list and treat sign ups on a strict first come first serve basis.
To find out more about the many benefits of LaStella Wine Society and how to join our family of Wine lovers, click here.
LaStella Winery Inaugural Release
2008 Fortissimo “Selezione di Famiglia”
Regular Price: $38
Case Price of 12 bottles: $456
New Release offer on Case Price: $399
Savings of nearly $60
Fortissimo is our way of paying respect to the brave men and women of Tuscany who challenged the tradition of wine making at the time to gain recognition for their wines and beliefs.
2008 growing season was unusually cool but with the perfect September and October, we saw a level of physiological ripeness that wasn’t seen in recent years. The finished wines show a beautiful and balanced level of acidity, great level of phenolic maturity while all along the alcohol levels were kept under check.
2008 Fortissimo Selezione di Famiglia is a barrel selection. Consists of nearly equal parts Merlot and Cabe rnet Sauvignon, with around 8% each of Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. The fermentation was more gentle compared to Bordeaux style wines and saw a longer pre and post ferment maceration. The components were aged in barrels and puncheons of various sizes and of both French and Slavonian origins.
Fortissimo is true to its name: Boisterous and up tempo.
Look towards the gamy meats with natural fats to tame this young well structured wine. Seared duck breast or slow braised lamb shoulder will compliment the flavours and structure of FortissimoTo enjoy the savings on the limited case price offer please call our order desk (604) 697-0989 or simply send us an email. To order fewer than a case of the Fortissimo at the regular price or to create your own mixed case of wine please check our online shopping page. online shopping page. You can also call our order desk (604) 697-0989 or simply send us an email with your order. Dont forget to enter Promo Code: “leg010” to take advantage of this offer.
Please review our ordering page for shipping regulations and details.
Cellar Assistant For a Day?
You always wanted to learn more about what it takes to make a great wine. As a transparent winery dedicated to education and sharing our passion, we are inviting you to join us this fall and work alongside our winemakers and vineyard manager for a day or two. You will learn about how the white grapes are handled differently than red grapes, how we harvest our grapes early in the morning when it is still cool to retain its natural acidity and sort some grapes as they come in from our vineyards and so much more. Come help us make our great wine.
Should you decide to join our winemakers during harvest, you will be provided with the following;
· Signed bottles of wine by our winemaker
· Great lunch and if we are still crushing into late evening then Dinner too!
· An opportunity of a lifetime to spend time with the artists who create our wines
Please contact Mo Awad directly to arrange a schedule that is tailored specifically to fit your availability. Mo can be contacted at 250.498.7874 or by email mawad@enotecca.ca
For accommodation we recommend the following hotels;
· Watermark Beach Resort 250.495.5500 www.watermarkbeachresort.ca
· Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa 250.495.5445 www.spiritridge.ca
Average for a full one bedroom suite is $120
Make sure you mention that you have been recommended by Enotecca Winery & Resorts or LaStella Winery for a special rate.
Last Call:
Leggiero – Un-Oaked Chardonnay 2009
Regular Price: $25
This Offer: 10% off (Offer expires at the end of the month)
Promo code: leg010
Back up the truck. Italian Chardonnay is famous from the cool climate region of Alto Adige. Almost always made in a Un-Oaked fashion, it is a wine that expresses the pure flavors and minerality of the grape with beautiful acidity and citrus fruit flavors.
Leggiero is inspired by these wines and is anything but your typical Chardonnay. This summer, we managed to convert many hard core members of the ABC camp (Anything But Chardonnay). Dry Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc fans are surely going to find much to love about this wine.
We sourced the grapes from some of the oldest vines in the valley at nearly 40 years of age from the Combret Vineyard on the upper Golden Mile. By harvesting early and fermenting at cold temperatures in stainless steel tanks, we ensured the purity of the flavors to be created, captured and then bottled.
Steamed local mussels
Pairing: The wine’s natural high acidity and low alcohol pairs beautifully with a variety of seafood from freshly shocked BC oysters to Salt Spring Mussels steamed in a light lemon grass and ginger broth, or even some seared local rock cod topped with a fresh herb butter and squeeze of lemon.
