Photo: Winemaker Mark Hopley
Hester Creek Estate Winery rates the 2025 vintage as “one of the best vintages the Okanagan valley has ever seen. Mark Hopley, the winemaker, ranks the quality up with the great 2022 vintage.
The surprising quality of the 2025 wines – “wines [that] exhibit balance, complexity and develop flavours” – are welcome after the frost-ravaged vintages of 2023 and 2024. “I believe that the vines that survived basically had a two-year hiatus from producing grapes,” Mark says. “The vines were ready to be productive.” And the season was distinguished with lots of “growing degree days.” The vines also produced more abundantly than expected.
The winery has just released its white wines, all of which are notable for bright flavours and superb balance. “The reds are shaping up well,” Mark adds. “Early indications led to a memorable vintage.”
Hester Creek whites and rosé wines reflect Hester Creek’s use of the AromaLoc technology which was invented in the Okanagan and has been commercialized by an Italian firm. The units – Hester Creek has several – sit on fermentation tanks to capture the CO2 while preserving the wine’s aromas. Mark believes the technology “really allows the aromatics to shine through.”
Here are notes on the 2025 whites from Hester Creek.
Hester Creek Pinot Gris 2025 ($19.99). The fruit was fermented cool in stainless steel with the use of AromaLoc to preserve the aromatics. The aromas of apples and cantaloupe lead to flavours of pear and apple. 91.
