Why does Hester Creek make the Okanagan’s only Trebbiano?

Hester Creek 2010 TrebbianoOf late the Okanagan has become a wonderful hotbed of varietal experimentation. For every vintner who making a fine, logical expression of Pinot Gris there’s some dreamer like Mooncurser who’s making Arneis or Stag’s Hollow who’s making Dolcetto who inject a welcome dose of excitement into the Valley. Its tempting to throw Hester Creek into this mix because they make the Valley’s only expression of the Italian grape Trebbiano, but the difference is they’ve been making this wine for ages. As in vines from 1968, which in Okanagan years makes them downright Jurassic. This has always been a special oddball of a wine but in the last few year’s it become on oddity that’s in the top tier of BC whites. It offer’s one of the clearest, most complex expressions of ripe melon (cantaloupe and honeydew) I’ve come across and there’s a nice finish of balanced citrus and honeysuckle. The price has crept up but, given that it’s Okanagan history in a glass,  it’s still undervalued at $23. I implore you to seek it out.Hester Creek trebbiano