New Ownership comes to Enrico Winery
Hello from us, the new owners of Enrico Winery!
New Faces, New Vintages, Same Mission.
Hello From Enrico Winery!
New Faces, New Vintages, Same Mission.
A warm hello from all of us at Enrico Winery! We’d like to take this time to say thank you and to introduce ourselves. We had a tremendous fall and winter here at the winery and we thank you for your continued support!
Effective Mid-September Enrico Winery came under new ownership. Over the past couple months Rudy and I have been more than welcomed into the community of the Cowichan Valley, and we can’t wait to grow here! We know that Enrico holds a special place for a lot of people and we hope that we continue to deliver an exceptional experience for everyone! We are proud to be 100% Canadian and locally owned and will continue to be a place where good friends and great wines meet! Starting at the winery at this time of year proved to be rather hectic, our first days and weeks were spent harvesting, starting with our Ortega. While we wish we had a more gentle transition we couldn’t have been happier to get our hands dirty right away. Nicole, our office manager, has been instrumental in helping during that transition period and we are super excited to have her stay on board with us!
Before we knew it Christmas was here, and we want to say thank you again to all of those that showed up for our Open House Christmas events. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to connect with our neighbors, and spread a little extra Christmas cheer!
With harvest season well past us and wines now tanked or barreled we’ve really been able to discuss our vision for the future of the Winery and this incredible property. Geoff, our new winemaker, has joined us. Geoff previously worked on Salt Spring Island, and we at the winery are ecstatic to have his experience and ability! We are echoing the work done previously to create an atmosphere that is warm, inviting, and approachable while highlighting some of the best that Cowichan Valley has to offer. We are so excited for spring, and can’t wait for you to be sitting on our patio!
Our wine maker Geoff and a couple vineyard staff have been working diligently on vine pruning, a bit of an annual vine haircut. The vines may not look like much right now, but this is truly where production begins. Every plant is meticulously pruned with intention to ensure a healthy and strong foundation for the growing season. Every year is unique, and not to jinx ourselves but we have been thrilled to have so many sunny winter days for pruning! It is another reminder of how lucky we are to live in the Cowichan Valley. (Especially when the rest of the country is getting hit with freezing temps and snow!)
Rudy and I have lived on the island for over 5 years now, previously Rudy lived in the Okanagan, operating a vineyard providing grapes for top wine producers in the region as well as being a co-owner of the boutique winery, Hidden Chapel, in Oliver. Since Rudy has left the Okanagan, he maintained his passion for wine and wine making, and I think he was itching to get back into the wine business and get reconnected with the land. Prior to living in Canada, I grew up on a small beef cattle farm in southern Virginia before moving to the West Coast nearly a decade ago! My passion for wine developed from my work in hospitality, I loved discussing wine, beer, and cocktails to pretty much anyone that would listen. I found wine to be incredibly interesting and unique, our visits to the Okanagan and more recently Cowichan, fueled that interest. We are deeply engaged with the hospitality industry in downtown Victoria, and have always been passionate about intentional, locally sourced products. We are excited to settle ourselves within the community of the Cowichan Valley and Mill Bay.
Along with seeing us in the tasting room. Myself behind the bar and Rudy driving a tractor outside likely… You may have caught a taste of our new release, a 2023 Red Blend. An equal ratio of Cabernet Libre and Corivese. Two Blatner hybrid grapes create a medium bodied bold red wine with aromas of sweet cherries and plums! This bottle is now available for purchase in our tasting room as well as on our website! Drop by to give it a try.
Our tasting room is open Friday-Sunday Noon-5pm, stop in and say hello.
-Gary