News from Poplar Grove

Poplar Grove Closed until Monday, July 20, 2020 For Terminal Cleaning

On July 16, 2020, Poplar Grove received notice that an employee in the restaurant had tested positive for Covid-19. Although this individual was not showing any symptoms, and wore a mask and gloves while at work, Poplar Grove immediately shut down the tasting room and the restaurant upon receiving the news.

 “Out of an abundance of caution, we immediately shut down the winery tasting room and the restaurant so that we could consult with the Interior Health Authority to determine the next steps to ensure the safety of our valued guests and staff” said Tony Holler, Owner and President of Poplar Grove.

The Interior Health Authority have assured us that because of our diligent policies and safety and sanitation procedures there is no significant risk to the public or our staff and therefore, they are not recommending testing or self-isolation of contacts. We were advised to do a Terminal Sanitization and told that we can re-open as early as tomorrow; however, Poplar Grove will temporarily close for 3 days to conduct a thorough cleaning and sanitation to prepare for a safe reopening.  The winery will reopen on Monday, July 20, 2020.

Though we are confident that the procedures we have in place have ensured the safety of our guests, anyone that visited the Restaurant at Poplar Grove on Saturday, July 11, 2020 and Sunday, July 12, 2020 from 5pm – close and are concerned can receive further direction from the BC Center for Disease Control Website. 

We appreciate your understanding and your continued support. We are all in this together.

2018 Vintage Report – Late to Start, Late to Finish

Mother Nature plays a big part in what we drink. Here’s what she’s been up to in our vineyards: Crush 2018 concluded on November 15th and will go down as one of the less tumultuous on record, with a nice steady stream of fruit coming into the winery at peak ripeness. Our picking crews started way back on September 18th and harvest in our estate vineyards stretched out over 58 days, with 40 actual picking days.

Here’s our report:

The weather in the Okanagan was favourable for most of the 2018 season, beginning with a mild spring. Budburst was 2-3 weeks later than normal, but the continuing mild weather trend allowed for uniform flowering, which paved the way for balanced cluster development. A typical Okanagan summer (hot and dry) tested our vineyard crews who had to pay careful attention to irrigation regimes and leaf-to-fruit-ratios. Once again, meticulous farming and careful yield management has delivered exceptional wine quality.

In September temperatures cooled to below normal, especially at night. But as the saying goes, “the sun always finds a hole in the clouds over the Okanagan” and, by the time harvest commenced we had recorded enough warm, sunny days to match long-term average heat summation levels.  More favourable weather marked a rare “Golden October” and provided a long, unpressured harvest period which continued into the first couple of weeks of November.

According to winemaker, Stefan Arnason, “The steady pace of our 2018 growing season yielded balanced wines; the cool nights and warm days over an extended period preserved acidity and develped wonderful phenolic ripeness and flavour complexity.”

Big News for BC Wines

The release of Poplar Grove Legacy 2014 is good news indeed. A wine that sets new standards and serves as a benchmark for the style. The judges at the fourth annual Judgement of BC agreed: our proprietary red blend took top spot!

Said a jubilant Tony Holler: “Winning such a prestigious award validates what we’re doing in the vineyards.” He added, “prominent awards like this one enhance awareness and interest in the Okanagan Valley, our wineries and their wines.”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Poplar Grove Winery (@poplargrovewinery) on Oct 26, 2018 at 11:08am PDT

DJ Kearney, head judge, wine educator and global wine expert had this to say about the winning 2014 Legacy: “It has that wonderful crossover character with old-world structure and quality and new-world fruit generosity and weight, and our signature acidity. It is so well made and so well balanced, a worthy winner.”

Poplar Grove Legacy 2014 is a Bordeaux-inspired blend originating from the following vineyard locations - Osoyoos 65%, Oliver 15%, Penticton 13%, Naramata 7 %.  The blend comprises 44% Cabernet Franc, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot.