During my last visit to Nova Scotia, I visited the Benjamin Bridge winery, although I didn't do a wine tasting as the winery was too busy with a private function. However, I bought a few wines which intrigued me, as I knew the winery had a good reputation and had enjoyed one of their wines previously.
The winery was founded in 1999 by Gerry McConnell and the late Dara Gordon, who were both lawyers, and "held similar values in their respective areas of practice, including the rights of workers, gender equality, and improving the Nova Scotia economy." Their twin daughters, Ashley & Devon McConnell-Gordon, now lead the winery. Since 2008, their head winemaker has been Jean-Benoit Deslauriers, who previously worked in wineries in California and Chile, specializing in sustainability. The winery claims to be "Nova Scotia's Sparkling Wine House."
Their vineyards are located in the hills of the Gaspereau Valley in Nova Scotia. According to their website, "What came to be known as the vineyards of Benjamin Bridge in 1999, are in fact a part of Mi’kma’ki - the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq Nation and home to the Peace and Friendship Treaties. Consistent with the essence of these Treaties and as allies, we wish to humbly acknowledge our friendship with Glooscap First Nation, with whom we’ve begun a lifelong relationship of reconciliation, with an annual public event at the vineyard featuring food, storytelling, and learning."
The winery became allies and friends with the Glooscap First Nation, who helped teach them about the land called Mi’kma’ki. As their website also states, "This allyship with Glooscap First Nation embodies something many are now coming to learn: we must look at the past to not only understand present-day circumstances but also that our actions today have implications for future generations and that the solutions for balance and wellbeing must be reflective of that specific ecosystem and place."
Out of this allyship, the winery created a special Rosé to honor that friendship. The 2021 Glooscap First Nation X Benjamin Bridge Rosé ($20.89) was produced through this collaboration, with joint decisions on everything from the choice of varietals to the label design. A portion of the profits (although the percentage is not stated) go to directly support community activities for the Glooscap First Nation.
The wine, with a low 10% ABV, is a blend of 45% Ortega, 43% Riesling, 7% Gamay, and 5% Pinot Gris. Ortega is a new white grape to me, which was cross bred, in 1948 in Germany, from the grapes Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe. It was created with cold-hardiness in mind, and was named after the Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset. It's an early ripening grape, and can produce a variety of wines. Although it's most common in Germany, it can also be found in England, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and all across Canada.
The wine has a light salmon color and aromas of citrus and floral notes. On the palate, there's a melange of delicious flavors, with a prominent lime taste, tropical fruit and subtle red fruit flavors. It's bright, crisp, and fresh, with a touch of effervescence and a moderately lengthy finish. It doesn't taste like a usual Rosé, but more like an intriguing white wine, which is likely due to the fact it was produced from mostly white grapes. This wine would be delicious on its own, but would pair well with seafood, light chicken dishes, and more. I'm definitely interested in checking out more wine made from the Ortega grape.
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