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2 reviews for Herder Winery & Vineyards
2 reviews in English
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Review from Shawna S.
Nanaimo, BC
8/31/2010
The wines are good. The house/winery is at the base of a cliff, high up on the side of the valley so the views are unmatched.
The Pinot grigio is clean and crisp and their red blend named "Josephine" (after the woman who did the label art) is also worthwhile. -
Review from Sheila W.
BC
1/21/2009 4 photos
If you find your way to the Upper Bench Road, you won't have trouble picking out the massive home that includes the Herder tasting room.
The quirk about the grand Herder digs is that it's also their family home. You can see into the kitchen when you stand at the tasting counter. You might hear their kids playing video games in the back room. When you use the bathroom, you'll notice the kids' shampoo in the bathtub. It's that small-town lack of pretentiousness that really makes the experience.
Unfortunately, the person pouring for us was a staff member and didn't actually know much about wine at all, much less the specifics of these particular wines. So we didn't learn too much here. But the wines were still nice!
My top three picks here:
Their 2007 Pinot Gris ($19.00) "should be enjoyed with friends" the tasting notes tell you. It is hard to argue with that. It's fun, crisp and un-oaked.
The 2007 Three Sisters ($20) is a tasty sipper with nice acidity.
The 2006 Pinot Noir ($30.00) is a very clean wine with a sensuous nose of plum and cherry. I enjoyed a full glass a few nights later and it cemented my original opinion: this is a worthwhile bottle.Listed in: Similkameen Wineries
Specialties
Herder Winery & Vineyards is a small family owned & operated winery nestled high against the rock cliffs on the Upper Bench in Keremeos. Our life commitment is to produce wines that define the terroir of our vineyard sites in the Similkameen Valley. We take care, restraint and react to each harvest passionately resulting in lush opulent wines expressing varietal character.
Specializing in Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier and Pinot Noir from the estate. We closely with the Bellamay Vineyard for their Pinot Gris & Merlot and K-Vista for it's Merlot both located in Keremeos.
History
Established in 2002
Lawrence Herder grew up in southern California and at age 14 started making wine. After a career in L.A. as a food broker he decided he wanted to turn his love for wine into a profession. He graduated in 1996 from Fresno State University earning his degree in Enology (Science of Winemaking) and minor in Viticulture (Grape Growing). Upon graduation Lawrence worked in Sonoma at B.R. Cohn winery under the watchful eye of Merry Edwards. It wasn't long after he started his own winery (Herder Vineyards) in Paso Robles. After seven years of winemaking in Paso Robles Lawrence and Sharon decided to move to B.C. It was there that they came to the Similkameen Valley and found the ideal setting for their winery. Lawrence has consulted and produced wines for nine wineries in both the Okanagan Valley and Similkameen Valley. Herder originally established in 2002 Herder moved to their current location nestled high against the rock cliffs on the Upper Bench, Keremeos in 2008.
Meet the Business Owner: Sharon, Lawrence H.
Once the owners of a winery in Paso Robles, California, they chose the Similkameen for the re-launch of the Herder brand in Canada because they wanted to make big reds here. While the initial vineyard choice proved to have some issues with frost, the current location on a hillside near Keremeos is a sun-drenched, south-facing slope with great air drainage and with a heat-reflecting cliff.
