Tantalus Vineyards BC Spotlight BY RHYS PENDER
Tantalus Vineyards is all about making great wine. While being sustainable is praiseworthy in itself, using an eco-conscious approach can help grow better grapes, and that helps make better wine. Tantalus is achieving it all.
A Long History When most people think of Tantalus wines, they think of Riesling. Tantalus, started in 2004, was among the first wineries in British Columbia (BC) to take the grape seriously. Instead of producing the prevailing fruity, sweet and simple style of the day, the winery raised eyebrows and the quality bar by making a striking dry, powerful and ageable Riesling, reinventing the grape’s reputation in BC. Grapes from older vines are known to give more intense flavours in the wine, and the vineyard site at Tantalus has a long history. The first plantings of table grapes by pioneer J.W. Hughes date back to 1927, and the site has been producing grapes ever since. The Riesling vines are among the oldest in BC, planted in 1978. With plantings of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from 1985 also in the vineyard, Tantalus now focuses on this trio.
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