– by Hans Tammemagi –
Entering the Church & State Winery, just north of Victoria, it feels like you’re in an internationally renowned wine region such as the Napa or Barossa Valley. Verdant vines march in rows across the 10-acre grounds. A fountain glitters and sparkles in the sunshine. The winery building stands dominant on a rise encircled by verandahs and decorated with colourful banners and hanging flower pots.
Inside the winery is an expansive, elegant, open room with high-vaulted ceiling that includes a tasting bar, shop, restaurant and an attractive open-concept kitchen with a wood-fired oven and gleaming stainless-steel counters. You can almost hear and feel the excitement of the approximately 100 weddings and functions held here every year. The warmth and sunshine draws visitors onto the shady verandah where they enjoy their cuisine and wine with sweeping views over the vineyards.
I was curious about the winery’s hot new “lewd” wine series called Lost Inhibitions where the bottles bear risqué labels like: ‘Gimme Some Lovin’; ‘Best Night Ever;’ ‘Be Naked When I Get Home’; ‘Carpe Diem Bitches’. No two labels in a case are the same. The red and white blends are also of high quality. “Our strategy is to over-deliver on the price point,” said Kim Pullen, the owner. Wine drinkers love the wines and their suggested naughtiness; the series has been wildly successful.
When asked what sets Church & State apart from the rest, Pullen answered, “The quality of our wine. We’ve won the award for best Canadian red wine five times. In addition, we have an outstanding restaurant. The chef, Desiree Parent, is superb, and has been here five years.” As a testament to Pullen’s declaration, a constant flurry of waiters delivered gourmet thin-crust pizzas, charcuterie platters, barbequed salmon and, of course, chilled bottles of white wine to waiting diners.
The winery was purchased in 2004 and opened in 2005 after major renovations. Church represents the heart and State is symbolic of the head, a harmony of spiritual and worldly. Wines come in three classes: the Quintesssential series is top-of-the-line, the best embodiment of a wine. Next are the Coyote Bowl and Church & State series. In 2013, a total of 14,000 cases of wine were produced but Pullen is expecting more than 20,000 cases this year. Whites include Pinot Gris, Viognier, Trebella and Chardonnay. Reds include Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Church & State is next to the Victoria Butterfly Gardens on Benvenuto Road, which leads to Butchart Gardens. The winery has a sister 85-acre facility in Oliver in the Okanagan Valley, which produces all the wines, except the Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, which grow on the Vancouver Island property.
Sitting on the verandah surrounded by rolling vineyards, I sipped a glass of ‘Abso-Fricking-Lutely Perfect’. And it was!
