Winter is a magical time in wine country. The traffic goes dormant, just like the vines. Tasting rooms are less crowded, and hot days are replaced by warm seats in front of the fire. This is the time of year when our winemaking team is hard at work creating their “magic” in the cellar. The long hours of crush are behind us, and the days are shorter as the wines are tucked away in tanks and barrels.

We have over 20,000 vines on our estate that require pruning, even in the snow! As the vines lay dormant in their winter sleep, Kitson and the team have bundled up to face the bitter cold and complete the vital pruning process. Pruning is simply the cutting back of dead wood and old plant growth, and is the single most important step in vineyard maintenance.

A vineyard is not unlike a garden. Spectacular results require patience, attention and careful nurturing. And most importantly, all must be in harmony.

-          Kelly Symonds

Winter is a calming time for winemakers. We have a little more time for vacations and skiing. Since Apex Mountain has a ton of snow, we declared one day a ‘powder day’ and Bill, Kitson and I headed up the mountain for a glorious day of skiing in knee deep powder. In the cellar, all of the reds are happily ageing in oak and the whites are being fined & filtered in preparation for bottling. Look for some stellar whites this year, in particular the Gewürztraminer & Rosé.

The ultimate combination! One of the most common questions asked in the Wineshop this year was “Do you add chocolate to this wine?” Each vintage of our Reserve Merlot has been aged in both American and French oak barrels for 9 months giving this wine a very smooth and well rounded finish. Beautiful aromas of dark cherries, vanilla and milk chocolate. While this wine is drinking fabulous right now, it was designed to age graciously for 7 – 10 years. The perfect Valentine’s Day Gift!

We are all very excited about this year’s harvest. The 2006 vintage has proven to be an excellent growing season for us here on the bench and we look forward to producing some extraordinary wines! We have been busy shipping out wines to all of our customers and are just starting to get our new “WINE CLUB” in place. Look for news on that. We are also in the process of a few cosmetic changes to Hillside. We think you will be pleasantly surprised at the changes you will find when you come to visit us this year.

Sulfites have been getting a bad rap for years. Many people say that they are the cause of headaches. However, “medical literature has virtually no reports on sulfites inducing headaches.” Sulfites protect wine from unwanted bacteria and oxidization. Did you know that 1 glass of Orange juice has more sulfites than a WHOLE bottle of wine? Sulfites can be found in foods that we consume daily such as beer, shrimp, sugar, dried fruits and salad bars. So the next time you wake up in the morning after a night of indulging don’t blame the headache on the sulphites in the wine … maybe it was the salad bar!!

THE BARREL ROOM BISTRO

We are preparing for another busy and exciting season with our opening date planned for April 6^th. We also have our Easter Brunch on Sunday April 8^th. Our Executive Chef Peter Young returns with some new and exciting changes to the menu. Here is a sample of one of Peter’s recipes to tantalize your tastebuds until we open in April.

Open a bottle of Hillside Estate Pinot Gris and let’s start cooking!!

Risotto all Milanese – serves 4

4oz unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

14 oz risotto rice (Arborio)

¼ pint Hillside Pinot Gris

3 pints chicken stock

about 15 saffron filaments

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese

-          Melt 3 oz of the butter in a large saucepan and gently cook the onion until soft and lightly coloured. Add the rice and the wine, bring to the boil and cook until the wine is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Stir gently all the time.

-          In a second pan heat the chicken stock and add the saffron filaments to it. Let the stock simmer gently.

-          Start adding the hot chicken stock to the rice a little at a time, stirring gently. Allow the stock to become absorbed between each addition. Keep stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper, and keep adding the stock until the rice is cooked but still al dente, about 20 minutes.

-          Remove the pan from the heat, add the remaining butter and the parmesan cheese and mix well with a wooden spoon until the butter is melted and the cheese absorbed. Serve straight away, with additional parmesan if desired.

Open another bottle of Hillside Pinot Gris and enjoy!!

If you don’t  have a bottle of Hillside Pinot Gris on hand, give us a call and we would be more than happy to ship you a case of wine right to your door. You can place your online order at www.hillsideestate.com or give us a call at (250) 493-6274.

From the gang at Hillside, enjoy the rest of the winter. You can expect to see our Spring Newsletter in a few months.