Best of BC Chardonnays Blind Tasting

Sunday, October 19, 2025 | Royal Vancouver Yacht Club

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The Best of BC Chardonnays Blind Tasting at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club was a memorable evening of wine education, sensory discovery, and convivial exchange. Guests were welcomed with a reception featuring Blue Mountain sparkling Blanc de Blancs, an elegant apéritif that set a celebratory tone for the tastings ahead. From there, we moved into the main dining room, where the spectacular backdrop of sailboats gliding across the water added a distinctly West Coast grandeur to the event. The setting was both sophisticated and serene, offering the perfect atmosphere for an afternoon devoted to the excellence of British Columbia Chardonnay.

Awaiting each guest at the table were six unidentified glasses of Chardonnay, ready for a true blind tasting experience. The lineup featured some of BC’s most distinguished producers: 1 Mill Road 2022, CheckMate Queen Taken 2022, MacIntyre Astra 2021, Mission Hill Perpetua 2021, Meyer Family Micro Cuvée 2022, and Quails’ Gate Rosemary’s Block 2022. Guests were invited to assess, compare, and rank the wines according to personal preference, adding an engaging and interactive dimension to the evening. Ranking cards were collected, the scores were tallied, and anticipation built as the room buzzed with lively discussion, opinion, and debate.

Guiding us through the tasting was our guest sommelier, DJ Kearney - global wine expert, veteran educator, acclaimed speaker and judge, and a passionate ambassador for BC wines. With insight, wit, and remarkable depth of knowledge, she revealed each wine and offered thoughtful commentary that enriched the experience for all in attendance. During the tasting, guests enjoyed a selection of appetizers by Chef Kaesta McFee, carefully crafted to complement Chardonnay’s elegance and versatility. While every wine showed beautifully, the final tally crowned Quails’ Gate Rosemary’s Block Chardonnay 2022 as the evening’s favourite, admired for its classic Okanagan precision, layered citrus, apple and pear notes, delicate creamy bakery and hazelnut complexity, and crisp mineral finish. It was, in every sense, a splendid celebration of outstanding wines, breathtaking surroundings, and the shared pleasure of discovery among fellow enthusiasts.