A review of the Estate Tour at LuLu Island Winery, my top 3 wine recommendations, fun facts learned, and why you should visit this winery.
Located on the farmlands of Richmond, just a 10-minute drive from the YVR airport, lies LuLu Island Winery. One of Vancouver’s best wineries, LuLu Island Winery stands as a must-visit destination for locals and tourists alike. Despite being a local, I shamefully postponed my visit to LuLu Island Winery for years. However, fate finally intervened last weekend when I was graciously invited for an estate tour.
Led by our wine expert, Kelly, the estate tour included an intimate guided experience of their property including a viewing of their winemaking process from their vineyard to stainless steel vats, oak barrels, and bottling machines. After, our group indulged in a 5-wine tasting with charcuterie. Our experience was not only fun and delicious, but also enlightening by honing new knowledge of wine and LuLu Island Winery. As takeaways from my estate tour, I’ll share my top 3 wine recommendations and fun facts of the winery.
Top 3 Wine Recommendations
LuLu Island Winery has a fantastic range of wines from their renowned Icewines to classics like Viognier and Merlot, and even fruit wines. Most of their grapes are grown in their 5 vineyards in the Okanagan, where dry weather, abundant sunshine, and volcanic soil create a perfect terroir for their produce. They also cultivated a small vineyard at their Richmond winery where they grow Pinot Noir and Orange Muscat, 2 varieties that thrive in the region's rainy conditions. Most of their wines have collected a BC VQA (Vintners Quality Assurance) certification meaning that their wine is guaranteed 100% produced in British Columbia and has met certain quality standards.
1. Riesling Chardonnay Icewine 2016
This wine is a liquid gold with a light golden amber hue, showcasing the truest form of an Okanagan White Icewine. Its notes of honeysuckle, apricot, pineapple, syrup-like texture and full sweetness make a perfect pairing for cheesecake, chocolate ganache, or ice cream.
2. Viognier 2017 Carha Hockey World Cup Collaboration
This semi-sweet wine boasts fruit-forward notes of tropical fruit and green apple, with hints of floral aromas and medium acidity. Its flavour profile is very approachable for the palate and is best enjoyed on the patio with friends (or while watching a hockey game).
3. Merlot 2019
This velvety, lush wine carries notes of plum, cherries, and blackcurrants with strong oak and smokey aromas. Matured for 10 months in oak and 1 year in the bottle, its medium acidity, smooth tannins and lingering finish provide a balanced experience with its bold flavours.
Fun facts
LuLu Island Winery was built in 1997 by a retired Taiwanese immigrant couple looking to make great Canadian wines. LuLu Island Winery pays tribute to Richmond's heritage, bearing the original name of the land, LuLu Island. As well, the iconic Blue Heron logo pays tribute to the region's indigenous bird. They grew in popularity for their Icewines that come in 4 varieties – Pinot Gris, Viognier, Riesling-Chardonnay, and Merlot Cabernet-Sauvignon. In addition, they are 1 of the only 3 BC wineries that make Red Icewine, which is harder to produce than White Icewine.
In conclusion, LuLu Island has proven to be a great winery with their commitment to making excellent wines and long-standing positive reputation in their community and abroad. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or novice, seize the opportunity to book a tasting, tour, or experience at LuLu Island. Also, don't miss out on their exciting events, from paint and wine nights to happy hours. Cheers!