Fort Berens Winery Lillooet B.C.

Fort Berens Estate Winery is owned and operated by Rolf de Bruin and Heleen Pannekoek.
Originally from the Netherlands,they wanted to rid themselves of the stress of the congestion in all aspects of their lives.They investigated a life-long dream to live and work on a farm. Their affinity with wine brought them to the idea of a vineyard and winery.

Lillooet is one of the Hot spots in Canada, the average summer temperatures are slightly lower than the South Okanagan, because the night time temperatures are lower. These cool nights are ideal as they allow the vines to rest before another hot day in the summer sunshine. The Cascade Mountains to the west keep rain and clouds away, ensuring that the vines receive plenty of sunshine. The vineyard is located on a bench above the Fraser River. The bench was created millennia ago when glaciers dominated the valley, depositing gravely soils while winds brought a thin loamy and sandy capping. These rapidly draining soils, poor in organic materials, provide a great foundation for the vines, which will need to work hard to produce quality fruit.
In May 2009 they planted 20 acres with six varietals: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. After careful consideration, they have chosen various rootstocks and clones to ensure early ripening and increase the complexity of the wines.
In 2011, they expect the vineyard to hang ripe with grapes for the first time and to be ready to turn into carefully crafted wines.

Firefly Maple Ridge is pleased to now have in stock their award winning 2007 Meritage soon to be followed by their fantastic Cabernet Franc and Rose.