A Summerland wine has received international accolades with gold recognition at a recent awards ceremony.
The 2008 Steller’s Jay Brut, a sparkling wine, was announced as a gold winner at the 2013 InterVin International Wine Awards.
Steller’s Jay Brut was part of the Sumac Ridge Estate Wineries brand in the past, but this year it became a stand-alone brand, although still produced through Sumac Ridge.
The wine was one of two gold medal winners in a category of nearly 50 entries.
Winemaker Jason Jay said the award is a high honour, since the best wines from around the world were included in the competition.
“It’s always an honour to get that type of recognition,” he said.
Craftsmanship has helped to produce a good wine, he added.
“We always try to make a really clean wine,” he said.
“We haven’t changed the winemaking strategy. It’s still the traditional method.
He said the harvest is done early in the season.
A blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot blanc grapes are used.
In 2008, between 6,000 and 6,500 cases of the wine were produced.