SURREY — A new winery on Colebrook Road will celebrate its grand opening on the weekend of July 15 and 16.
Vinoscenti Vineyards is located on the site of the former River’s Bend winery, on 13 acres of land next to the Serpentine River, at 15560 Colebrook Rd.
The winery was rebranded in January when Clinton and Serena Lee purchased the property, Julie Devriendt, marketing rep at Vinoscenti, told the Now-Leader.
During the grand-opening weekend, the renovated winery will host walking tours, tastings, vendors and live music.
“We would like to introduce ourselves and share with you our commitment,” Devriendt writes in a letter to community members.
“The winery has been injected with lots of love and care by our team, and our hope is the winery will serve as a focal meeting point for members of the community.”
Also, a paint night will be held there on Wednesday evening (July 5), from 7 to 9 p.m.
Facilities include an open tasting room, a private tasting room, a large patio and multipurpose room for 40 to 50 people.
“We will be having art shows and classical music and cultural events that intertwine with wine,” Devriendt notes.
“We offer WSET certified wine education and non-certified classes for the wine lovers.”
River’s Bend winery began in 1995 when the vines were first planted by the original owners, Court and Annette Faessler.
“It was a daunting challenge, as the terrain had to be reshaped to support the vines, with new soil added to offer extra drainage potential and depth to offer a unique terroir to this area,” notes a post under “Our Story” on Vinoscenti’s website (vinoscentivineyards.ca).
Since then, the property has changed hands a couple of times.
“The vines and winery, void of any tangible love and care during those past few years, fell into a dark period,” the website says. “In 2016 a quiet resuscitation of the winery began with attention drawn to the vineyard management aspect, securing the close collaboration of a highly skilled winemaker and, combined with a world-renowned Wine Educator and business person, Vinoscenti Vineyards is now beginning to see the renaissance and relaunch of the winery.”
The current winery operators “aim to produce premium wines with locally grown and imported B.C. grapes, while delivering the community a social winemaking experience which will educate, and help you produce your own wine collection.”