Pushing the Boundaries: Winemaker Taylor Whelan Brings Innovation to CedarCreek Estate Winery

Winemaker Taylor Whelan ushers in a new age of cutting edge production.

Winemaker Taylor Whelan ushers in a new age of cutting edge production.

In their 30 years of operation, CedarCreek Estate Winery in Kelowna, BC has maintained their reputation as one of the country’s best; earning the title of “Canada’s Winery of the Year” not once, but twice.At the helm of CedarCreek’s continued legacy of cultivating excellence is Winemaker Taylor Whelan.  His passion spans the entire winemaking process from vineyard to glass, focused on coaxing out the character of individual vineyard blocks to their greatest potential. Whelan is known to spend extensive time out on the vineyards with the winery’s viticulturalists observing sunlight patterns and leaf vigor, exploring soil types and tasting, tasting and tasting as harvest approaches until he determines the grapes have reached their highest potential. He also has a strong interest on building texture in his wine portfolio through the use of varied fermentation vessels such as stainless steel, concrete, oak, barriques, and a custom-made clay amphora.Whelan’s keen attention to cool climate grape growing is the catalyst for an exciting new era at CedarCreek, with additional single-block wine releases planned for summer 2018. Many vines on the CedarCreek Home Block site are now approaching 25-30 years of age, which is the winery’s quality advantage over the many smaller newcomers to the valley.CedarCreek will be participating in the Vancouver International Wine Festival from Feb. 24th – March 4th 2018 in the International Festival Tasting Room. They will be featuring their single-block Platinum Tier Wines and Taylor Whelan will be in attendance to personally share his insights with wine enthusiasts.For more information, please visit the CedarCreek Estate Winery website.