From lovers to winemakers
Credit: Whispering Horse
As if winemaking wasn't romantic enough, Whispering Horse has a lovely story I am pleased to share with you.
Winemaker Laurent Fadanni was born in Belgium to an Italian family. With a background in literature and philosophy, he originally came to Canada to be a theatre director in Montreal. At nights he moonlighted as a French instructor.
It was during that time that he fell in love with one of his adult students, Melissa Giesbrecht. They bonded over their shared appreciation of art, gastronomy, and travel.
Eventually that took them through Central America together, with ideas for more trips in Europe.
They took a brief break to relocate back to Melissa's home in BC, where she planned on finishing her Masters before permanent relocation to Italy.
Wanting to figure out the next step in their careers, the couple took a sojourn to Spain to clear their heads and walk the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. And on that walk they decided to pursue something in wine. The thought at the time was a wine bar, location to be determined.
Laurent quickly moved from WSET courses to wanting to know more about actual winemaking. So he apprenticed for a time in Montalcino (Tuscany). Now the focus had shifted to a winery operation. But that seemed an impossibility to start such a venture in Italy.
When he returned to Canada, unable to find a location, Melissa told him about her family horse ranch.
Her Grandfather had run the ranch for over 50 years. But now, in his old age, he was ready to retire. The problem was, no one in the family wanted to take it over. Laurent and Melissa realized the opportunity they had been seeking was right under their noses the entire time.
They enlisted Melissa's parents, and transformed the pastures into a vineyard.
From the beginning, the goal of Whispering Horse has been to show that the Fraser Valley is capable of not just good wine, but elegant wine with a sense of place and purity.
Laurent chose only grapes that thrived in the area, and were a proper match for the climate and soil.
Their lineup is primarily from hybrids, made with vibrant acidity and inherent freshness. They are low alcohol, mineral driven, and very food-friendly.
The vineyard is nestled at the foot of the Vedder Mountain in Yarrow (Chilliwack) BC. It's at relatively northern latitude, with warm summer days and cool fall nights.
Being above an old river bed, the soil is primarily sandy loam, with river rocks and pebbles braided throughout.
Under Laurent's creative but steady hand, the wines end up creating an aesthetic, focused experience best suited to a communal table.
Find out what’s new at Whispering Horse here.
