Mistaken Identity Vineyards on Salt Spring Island

Mistaken Identity Vineyards is the third winery to take root on Salt Spring Island. Nearest to the town of Ganges, it's more or less across the road from one of our favourite sources of provisions on the island; The Country Grocer (local produce, local owners, you know the drill).





In the past I have not much liked the wines from this winery, but having tried, and enjoyed their Pinot Gris at the Seaside Restaurant, we went for a tasting during the last week of August.









Melanie was our charming host for an assortment of pours, and Summerdale (the dog) was never far away. This is a simple and unpretentious kind of place, with a deck and yard to picnic and sip your wine, while looking at the vineyard. It is surely a more interesting place than Salt Spring Vineyards, which seems to be an afterthought in wine making at best and a ten percent plaything at worst.






The winemaker at Mistaken Identity is Jesse Cooper, recently from the brilliant Black Hills Estate Winery in the Okanagan, and from time well spent at a winery in France of all places. It might be a bit early to say for sure, but the wines of Mistaken Identity are beginning to take on a rather noticeable identity, at least by my standards.





The Pinot Gris is luscious and fruity with a crisp, citrus flavour, and it is clearly my favourite. The reds show signs of potential merit.

Mistaken Identity, and Jesse Cooper, are worth a look. Something good is happening here and I hope it continues.










If you are interested, as I would be if I had the money, it appears Mistaken Identity Vineyards is for sale. Not sure why it's for sale, but the asking price is only $2,100,000. It seems a bargain given the price of things on Salt Spring Island.

Does that price include Summerdale I wonder? More importantly, does it include Jesse and Melanie?

Photos by  Jeem. Copyright  2014 by Jim Murray.