OKANAGAN VALLEY, B.C. — CedarCreek Estate Winery’s 2012 Platinum Block 2 Pinot Noir was awarded the trophy for Best Red Wine in Canada at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards in London, U.K. The winery also announced the appointment of internationally acclaimed winemaker Alexis Moore, a preeminent wine figure from New Zealand.
“I never thought I’d leave New Zealand. After ten years of successfully establishing roots in the wine world, New Zealand had definitely become my home. My great love is Pinot Noir and aromatic whites,” says Moore, whose very first vintage of Pinot Noir went on to claim five gold medals at reputable international wine competitions including Mondial des Pinots in Switzerland. “That moment when Darryl Brooker called me to convey the incredible opportunity to build the Okanagan Valley into one of the five great Pinot Noir regions in the world was something I just couldn’t say no to.”
Alexis Moore is Canadian and originally from Nova Scotia.
This new appointment comes shortly after the announcement that CedarCreek’s ex-winemaker Darryl Brooker will transition into the chief winemaker role at Mission Hill Family Estate.
“A relentless perfectionist is how I perceive Alexis,” says Brooker. “I have put my life in to building CedarCreek over the past five years and as I moved on within VMF Estates, I was not prepared to let go unless I found the right person who could take CedarCreek further. Alexis’ passion for cool climate viticulture, respect for sense of place in winemaking and her outstanding wines that I tasted when I visited New Zealand were some of the things that convinced me she was the perfect fit for CedarCreek.”
