Taylor Whelan
Taylor Whelan has been with CedarCreek since the harvest in 2011. He is from Campbell River and is one of the only Canadian-born winemakers in the Mark Anthony Group of wineries. He grew up fishing and oystering on Vancouver Island, which set him up for a genuine appreciation for harvesting and preparing food. He moved on from there to food and wine pairings. While studying biology at UVic, he developed an interest in how wines are made, the science behind the botany/viticulture side and the microbiology/chemistry side. His background in ecology gives him a unique perspective on the transition to organic certification that is taking place at CedarCreek. He is always thinking about different living systems, either in the vineyard or in the wines, and how he can work with them to get the results he and his team want in the fruit and the wine.
O&V: How did you get started in the wine industry?
TW: I had always loved cooking, brewing, and the culture of food and drink, so when my desk job became more than I could bear, I began volunteering at Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery in Comox, and decided to study winemaking shortly after.
O&V: Where did you go to school or apprentice?
TW: I studied Biology at UVic with a focus on marine ecology and fisheries. After earning a BSc, I moved to Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute to study viticulture and oenology.
O&V: Have you worked in any other countries?
TW: Yes, I have worked harvest in Hawkes Bay, NZ, and in McLaren Vale and Tasmania in Australia.
O&V: What is your favourite varietal to work with?
TW: Pinot Noir – it is a fickle variety which seems to change its expression hourly, but it is also incredibly rewarding to grow and make, and when done right, is the most exciting and complex of wines.
O&V: What is the best thing about your job?
TW: The variety – it is a rare day where I am doing the same thing as yesterday (aside from bottling!). Additionally, the other people I work with tend to be happy – the wine industry is full of people fulfilling a ‘calling’ and most are glad to be here.
O&V: Is there a particular wine or vintage that you have made that you are most proud of?
TW: I’m particularly proud of and excited by the 2018 Pinot Noirs – our first will be released in spring of 2020. They have amazing purity of fruit, beautiful tannin structure, and are both site expressive and precise.
O&V: Cedarcreek is working towards organic certification, how has this affected your work and planning?
TW: You have to be more thoughtful about the goals you want to accomplish, you have to plan further ahead, and you have to put more work in to get the result you want, but you end up making more solid products.
O&V: Cedarcreek was named Intervin winery of the year, what do you think set you apart from the competition?
TW: Aside from our top scoring wines, I think our attention to detail in our mid-tier wines is what got us this result. Silver medals in five of our $19-25 dollar wines show that we are spending time on producing all of our wines, and pursuing quality at all tiers and price points. Producing significant volumes of high quality wine is often just as challenging as producing tiny volumes of exceptional quality, and this result shows we have done both, so I am very happy with the result.