Whispering Horse
Whispering Horse
AboutWhispering Horse
Whispering Horse grew out of the Giesbrecht family’s J-Bar horse ranch in Yarrow. Barry and Shirley Giesbrecht joined their daughter Melissa and her husband, Laurent Fadanni, to develop a winery and keep the land in the family. Fadanni trained in viticulture and winemaking at Washington State University and apprenticed at an organic vineyard in Montalcino.
Below Vedder Mountain, sandy loam and river stones mark an old riverbed, where the family grows varieties suited to the short, cool season. All the grapes come from the estate’s Fraser Valley vineyards, and the family handles production through bottling. The wines include aromatic whites, rosés and traditional-method sparkling wines.
Whispering Horse 2023 Les Galets
Canadian White
$29.99
Peach, roasted hazelnut and honeysuckle form the aromatics. The palate is crisp and dry, with toast, stone fruit and a long saline finish. The wine is made entirely from L’Acadie grown on a half-acre parcel planted in twenty twelve over an ancient riverbed. It matures for four months in French oak. The estate is family-run in Yarrow, within British Columbia’s Fraser Valley.
Whispering Horse 2023 L’Acadie
Canadian White
$31.99
Nectarine, mandarin, gooseberry and white blossom lead, with fresh-cut grass adding a savoury edge. Fuller-bodied and juicier than a typical cool-climate white, it remains smooth and balanced on the palate. Stone and orchard fruit carry into a delicate saline finish, giving the wine breadth without losing freshness.
Whispering Horse 2019 Cavallo Rosso
Canadian Sparkling
$35.99
Red apple, tart rhubarb and fresh citrus lead, followed by bright maraschino cherry and a quiet earthy note. The palate is vivid and lightly sparkling, balancing crunchy red fruit with brisk acidity and a clean, savoury line. Fine bubbles keep the texture buoyant, while cherry and citrus linger through a dry-feeling, refreshingly direct finish.