Category: france

Valentines Day and sparkling wine

6 Wines to Try For Valentine’s Day 2019

 mywinepal  February 11, 2019

Valentine’s Day is a special day to spend with your significant other.  A bottle of sparkling wine to sip together is a great way to cap, or start, the evening together.  Below are 6 different sparkling wines that I tried over the last 12 months, from BC and overseas, that I think are exceptional.  Enjoy these wines on their own,…

IVSA favourite wines January 2019

New Wines in BC to Enjoy for 2019

 mywinepal  February 1, 2019

My first Trade tasting for 2019 was this week, with agents showing the latest new wines they have brought to Vancouver or new vintages of wines that are currently in our market.  I was quite surprised by how many sparkling wines I had a chance to try.  I normally see a peak interest in sparkling wine leading up to the…

Malbec grapes

Same Grapes, Different Names Quiz

 mywinepal  January 31, 2019

Grapes may have different names depending on where they are grown around the world.  How much do you know?

Chinese New Year of the Brown Pig (Image courtesy www.thechinesezodiac.org)

Celebrate The Chinese New Year of the Brown Earth Pig with Wine

 mywinepal  January 23, 2019

February 5, 2019 is the Chinese New Year of the Brown Earth Pig.   In Chinese culture, pigs are the symbol of wealth. 2019 is supposed to be a great year to make money, and a good year to invest. According to chinesenewyear.net, “Pigs might not stand out in a crowd. But they are very realistic. Others may be all talk…

Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2017 and Ogier Heritages Cotes du Rhone Grenache Syrah 2016

It’s a Pleasure to Enjoy Rhone Wines

 mywinepal  January 18, 2019

Did you know the Rhone Valley is the 2nd largest French AOC wine area?  Or that 27 different grape varieties are grown in the Rhone Valley?  Or that Canada imports 6% of Rhone Valley wines in the world? There is a lot to like about Rhone Valley wines.  Not to get too involved in the details of the area, it can be…

MyWinePal Top 5 Star Wines

MyWinePal Top 5 Star Rated Red Wines for 2018

 mywinepal  December 26, 2018

This is Part 2 of my top rated wines for 2018.  I earlier released my list of 40 white and sparkling wines for 2018, which you can read at this link.  This red wine list came from Trade tastings with agents and BC VQA wineries, the Vancouver International Wine Festival, visits to wineries, and personal purchases.  I categorized the wines below to…

Vintage West portfolio of wines

A Plethora of Wine Gems from the Vintage West Portfolio for You

 mywinepal  November 5, 2018

One of the perks of being a wine writer is an invitation to a portfolio tasting from a wine agent.  The agency can bring out winery principals in some cases, who you can have a chat to about their wines.  They also pour wines that are available at regular retail, specialty wine shops, and special orders.  Having access to these…

Champagne Taittinger bottles on ice

Champagne Taittinger with a Sparkling Portfolio for Your Pleasure

 mywinepal  October 20, 2018

One of the great names in the Champagne region is Taittinger.  Champagne Taittinger was founded in 1734 by Jacques Fourneaux.  It is the third oldest Champagne house in the region.  The current family that owns Taittinger started in 1931 with the purchase of the Forest-Fourneaux vineyards by Pierre Charles Taittinger. Taittinger concentrates on using Chardonnay grapes for their wines but…