As stated by the Vancouver International Wine Festival, “Rhône grapes have made an indelible mark in their native region in France, but are now being grown successfully throughout the wine world. While Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne have unique…
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…
Grapes may have different names depending on where they are grown around the world. How much do you know?
We are getting closer to VanWineFest 2019 and the stars are aligning. The stars you can see at the Vancouver International Wine Festival Tasting come from our theme region, California, as well as from around the world, and even from…
I tasted through many years this year through Trade tastings with agents and BC VQA wineries, the Vancouver International Wine Festival, visits to wineries, and personal purchases. I rate all the wines I taste from 1 to 5 stars. Fortunately,…
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. …
If you have ever attended the Top Drop tastings in Vancouver, you will have experienced many 4.5 to 5 star wines according to my rating scale. I recently attended a portfolio tasting by Vintage Corks, and this tasting was in…
Vancouver-based wine importer Vintage Corks is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a walk-around tasting featuring some of the world’s most exclusive wineries. Vintage Corks is unusual among local wine importers in that the agency specializes in acclaimed and hard-to-find boutique wines…
Did you know that Spain’s wine heritage is at least three thousand years old? Yet, you may not know much about Spanish wine, except for perhaps Rioja red wines and Spanish Cava. Tempranillo is the best-known grape from Spain, being…
Spain has had a long history of winemaking, from classic Riojas, newer Mencia from Bierzo, to Cavas and more. During the Vancouver International Wine Festival, I and several other attendees joined Master of Wine, Barbara Philip to explore a wide range of…