Tag: california

One of the great things about the Vancouver International Wine Festival is that in the big Festival Tasting Room at the Conference Centre is that you can meet a winery principal and talk to him or her about their wines.  You can often find out info that is not widely known, such as how they decided to plant an obscure…

This past year I tasted a tremendous number of wines from around the world, but some wines really resonated with me.  It may have been the great balance of fruit, sugar, acidity for a white wine, or the fruit, tannins and minerality in a red wine, or something else. Something that made the wine stand above the other wines.  Could…

A wine agent’s portfolio tasting typically gives you the chance to try both listed as well as spec wines; wines that may only show up in specialty wine shops or restaurants, in limited quantities.  I have been to Mark Anthony Wine and Spirits‘ portfolio tasting now for a few years, and I am always very impressed by the wineries that…

Top Drop Vancouver is a collaboration between Vancouver’s wine industry, that focus on smaller boutique and terroir-focused wineries from BC and around the world, and offers these wines to taste at a public event, this year held at the Roundhouse in Yaletown on September 8.  I was fortunate to be able to attend this walk-about event, with a glass in…

Did you know that this year is the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley, California?  It is.  I learned this when I spoke with Mr. Mark de Vere, Master of Wine with Robert Mondavi Winery during the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2016.  What a milestone. Did you also know that Robert Mondavi started the…

Learning about wine is a great experience.  It leads you to try new grape varieties, buy more expensive wines to see the difference with lesser priced wines, travel to wine destinations like the Okanagan or Napa Valley, and maybe start your own wine cellar. Winestains Wine Academy is a new venture that has opened up in Richmond, that offers WSET…

We all need air to breathe, don’t you agree? Even wines can benefit from breathing.  I was reminded this twice over the last few days.  One was at a restaurant, where I ordered a bottle of red wine that I’ve tasted before and rated it very highly. When I tried it in the restaurant, I thought it may be corked…

At the Import Vintners & Spirits Association (IVSA) tastings, held most months, gives the Trade a chance to try the latest wines and spirits coming to Vancouver.  There are always a few gems that people come across and spread the word, so that you have to find that table and try that wine.  At this tasting, the whispers were to…

February 20, 2016 is the first day for the Vancouver International Wine Festival this year.  We are just about a month away.  Did you know that the tickets for events are open to the public?  Many events are sold out already, but if you buy sooner rather than later, you still have a chance at other events. One event that…

In 2015, I only rated 7 wines with 5 stars.  There were many wines that came close to my idea of perfection in a glass, and many of these I gave 4.5 stars.  These are amazing wines still and I highly recommend purchasing any of them.  There are 77 wines that I classified as 4.5 stars.  All of these wines…