Tag: Chianti

Select Wines Portfolio tasting sign

What to Select from Select Wines’ Portfolio?

 mywinepal  May 12, 2017

Sometimes the best wines around are the ones that are not generally listed in BC Liquor stores.  They are known as Spec or Special Order wines.  You can find these wines through some private wine shops, or you could order them through these shops, but you may need a minimum order size. I attended Select Wines‘ portfolio tasting and enjoyed…

VinItaly International

Robusto Rosso Italian Red Wines from VinItaly 2017 Tour

 mywinepal  May 8, 2017

From my previous article, I showed you which white, sparkling, and sweet wines I thought were of excellent quality at the #VinItaly tour held in Vancouver.  But of course, Italy is well-known for their red wines, from the north, e.g. Nebbiolo, to the south, e.g. Nero D’Avola and Nerello Mascalese.  Again I ask you to try a grape you may not…

Chinese New Year Rooster 2017

Celebrating the Year of the Rooster for Chinese New Year with Wine

 mywinepal  January 21, 2017

Chinese New Year Day of the Rooster is on January 28, 2017. It is also known as the Female Fire Chicken year. Red is connected to the fire in Chinese tradition.  According to chinesefortunecalendar.com, “…Chicken is a Female Metal. Female Metal is related to gold, precious gem or jewelry. That means Chicken implies luxury, beauty, and wealth. Red Fire of 2017 is…

A Tasting of Wines From Italy

Italian Wines for the Holidays

 mywinepal  November 15, 2016

Italian wines can make any day feel like a holiday. But we do have holidays upcoming so here are a few Italian wines that I recently tasted in downtown Vancouver that you may want to consider purchasing.  Of particular note are the white wines made with indigenous grapes you may not have heard of; Carricante and Grillo exclusively grown in…

A Few Wine Gems from the Mark Anthony Portfolio 2016

 mywinepal  October 2, 2016

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…

Barone Ricasoli Campo Ceni 2014

VanWineFest – My Top Tuscany Wine Picks

 mywinepal  March 11, 2016

Tuscany is best known for its most famous, and probably Italy’s most famous, red wine called Chianti.  This wine is made primarily from the indigenous Sangiovese grape, and then blended with other red grapes, either Italian, like Colorino, or international, like Merlot. The region is further enhanced by the evolution of the “Super Tuscan” wine, most notably Sassicaia, made from International grape varieties,…

MyWinePal Top 5 Star Wines

My Top 5 Star Rated Wines for 2015

 mywinepal  December 21, 2015

5 Star wines are the top of my rating scale.  It takes a lot to convince me to give a 5 star rating to a wine.  I look for a balance of acidity, tannins, sweetness, fruit, oak and alcohol, as applicable for red, white, fortified, and sparkling wines.  These 7 wines below have everything I am looking for in a…

Rocca delle Macie logo

Presenting Rocca delle Macìe at the Vancouver International Wine Fest 2016

 mywinepal  November 24, 2015

Rocca delle Macie is a young winery when you compare it to the most famous wineries in the Chianti area. The company was founded in 1973 by Italo Zingarelli, whom, after various positive experiences in the movie production and distribution, decided to make a dream of his childhood come true: to buy a large farm and make it outstanding.  After…

Select Wines Portfolio tasting

A Few Portfolio Gems from Select Wines Portfolio Tasting

 mywinepal  September 27, 2015

It is always a special time when a wine agency opens their portfolio of wines for you to taste, review, and recommend.  This past week I had a chance to try the wines from Select Wines’ annual portfolio tasting.  With any tasting of this magnitude there will always be more wines than time to taste them.  I try my best…

Ruffino Chiantis

Drink Chianti, Eat Gnudi, Celebrate Valentine’s Day

 mywinepal  January 21, 2015

Valentine’s Day is around the corner.  For those that have a spouse, significant other, or boyfriend/girlfriend, there may be some pressure to have a special celebration that day.  It was suggested to me by a PR company in Vancouver that having a nice, light Italian meal with a bottle of Chianti might fit the bill.  They supplied me with the…