MyWinePal

Here are two Ontario Cabernet Franc wines from Flat Rock Cellars and Featherstone Estate Winery & Vineyard coming from the Niagara region.  The two wineries are separate entities, but it worked out to have single bottles of their single varietal Cabernet Franc wines to be tasted and discussed together.  Flat Rock Cellars is solely owned by Ed Madronich, while Featherstone…

I received two bottles of Pinot Noir from the Maison Joseph Drouhin family.  The first wine, Joseph Drouhin Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021 comes from Burgundy, while the second wine, Domaine Drouhin Oregon Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2022, comes from Oregon state. Some Background The Pinot Noir grape variety has a deep history in Burgundy, with the first plantings possibly dating…

I was recently contacted by Vancouver’s, Atome Bakery with their bake-at-home sourdough breads to try. Of course, I said, “Yes”.  On the bakery website, they tell us, “We’re Alice and Lucas, the duo behind Atome Bakery. We grew up devouring baguettes and toast every day. When we arrived in Vancouver, we couldn’t find the same bread as we were used…

I received two Cabernet Franc wines from Pillitteri Estates Winery as part of my discovery and discussion about how this grape expresses itself in the Niagara region of southern Ontario.  These two wines are from the 2020 vintage, with one, the Exclamation Cellar Series, being the top tier, which is only made in exceptional years.  It should be interesting to…

After attending the Chianti Classico: Digging into the Region’s UGA Masterclass, there was a walk around tasting from the wineries from the masterclass plus other wineries in the region; 26 wineries in total, each pouring three wines, so 78 different Chianti Classico wines to try from the foundation, Annata, wines, to Riserva middle tier, and the top tier, Gran Selezione. …

I was honoured to attend the Chianti Classico: Digging into the Region’s UGA Masterclass lead by Michaela Morris. The masterclass, hosted by the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, focused on the region’s evolution, particularly the introduction of the Gran Selezione category and the newly established Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive (UGAs). The presentation highlighted the historical significance of the region, the hierarchical structure…

Domaine Drouhin Oregon is the New World outpost of the famed Maison Joseph Drouhin of Burgundy, France. Drawn by the parallels between Burgundy and Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Véronique Drouhin and her family purchased land atop the Dundee Hills in 1987, recognizing the potential for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This pioneering move brought Old World expertise to a young wine region,…

What do you know about Prosecco DOC?  When purchasing a bottle, most of us probably just see that the bottle says “Prosecco” without checking its designation.  I recently attended a masterclass, led by Jenna Briscoe, a local sommelier and wine school educator, that covered the history, culture, and quality assurance around Prosecco DOC.  Let me tell you about it, along…

Enjoying a bottle of wine from a specific date tells you about that time in harvest and the growing season.  But what is even more interesting is if you have a vertical of the same wine so that you can taste beyond the growing season to see what unique qualities there are for that grape growing in a specific vineyard…

As I mentioned in a recent Instagram post, with inter-trade barriers coming to a close in Canada by Canada Day and Canadians wanting to support Canadians, I contacted some Ontario wineries about sending me samples of their Cabernet Franc wines to review. Cabernet Franc has found a remarkable home in the diverse terroirs of Ontario, producing wines that are both…