Author: mywinepal

Drink Good Wine. That is my motto and I really want to help you drink good wine. What is good wine? That can be a different thing for each people. Food also loves wine so I also cover food and wine pairings, restaurant reviews, and world travel. Enjoy life with me. MyWinePal was started by Karl Kliparchuk, WSET. I spent many years with the South World Wine Society as the President and then cellar master. I love to travel around the world, visiting wine regions and sharing my passion for food & wine with you. Come live vicariously through me, and enjoy all my recommended wines.

MyWinePal Visits the Wineries of the Fraser Valley- Part 1

 mywinepal  September 26, 2010

The summer is upon us, so it was time to head out to the Fraser Valley in the Vancouver lower mainland, and visit some of the wineries. I have visited Lulu Island and Pacific Breeze wineries in the past. Today my goal was to visit Township 7, Neck of the Woods, and Domaine de Chaberton Estate Winery. Well first off,…

MyWinePal Attends Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Fair – Part 2

 mywinepal  September 26, 2010

In Part 1 of my attendance at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Fair, I reviewed wines of New Zealand and Argentina. Here in Part 2, I’ll cover the rest of the world (or at least parts that I had a chance to taste)! If you like Italian wines, Altesino is a nice coice. I particularly liked their Brunello di Montalcino…

MyWinePal Attends Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Fair – Part 1

 mywinepal  September 26, 2010  1 Comment on MyWinePal Attends Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Fair – Part 1

I really looked forward to the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Fair this year as they had two theme countries: New Zealand and Argentina. Both are southern hemisphere countries, with different climates and styles of wines that they produce. New Zealand having renowned cooler climate pinot noirs and white aromatic wines, while Argentina is known for their big Malbecs, but also…

MyWinePal Attends California Wine Fair 2010

 mywinepal  September 26, 2010

I look forward to the California Wine Fair when it comes to Vancouver every year. Beyond enjoying big Napa Cabs, there is a wide variety of other grapes that are being grown for wine in California.This evening there were 115 wineries presenting their wines to us. With each winery showing around 4 wines, that is around 460 wines to try…

MyWinePal Reviews Meyer Family Vineyards 2010

 mywinepal  September 26, 2010  1 Comment on MyWinePal Reviews Meyer Family Vineyards 2010

One of the first reviews I wrote was for the inaugural release of Meyer Family Vineyards‘ wines. I now have the pleasure of being presented with the latest, soon-to-be, release of their 2008 Chardonnay and 2 Pinot Noirs. For those unfamilar with the Meyer Family Vineyards, they are located on the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan. They produce a small…

5th Annual 5 Nations Cup South World Wine Society, Vancouver

 mywinepal  September 26, 2010

For the past 5 years, Vancouver’s South World Wine Society has been having a tasting in January called the “5 Nations Cup“. This January was the 5th competition. The premise of the event is that 5 white and 5 red wines are selected by the cellar master and the speaker at the event. The wines are all single varietals and…

Chile flag

MyWinePal Visits Chile – October 2009, Part 2

 mywinepal  September 26, 2010

In Part 1 of of my trip notes to Chile, I talked about the Casablanca and Maipo Valleys, plus gave you some information about the following wineries: – Casas del Bosque – Vina Santa Rita – Vina Undurraga – Vina Tarapaca ex Zavala In Part 2 of my trip notes, I am going to cover the Aconcagua and the Colchagua…

MyWinePal Visits Chile – October 2009, Part 1

 mywinepal  September 26, 2010

This October, I spent two weeks touring Chile, which of course included visiting several wineries. I had made appointments ahead of time with the winemakers so that I could go through their wines with them, as they would be the best knowledge of their wines. The Chilean people are very hospitable. My meetings with the wineries, were more than just…

MyWinePal In Oregon 2009

 mywinepal  September 26, 2010

Oregon has been touted as having the best pinot noir outside of Burgundy. MyWinePal went to Burgundy last fall, and now visited Oregon to see how the two wine regions compare. In Oregon, most of my time was spent around the McMinnville, Dundee and Salem areas. The landscape was quite varied, with some flatter sloped agricultural areas, but most of…

MyWinePal At The New Zealand Wine Fair May 2009

 mywinepal  September 26, 2010

It was a beautiful, sunny day for the New Zealand Wine Fair in Vancouver. The event was held at the new Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. There were 33 different wineries present at this year’s event, and they covered all areas from both the north and south island. Many of the wineries present do not have representation in Canada, but…