Author: mywinepal

Where is Valdepeñas? Valdepeñas is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) for wines located in the province of Ciudad Real in the south of Castile-La Mancha (Wikipedia). Valdepeñas means Valley of Rocks, referring to the special soil, strewn with pebbles and larger stones over limestone and clay. It is a region with a long history of vine growing with records…

Portfolio tastings with a wine agency is always very fun and interesting as you get to taste the range of their wines and spirits at one time.  This was my first Charton Hobbs Portfolio tasting, so I was not aware of all the wines and spirits that they handled.  I was quite impressed.  They arranged the wines by table, with…

Have you heard about The National Tasting: Creating A Great Wine Culture?  Peter Lehmann Wines is inviting Canadian wine lovers to The National Tasting: a first-of-its-kind live-streaming and interactive panel discussion featuring some of the wine world’s leading experts. Peter Lehmann Wines (PLW) will host this unique conversation featuring writer and broadcaster Anthony Gismondi alongside a panel of top sommeliers…

Leavenworth, Washington, located just east of Stevens Pass, a mere 4 hrs from the BC/WA border is well known for their Oktoberfest activities, which happen over 3 weekends every October.  This past weekend, I went to try the beer, brats and pretzels for Oktoberfest, but I also wanted to try the wines produced by the wineries in the area.  (My…

UPDATED: Oct 16.  New information about a special wine made by Betz Family Winery for Taste of Tulalip. This November 8 and 9, is the 5th Annual Taste of Tulalip, held at the Tulalip Resort Casino in Washington state.  I’ve attended the last 2 events as Media and I can tell you that the wine and food experience is outstanding. …

It is always a treat to have a chance to meet a winemaker pouring their wine and telling you the story behind it, the vintage, the winery, or themselves.  Recently, I had a chance to meet Tim Heath, the wine maker for the New Zealand winery Cloudy Bay, on a sunny fall day.  Cloudy Bay winery, located in Marlborough, is…

Argentina is a country with Old World roots, yet produces wines that are definitely New World in style. Most wine drinkers have probably heard about their signature red grape “Malbec“, but there are also other hidden treasures for you to discover, like Torrontes (their signature white grape), Bonarda, Syrah, and Pinot Grigio.  The Celebrate One Night in Argentina shows us…

Have you ever heard of a portfolio tasting?  Most people probably have not, unless you attend wine tastings on a fairly regular basis.  A portfolio tasting is when a wine agency, like Select Wines & Spirits, pours their selection of wine (and spirits) in a casual (usually) walk-about fashion, where you can taste the wines and talk with the rep…

This past week I had a chance to try 3 wines currently in the BC market from the De Martino winery, and one wine which is yet to be released.  The De Martino winery hails from Chile, originally located in the Maipo Valley, but has vineyards across Chile. About the De Martino Winery In 1998 they embarked on a project…

How many wineries do you think there are in the Langley, BC area? Jelly Marketing asked this question to residents and were shocked to find that most people think that there are only 2 wineries.  Did you know that there are actually 7 wineries?  The wineries are: Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Domaine de Chaberton vista d’oro farms and winery…