Category: Australia

Australia is a large country with diverse climates and unique terroirs. There is for example the Terra Rossa, red soil, in the Coonawarra Valley which makes exceptional Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Or the cooler climate of the Hunter Valley, making expressive Semillon which can age for many years. Or Margaret River in Western Australia, which has been said to have…

It’s Spring.  We should be putting on our shorts, getting out on the patio and enjoying some wine, cheese, fresh seafood, and some grilled lamb chops.  These wines from the latest IVSA should fit the bill. White and Sparkling Wines Beau Joie Champagne Brut NV, France (~$120) – Nice strawberries and lees on the nose; medium intensity.  Dry, high acidity…

Do you know how many wines will be presented at the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2017 Tasting Room?  Around 800.  Picking wines you really would like to try in your 3 hours of wine tasting would be like finding a needle in a haystack.  I had a chance to try some of the wines that you can find at the Festival,…

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…

There are many wines to savour from Australia, from classic wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon from the Coonawarra or Semillon from the Hunter Valley, to the new “natural” wines from wineries like Jaume and Alpha Box & Dice.  At the Dish N’ Dazzle event supporting the BC Hospitality Foundation, wines of Australia were sipped and savoured, together with sample dishes…

You know we all want to change the world, and wine making is one of those areas that has been undergoing a revolution to past wine making techniques recently.  I attended a seminar on the past, present, and future of Australian wine making, and it was interesting to see changes that are going on in this country, but it can…

The BC Hospitality Foundation’s Dish N’ Dazzle is coming up May 18.  I tantalized you with 3 Australian Semillon in a previous article, and now a quick review of three completely different white wines from Australia.  The grapes are: Chardonnay Roussanne Vermentino Chardonnay and Roussanne are grapes that originated in France.  Chardonnay is grown in the Burgundy region of France….

Question: What does Australian Semillon have to do with BC Hospitality Foundation?  Answer: Dish N’ Dazzle.  Dish N’ Dazzle is a public charity event where the funds raised are used to support individuals in the hospitality industry that are coping with a financial crisis arising from a medical condition or injury.  The Aussie twist are all wines for this event are…