Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
The Grandi Marchi, is a collaboration of eighteen winemaking families across Italy to promote the culture and commercialization of Italian high-quality wine on world markets. All the wineries are family-owned, have been in operation for at least 25 years (some for centuries), own their estate vineyards, are innovators, and much more. We had nine of the eighteen families visiting in Vancouver to…
I enjoy attending the Top Drop Canada wine tasting each year. It is probably my second favourite event after the Vancouver International Wine Festival. If you have not heard of Top Drop before, the organizers describe it as “Top Drop’s focus and mandate is providing a platform for terroir-influenced, handcrafted wines, and the people behind them. We believe in the…
It is not every day that you get invited to a portfolio tasting of wines from Italy’s Antinori Estates. Many of you have probably heard of their most famous wine, Marchesi Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT, a Super Tuscan, that helped lead the way to blend in International grape varieties, e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with Italy’s Sangiovese grape in Tuscany….
Have you ever heard of Top Drop Vancouver? It is a festival where 40 hand-selected wineries from around the world come to Vancouver and pour their wines for you. These wineries have to have a certain level of quality and status in order for them to be invited so that you know you are going to enjoy premium wines. Yes,…
Italian wine always excites me. I think it is the acidity in the wines and the in general red fruit flavours. There is also a wide variety of wines from sparkling Prosecco and Franciacorta wines, and rosé/white/red wines made from indigenous grapes that smell and taste different from the other vitis vinifera that is now so common around the world. …
For the past few years, I have been posting my Top-Rated White, Sparkling, and Red wines for the current year of tasting. This year I posted my Top-Rated wines for 2018. My articles with ratings: MyWinePal Top 5 Star Rated Red Wines for 2018 MyWinePal Top 5 Star Rated White and Sparkling Wines for 2018 I categorized the wines according…
This is Part 2 of my top rated wines for 2018. I earlier released my list of 40 white and sparkling wines for 2018, which you can read at this link. This red wine list came from Trade tastings with agents and BC VQA wineries, the Vancouver International Wine Festival, visits to wineries, and personal purchases. I categorized the wines below to…
This was my first portfolio tasting for Amo Vino Distributors, a small boutique wine agency co-founded by Marisa Varas and Jessica Luongo. Their wines are primarily from Europe, but there are also some California and BC wines to be found. The wines from Greece and Portugal figure prominently, along with their country’s indigenous grapes. You won’t find a huge list…
Top Drop is the last major wine tasting in Vancouver before the start of summer. Top Drop is meant to represent the best in terroir and winemaker craft. Nature and Nurture. Wineries from around the world are selected for the best of both, and we were not disappointed. In my 5 star wine rating, most wines were at least 4…
The Michele Chiarlo winery has been producing wines in the Piedmonte region of Italy for 60 years. With the specialness of this 60th anniversary, Alberto Chiarlo, has been visiting some cities around the world presenting the wines of their family to media and special guests. I was privileged to be invited to a sit-down tasting of 4 wines with Alberto,…
