Category: Cabernet Franc

Six months ago, in August 2025, I tasted BC’s Hester Creek Estate Vineyard Garland 2022 and The Judge 2022 Bordeaux-style red blends.  These are their top tier Origin wines.  Both wines were made in the epic year of 2022 when weather conditions and the harvest was perfect.  At that time I first tasted these wines, both tied in my wine…

It is always a treat at a winemaker’s dinner to be able to talk with the winemaker who gives us some insight into how the wines we are drinking together were made and any challenges they encountered.  I recently attended a winemaker dinner at Provence Marinaside, featuring Jessica Otting from the Niagara region’s Tawse Winery, who gave us those insights. …

We have had some turmoil in Canada and in BC for wines in 2025.  Many BC interior wineries suffered from the 2024 cold snap causing them to either not produce any wine in 2024, or importing grapes from across the border, or from Ontario.  We also had the removal of USA wines from BC government liquor stores.  Overall, we had…

Today I have two wines for you from south Okanagan’s Gold Hill Winery; their Gold Hill Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2022 and Charisma Cabernet Merlot 2021.  Charisma is their second label.  Charisma wines curates charming approachable everyday drinking wines.  There were scattered forest fires in the BC interior in 2021, but the winemakers at that time did not notice any smoke taint…

Although the winters of 2021-22 and 2022-23 were extremely cold in Lillooet, Fort Berens Estate Winery was able to harvest grapes from their two vineyards.  Here are two wines from Fort Berens Estate Winery coming from their estate fruit.  These two wines come from their Reserve level, which typically means coming from estate grapes, with the grapes getting longer hang…

We are well into the colder, winter weather now here in BC.  So it is time to venture into deeper, red wines.  I have two red wines from Oliver’s Gold Hill Winery. I have their Gold Hill Oxbow Reach Merlot 2019 and Oxbow Reach Cabernet Franc 2019. Both are interestingly from the 2019 vintage, with now 6 years of aging. …

Well, the really bad, rainy weather is not yet here, so I decided to taste a white and a rosé wine.  Red wines will come soon enough.  Today I have the Gold Hill Winery Cabernet Franc Rosé 2022 and the Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Interlude Sauvignon Blanc 2024, with the latter being made in BC, but using WA state…

Earlier this summer, I had a chance to visit Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet, BC.  I have admired their wines since they started, and I’ve been letting wine lovers know that they are producing excellent wines in Lillooet.  There are two wines that I did not have a chance to try on my visit.  Luckily, co-owner, Heleen Pannekoek, gave…

Here are my last two wines from Osoyoos’ Adega on 45th Estate Winery for you; A 2024 Rosé and a 2020 Malbec.  The Rosé is made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes.  Let me tell you about them. My Wine Tasting Notes Adega on 45th Estate Winery Rosé 2024 (BC $24.99.  A wine club exclusive.) Winemaker’s notes, a blend of…

My last winery visit while I was staying in the Osoyoos area was the La Stella Winery.  I met with tasting room manager, Wade Martin, as he poured me their recent wine releases and discussed wines in general.  Their winery like other Okanagan wineries was affected by the 2024 winter blast.  Out of 70 acres of planted vines, they were…