Category: california

I taste wines at all price points so that everyone has some wine that they can afford to enjoy.  Recently I received a bottle of Pendragon Satin White and Velvet Red wines from Artisan Wine Co (from Vancouver).  Both wines come in at a suggested retail price of $9.99 + tax.  These two wines are a blend of imported and…

It is always a special time when a wine agency opens their portfolio of wines for you to taste, review, and recommend.  This past week I had a chance to try the wines from Select Wines’ annual portfolio tasting.  With any tasting of this magnitude there will always be more wines than time to taste them.  I try my best…

My second agent portfolio wine tasting for September is by Andrew Peller Ltd and Andrew Peller Import Agency.  Through both branches they show off our local BC wines, and the wines the represent from around the world.  It was a great sunny day, and they had their wines out for us on a patio.  Greeting me was Howard Soon, senior…

Chinese Year of the Wooden Sheep According to chinesefortunecalendar.com, “…Sheep is one of Chinese favorite animals…2013 is Snake year; 2014 is Horse year. Both of them are in Fire group. 2015 is the last year of Fire cycle. Sheep is the animal on the farmland. Sheep is herbivore. It likes to eat grass. Therefore, in Chinese horoscopes, Sheep contains  Fire, Earth…

Two curious red wines passed by my lips recently.  One, the Curious Beasts Blood Red Wine 2011 and the other the California Square Three Red Blend 2012.  Rarely do I see a bottle wrapped in paper or other material, other than some Riojas from Spain.  The Curious Beasts Blood Red wine comes in a very Halloween thought-provoking blood red and…

How many people know someone that has been affected by heart problems?  My guess is 100% of you.  The heart is a very important muscle in the body and one that needs special care. To this effect the wine, Colby Red, was produced to support charities promoting heart health. Colby Red came about due to the sickness of Colby Groom. …

Trying to think of an exceptional quality wine to buy for someone in your family or a special friend?  I have a few suggestions from the wines that I tasted over this past year.  These wines cover all regions of the world, and have different price points.  There should be something for everyone to love.  16 white and sparkling wines,…

I am privileged to try so many wines from around the world each year, here in Vancouver.  Sparkling, rose, red, white, and fortified wines have all passed my lips.  And for some instances there is a wine that stops you in your tracks, all your senses become heightened as they focus on the spectacular wine in your glass.  I would…

Sitting down in a private room at Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop Shop, myself and a few other wine media had a chance to try some fantastic Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from Hahn Family Wines, a California-based winery, with vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County.  I pulled wine maker Paul Clifton aside for a few minutes to…

Wednesday, November 19, 2014, was Natonal Zinfandel Day.  On that day, I did enjoy a glass of Zinfandel from the Renwood Winery from Amador County in California, and was making notes so that I could let you know about this wine, and another Zinfandel wine that they produce.  Zinfandel in California is characteristically a big red wine, with lots of…