Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
Winemaking in the past has been dominated by men around the world, but times are changing. British Columbia is a great example. If you’ve ever cracked open a bottle of BC wine, there is a high probability that it was made by a female winemaker and/or the winery is female owned. Estimates suggest about 20% of lead winemakers in the…
Chardonnay wines can vary in style and in intensity. Many people avoid Chardonnay as they were exposed to heavily oaked versions in the past. But there are many unoaked Chardonnay that you can enjoy. I received this bottle from the south Okanagan’s Gold Hill Winery of their Charisma Un-Oaked Chardonnay 2022 to review for you. It has four years of…
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. …
I have two Chardonnay from Lillooet’s Fort Berens Estate Winery. One wine, made in 2023 comes from their estate grapes, while their 2024 Chardonnay grapes come from WA state, with the wine made in Lillooet. Lillooet, as well as the Okanagan, was hit hard by the 2024 winter cold snap, killing many grape vines, necessitating the purchase of grapes from…
Here are my last two Interlude wines from Township 7 Vineyards & Winery. In case you don’t remember, Interlude, is their wines, crafted in BC, but coming from grapes outside the province, due to our cold winter snap that killed most grape vines in the Okanagan. The first wine, their Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Interlude Pinot Noir 2024, is…
Domaine Fourrey is bringing their Chablis wines to the Vancouver International Wine Festival. As we all know, Chablis is from Chardonnay, and that the soil and climate play a very important part of what makes these wines special. Jean-Luc Fourrey will be in attendance at the Festival and will be at all public International Festival Tasting Room sessions, at Passport…
Champagne on ice at TWB The Wine Bar Champagne, the world’s most celebrated sparkling wine, comes exclusively from the Champagne region in northeastern France. While the bubbles may steal the spotlight, the label tells a deeper story; about origin, grapes, and craftsmanship. To decode Champagne is to appreciate its layered complexity, from vineyard to vintage. The Champagne Appellation System Champagne…
Chinese (Lunar) New Year 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, starting on February 17, 2026 until February 5, 2027. The Horse embodies enthusiasm, speed and fieriness, bringing a year focused on bold moves and exploration. The Year of the Horse brings themes of freedom, action, and momentum, encouraging bold moves, new projects, travel, and social connection, fuelled by…
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…
It will soon be New Year’s eve and many of us will open a bottle of sparkling wine. I have two bottles of sparkling wine from BC’s Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars for you to consider. I received their Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars Gold Label Brut 2022 and their Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars Brut Rosé R.D. 2022. R.D….
Video Guide Uncorks the Story of British Columbia Wines. Buy Now.
