Category: chardonnay

When you pick up a bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine, you may notice that some have a vintage year on the label, while others do not. The presence or absence of a vintage date can have a significant impact on the wine inside. But what exactly does it mean, and how does it affect the taste, aging potential, and…

Along with the Bourgogne seminar I attended, there was also a Trade tasting featuring 19 Domaines, Maisons and Caves Coopératives. Like the seminar, this Trade tasting featured village wines that too often go unnoticed.  They reflect the terroirs that shaped them and offer an unbeatable quality-price ratio, not to mention wonderful tasting pleasure.  Here are my favourite wines from this…

Did you know that Canada is a very important market for French, Bourgogne, wines?  We are the third largest market in volume and sixth largest market in term of value.  The Canadian Bourgogne market is weighted toward white wines, particularly from Chablis. Our seminar today introduced us to some Bourgogne wine regions that we may not have much familiarity, but…

Opposites attract, at times.  Other times, it is great to enjoy their diversity.  I’m taking the latter track in this tasting of a low-alcohol Australian Chardonnay and a fuller-bodied Malbec from Argentina.  Some people are looking for low-alcohol, and lower calorie, wines, while others want to enjoy the full-body and richness of other wines.  I have Yalumba’s Y Series Lighter…

The wines of BC and the rest of the world, excluding the USA, were the last of the wines I tasted at the International Festival Tasting Room during VanWineFest 2025.     Read through my wine tasting notes below and if you find some wines that spark your interest, check out your local BC Liquor store, some private wine shops,…

From my recent tastings of white and sparkling wines from west coast USA during VanWineFest 2025, a few key trends emerge. Chardonnay remains a dominant varietal, showcasing a range of styles from richer, rounder textures with lower acidity in Paso Robles to fresher, more mineral-driven expressions from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. There is a clear emphasis on texture and mouthfeel, with…

Hope Family Wines, based in Paso Robles, California, is a renowned family-owned winery known for producing bold, expressive wines that capture the essence of the region’s warm climate and rich soils. Hope Family Wines consists of six individual brands: Liberty School, Treana, Quest, Austin Hope, Troublemaker, and Austin.  Led by winemaker and owner Austin Hope, the winery has built a…

While the term “Cru” is most often used for the French classification system, the “Cru” concept can apply to any vineyard or group of vineyards recognized for their superior quality.  It was first mentioned in Champagne in 1911 and then spread across France, and now the rest of the world. This seminar, The Global Cru, took participants on a global…

LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards, located in the heart of Lodi, California, is a family-owned winery dedicated to crafting sustainably grown, estate-driven wines that capture the essence of the region. With a deep commitment to land stewardship, the Lange family has been farming in Lodi for five generations, producing exceptional wines that reflect their rich heritage. Zinfandel, Lodi’s flagship grape,…

The second seminar I attended at VanWineFest 2025 was the “Three Rings of Sustainability“. Dr. Monique Bell (Professor of Marketing, Fresno State University) and Dr. Damien Wilson (Hamel Family Faculty Chair of Wine Business, Sonoma State University) lead a panel of principals as they explored the three rings of sustainability – environmental, social, and economic. We learned how sustainable wine…