Category: Chateauneuf-du-Pape

We have new to our market in BC some exceptional wines from the Lirac and from Châteauneuf-du-Pape made by Domaine Duseigneur.  I had a preview of these wines and was able to interview Bernard Duseigneur, tasting through these wines and trying them with a light lunch.  I have been a great fan of Rhone Valley wines but had not yet…

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…

In my previous article about Maison Ogier and their wines from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, I told you about the four different soil types and their effects on the grapes’ flavours in the wines.  In this article, I take you through tasting some of Maison Ogier’s wines with food paired at Provence Marinaside in Yaletown. Our Pairings Seared scallops with hedgehog mushrooms, roasted…

What do you know about Chateauneuf-du-Pape?  How many grape varieties are permitted in the blend?  How many soil types are there in Chateauneuf-du-Pape?  Raphael Pommier, an Associate Winemaker at Maison Ogier, spoke to us about the history of the winery and about the Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC.  Raphael has his own vineyard but also works with Ogier, joining about 17 years ago.  Ogier’s…

As I mentioned in my previous article on my top rated white, sparkling, and fortified wines for 2017, there were so many excellent wines that I tasted this year.  As I review the red wines that I’ve listed below, there are many wines from Italy, in part due to the many visits by Italian wineries to Vancouver this year.  From…

This is my second year attending Top Drop Vancouver, where small-scale producers from around the world show us their hand crafted wines. According to Top Drop, “Our focus is terroir-influenced, handcrafted wines, and the people behind them. W e believe in the importance in farming one’s own fruit and/or being constantly engaged with grape-growers to ensure sustainability and a high…

Sometimes the best wines around are the ones that are not generally listed in BC Liquor stores.  They are known as Spec or Special Order wines.  You can find these wines through some private wine shops, or you could order them through these shops, but you may need a minimum order size. I attended Select Wines‘ portfolio tasting and enjoyed…

Rhone, there is so much to discover, from scintillating Syrah, to ripe summer fruits from Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne, to full-bodied, ripe red and black fruit blends from Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  I’ve travelled twice to France and both times I stopped in the Rhone Valley.  To see the Tain Hermitage hill, to get a chance to walk the hill and overlook Cornas…