Category: chile

At the Import Vintners & Spirits Association (IVSA) tastings, held most months, gives the Trade a chance to try the latest wines and spirits coming to Vancouver.  There are always a few gems that people come across and spread the word, so that you have to find that table and try that wine.  At this tasting, the whispers were to…

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…

Chile, eventhough it has been making wine since the 1500’s, still holds surprises.  One more recent surprise was that some of the Merlot grapes that they thought they were growing was actually the Bordeaux variety, Carmenere; a grape that was long forgotten in Bordeaux as it was too difficult to ripen.  Carmenere and Merlot look very similar but ripen differently. …

A Bit of Argentine Wine Background Argentina is a large country that can boast over 300 sunny days a year and a dry semi-desert climate, and irrigation canals from the Andes mountains which helps them to be the 5th largest wine producer in the world.  Grapes were brought over by French, Spanish, and Italian immigrants. Believe it or not, nearly…

With September, comes the new season of tasting wines which have arrived in British Columbia, through the IVSA.  There can always be found wines from every corner of the world, and also beer and spirits too.  My wine picks come from across the world, and I hope you have a chance to try them sometime soon. Where I had the…

It’s Spring!  I have at least 5 tulips blooming in my front yard, the sun is out, and I’m looking to find some new and exciting white wines for the patio for me and for you.  Last week was the latest Import Vintners & Spirits Association (IVSA) Trade tasting to introduce the wine & spirits trade to the new libations…

A daunting task, picking my favourite wines from a total of 1750 wines being poured at the Vancouver International Wine Festival.  Thankfully I was able to visit the Acura International Festival Tasting Room 4 times as Media, splitting time between France and the rest of the world.  I have already covered my favourite French wines in a separate article.  In…

February 24, 2014.  That’s the kick off for the Vancouver International Wine Festival.  On Thursday – Saturday in the Acura International Festival Tasting Room you have the opportunity to try wines from near and far; red, white, and pink; sparkling and still; sweet and dry.  But which ones?  Luckily, I have had a chance over the years to try wines from…

Chinese Year of the Wooden Horse According to chinesefortunecalendar.com, “Horse is one of Chinese favorite animals. Horse provides a good and quick transportation for people before automobiles. Horse can give people a ride to their destination. Therefore, horse is not only a symbol of traveling, but also a sign of speedy success. Horses like to compete with others. They pursuit for…

Have you tried any wine from Brasil before?  Did you know that there are wineries in Brasil?  You may think of the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema in Rio de Janiero, but if you go to the cooler climate in Southern Brasil you will find vineyards that were started by European settlers in the 1500s and continues today. I received…