Category: chocolate

The history of pairing wine with chocolates traces back to the early 20th century when connoisseurs began exploring the complementary flavours of these two treats.  Over time, as both the appreciation for fine wines and the art of chocolate-making evolved, so did the understanding of how different wine characteristics interact with various types of chocolates. By the mid-20th century, chefs…

Do you look for vegan wines? They are becoming more common. I have two vegan-friendly wines for you from Yalumba in Australia. I tasted their Yalumba Organic Shiraz 2019 and Yalumba The Y Series Viognier 2020. Both are single varietal wines, but sometimes you do see these grapes co-fermented. The Shiraz, besides being vegan-friendly, is also organic. A year ago…

If you like chocolate and BC, and need a gift for Valentine’s Day, check out this one from Culmina Family Estate Winery and Karat Chocolates. ~~~ With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Culmina Family Estate Winery would like to help you create the ultimate romantic evening with a delectable wine and chocolate pairing for you to share with your…

Do you gift BC wine to others, or for yourself, during the upcoming holidays?  I reached out to our BC wineries asking what deals they are offering people for the holidays.  Here is my list. If there are any other BC wineries that would like their holiday offerings added to my list, please comment below or email contact@mywinepal.com. ~~~ Hillside…

Have you ever tried the pastries or chocolates from Temper Chocolate and Pastry?  You should.  They are delicious and currently they are preparing their holiday pastries and chocolates.  I have enjoyed tasting their previous holiday pastries and chocolates, with wine of course, and it was fabulous.  Below is the announcement of their latest holiday creations.  Enjoy. ~~~West Vancouver patisserie introduces…

It is time to start drinking your port with the colder weather upon us.  There are many styles of port.  I received 3 port samples from The Fladgate Partnership that cover 3 different styles; Pink, Tawny, and Vintage.   Port is made from indigenous grapes, typically Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, and Tinta Cao. Port is a…

During the holidays many of us like to make, give and/or receive pastries and chocolates.  But what do we pair them with?  Tea or coffee?  Yes those are what most people do, but how about wine?  I took up that idea and visited Chef Hodge at Temper Chocolate & Pastry to get a sample of pastries and chocolates for me…

Cooking with local, healthy, sustainable ingredients should be a goal we all aspire.  Knowing where our food comes from and how it was harvested can help us make sustainable food choices.  For Chef Ned Bell, it has been a journey to learn about sustainability, first from the land to the plate, and now from what is in our oceans to…

Are you on a Quest or a Chase for something?  For wineries, it may be for the best expression of the grapes in the glass, showing off their terroir.  A light hand by the wine maker.  To me the light hand of the wine maker really comes out in the red wines from C. C. Jentsch Cellars. C. C. Jentsch…

Brockmann’s Chocolates Celebrates 30 Years in Canada  “Who is the Brockmann family?” They have been in Canada for 30 years making chocolates, and I don’t know about them.  But here they are; right underneath my nose! The Brockmann family has been creating delicious chocolate recipes for over 80 years, and is now celebrating 30 of those years of chocolate making in…