Category: Corvina

As we get into our cold, dark, winter days, many of us gravitate toward fuller-bodied red wines and deeper, more savoury dishes.  I received this bottle of Monte del Frà Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2018 to sample for you.  Amarone sits at the top of the deeper, fuller-bodied red wines of Valpolicella.  There is quite a process to create Amarone…

Monte Del Frá, from the Verona region of Italy for the past 60+ years has produced wines from indigenous grapes; both red and white grapes. Verona is a province within the Veneto wine region in Northeast Italy. They make two fun wines I’ve written about in the past, but bringing it up again as they are fun wines, easy to…

I and other Trade individuals were invited to Discover Extraordinary Italian Wines.  Some of the wineries at the event were searching for local representation, while other wineries already have an agent and their wines are in BC Liquor stores or private wine shops and restaurants.  I’ve put a “*” beside those wineries that have local representation, so you should be…

The theme country for the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2024 is Italy.  If you have not yet checked out the website to see the participating wineries, I can tell you that Monte del Frá will be pouring their wines for you from the area bordering the south and east of Lake Garda and west of Verona.  The red grapes from…

Valpolicella may not be as well-known to many wine lovers compared to Chianti Classico in Italy but deserves to be.  There are different levels of quality of Valpolicella wines to satisfy everybody’s palates.  I was fortunate to attend a Valpolicella Masterclass with Daenna Van Mulligen leading the class.  Following is information that I thought would be of interest to you followed…

Have you ever heard of Top Drop Vancouver?  It is a festival where 40 hand-selected wineries from around the world come to Vancouver and pour their wines for you.  These wineries have to have a certain level of quality and status in order for them to be invited so that you know you are going to enjoy premium wines. Yes,…

Although France was the theme country this year at the Vancouver International Wine Festival, there was a great contingent of wineries from around the world and from BC to pour their wines for us.  Below are wines that I enjoyed from countries other than France.  Enjoy! White and Sparkling Wines Cantine Giacomo Montresor Rose Royal Brut NV, Italy – Light…

What is meant by a “Cru” in wine?  The term “Cru” is most often used for the French classification system, but the “Cru” concept can apply to any vineyard region recognized for their superior wine quality. My last seminar during the Vancouver International Wine Festival was on the topic of “cru”.  What it is and how it is expressed.  We…

North and east of Verona, Italy is where Valpolicella wines originate and a little to the north of Valpolicella you find Prosecco wines.  You may have heard of Prosecco, the sparkling darling of people around the world at the moment.  It is not as complex or expensive as Champagne, but many people want an inexpensive, typically off-dry bubble to share…

Indigenous grapes excite me.  Learning about these grapes and their flavours and aromas make wine tasting interesting.  We can travel around the world and sample Cabernet Sauvignon, and it will in general have a very similar flavour and aroma profile, depending if you are in a cooler or a warmer climate.  Indigenous grapes, that are from their original country and…