Category: france

I love Syrahs.  They stand on their own two feet.  No need for blending with other grapes.  I enjoy their ruby colour in the glass; their aromas, especially blueberries; their full body, red/black berry flavours and sometimes white pepper that plays on your palate.  BC can make some very good Syrahs.  Located in the South Okanagan, one of the wineries…

It seems like only yesterday that champagne flowed freely, people were laughing, and wines from around the world were being served and discovered by Vancouverites.  The Vancouver International Wine Festival was quite a whirlwind for me as a Media person; visiting the International Tasting room several times, plus attending several walk-about food&wine tastings, and a seminar.  I did post articles…

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…

While the big draw for many people to the Vancouver International Wine Festival this year was sparkling wine, and French Champagne, specifically, there were many other wonderful wines to sample.  For this article, since France was the Theme Country, I would like to concentrate on their wines, sans Champagne.  My Champagne article is here. Every region in France is known…

Happy New Year! Happy Birthday! Happy Anniversary!  Happy and sparkling wine seem to go together quite often.  Who can argue with bubbles in a glass?  I was very excited to hear that the Regional Theme for this year at the Vancouver International Wine Festival was “bubbles”.  Of course Champagne first jumped to my mind, but also all the other variations…

Iconic wines from France.  Your mind probably jumped to Bordeaux, Burgundy, or Champagne.  But there are iconic wines across each of the wine regions of France.  During this seminar at the Vancouver International Wine Festival, we were introduced to an iconic wine from each region.  The wines and their regions are: Champagne Taittinger. ($163.99) Champagne. Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de…

When you think of Chablis, elegance comes to mind for me.  Floral and citrus fruits, stone fruits, whey and honey are all flavour descriptors for these wines, and one in particular; flint.  The flint (some may say smokiness) comes from the Kimmeridgian soil, a mineral-rich clay, that also contains marine fossils which are responsible for its lime content. With the…

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…

You may be a Champagne lover like me, but have you ever considered how the bubble gets in the bottle?  Why some bubbles are small and creamy, while others are much larger and dissapate faster?  It all depends on how Champagne is made. First off, Champagne is a sparkling wine that is made in the Champagne region of France.  The…