Category: fraser valley

Chaberton Estate Winery, one of our long-time established wineries, is located in the Fraser Valley. That does limit the grape varieties they can grow there, but they also have access to grapes in the Okanagan so that they can produce big red wines which we love. I have two wines, the Chaberton Estate Winery Merlot 2017 and their Chaberton Estate…

With the hot summer weather, it was time for me to get out and enjoy it with a day trip to Chaberton Estate Winery in Langley where I met with GM Brian Ensor.  He gave me a guided tour, first bringing me out to the vineyards where the first vines I saw were their 40-year-old Bacchus grapes.  It is hard…

In BC we relatively quickly learned that cooler climate grapes, like Riesling, did better in the north Okanagan, and warmer climate grapes, like Syrah, did better in the south Okanagan.  Similarly cooler climate grape varieties in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island.  And more.  But we have had a few decades now to further refine these generalized grape growing regions…

A whole year has passed since my 2020 Wine Quiz, which was related to wines, wineries, and winemakers I was able to interact with and write about on mywinepal.com.  Here is my 2nd Annual 2021 Wine Quiz.  There are 10 questions gleaned from my articles this year. I hope you enjoy it!

Do you like flavourful white wines? Well this one, Singletree Farmhand 2020, has it in spades. I think it would be a fun wine to have with a cooked ham for Thanksgiving 2021 as well. It is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Viognier. I think the Viognier was really ripe at the time of harvest and really…

In November 2020, I interviewed a few BC winemakers about their current harvest. From their discussions, I determined that overall the growing season was average, but there was a cooler rainy spring. August and September had good weather. Harvest started a little later than usual. Rain and the crazy snowfall in October influenced smaller yields, but there was still some…

I now can say I’ve tried my first can of BC wine, courtesy of Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery and their Daffodils To Go Sparkling Wine 2019 from the Fraser Valley. This sparkling wine is made with the Charmat method (think Prosecco) so that you can enjoy a sparkling wine soon after the grape harvest. I had to sit on my…

A wine’s aromas and flavours will change over time from the initial tasting by the winemaker at bottling till the time you open it.  If it is within a year, any change will likely not be noticeable.  Around three years onward you should notice changes.  The acidity of a white wine could soften and the tannins in a red wine…

I received several wines from Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery that is located in the Fraser Valley at Mount Lehman. The tasting room is built to resemble a chapel, which looks very inviting to visit.  It is only a one hour drive from Vancouver, so when Dr. Henry says we can travel, that would be an easy day trip.  The chapel…

Fraser Valley locals looking for ways to enjoy the sun this weekend can do so safely at Singletree Winery in Abbotsford. With careful attention to their land, the Etsell family, owners of Singletree, are committed to showcasing the best of British Columbia: the Fraser Valley, which provides a lineup of aromatic, crisp, and juicy wines that highlight this unique terroir; and Naramata…