Category: merlot

2017 was the last time I visited Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet, along with other wine writers.  The winery was still young, but the quality of their wines were notable.  Almost every year since 2018, I interviewed their current winemaker to find out about their grape harvest.  And every year, I tell people how they should try Fort Berens’…

Today, I paired my third dish from Sous Chef by Cardinal™ with a red and a white wine.  The dish was the Marsala Braised Chicken with seasoned long grained rice.  The white wine was the Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Interlude Chardonnay 2024, and the red wine was the Dobbin Estate Cabernet Blend 2020 (85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Merlot)…

Here are two red wines for you from BC’s Township 7 Vineyards & Winery.  The first wine is their Township 7 Provenance Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 while their other is the Township 7 Benchmark Series Reserve 7 2021, also has Cabernet Sauvignon, but is Merlot dominant. Both wines are vegan-friendly. Difference Between Provenance and Benchmark Series Wines Township 7’s Provenance…

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Easter dinner is a time for togetherness and tradition, often centred around comforting dishes like roast turkey, baked ham, or perhaps even baked salmon. No matter what ends up on your plate, choosing the right wine can elevate the meal from simply delicious to truly memorable. Below are some wine pairings, including suggestions from our local BC wineries, that will…

At every Vancouver International Wine Festival, when I attend the International Festival Tasting Room, I have a plan for which wines to taste.  Luckily, as an accredited media person, I can attend the International Festival Tasting Room several times.  But each time, is different.  For this one session, I visited the theme region, west coast USA, and tasted only red…

Justin Vineyards & Winery, a benchmark producer in Paso Robles, California is renowned for crafting bold, Bordeaux-style wines that showcase the region’s rich soils and warm climate. Led by winemaker Scott Shirley, Justin focuses on producing structured, expressive wines with depth and elegance. Their flagship Isosceles blend—crafted from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc—delivers layers of dark fruit, spice, and…

Did you know that Giusti Wine, comes from the Valpolicella region of Italy, but is owned by a BC businessman, Mr. Joe Giusti?  Mr. Ermenegildo “Joe” Giusti, was born and raised in Italy and moved to Vancouver, where he became a very successful businessman in the construction industry.  With this wealth, he wanted to show his passion of Italian wine;…

This is the second of my Canadian Wine Trends 2024 articles.  I will cover our interest in red and white still varietal wines using Google Trends information.  Was there an overall upward slope (interest) or downward slope (disinterest) in a style over the year? Was there a peak at a certain time of the year? Let’s find out. Red and White…

January 29th, 2025 is the Chinese (Lunar) New Year of the Earth Snake. In the Chinese zodiac, the snake is associated with wisdom, charm, elegance, and transformation. Snakes represent the symbol of wisdom. They are intelligent and wise. They are good at communication but say little. Snakes are usually regarded as great thinkers. Some famous people born in the Year…