Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
From my recent tastings of white and sparkling wines from west coast USA during VanWineFest 2025, a few key trends emerge. Chardonnay remains a dominant varietal, showcasing a range of styles from richer, rounder textures with lower acidity in Paso Robles to fresher, more mineral-driven expressions from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. There is a clear emphasis on texture and mouthfeel, with…
While the term “Cru” is most often used for the French classification system, the “Cru” concept can apply to any vineyard or group of vineyards recognized for their superior quality. It was first mentioned in Champagne in 1911 and then spread across France, and now the rest of the world. This seminar, The Global Cru, took participants on a global…
California’s 689 Cellars offers a variety of wines for different classes of wine drinkers, from casual to serious. Here is some background information from the winery and the wines they will be pouring at VanWineFest 2025. About 689 Cellars Curtis McBride is the owner and founder of 689 Cellars and Premier Wine Group. Curtis founded Premier Wine Group over 20…
In 2024, I wrote 190 articles, with most of the articles reviewing at least one bottle of wine. From a quick calculation, I wrote about 493 wines on mywinepal this year. Wines submitted to me through the year ranged from to wines, but I usually only post wines that were at least . 5-star wines are the wines that I…
The Prisoner Wine Company is leading the resurgence of California red blends. They acquire grapes from more than 100 vineyards throughout California’s premier grape-growing regions of various varietals to create their blends. The Prisoner Red Blend 2021 which I received was inspired by the wines first made by the Italian immigrants who originally settled in Napa Valley. It was released…
Would you like to belong to an exclusive club able to enjoy top-quality wines with grapes sourced from Napa Valley wines and fermented and aged in Vancouver? Meet California Cult Classics. According to their website, “California Cult Classics is Canada’s first and only private member’s winery, operating in North Vancouver for the last 16 years. International wine critics have declared…
The Robert Mondavi Winery is historic for putting California, and New World wines, on the international stage. I was fortunate to have a chance to interview Kurtis Ogasawara, Winemaker for Robert Mondavi during VanWineFest 2024. I was told, “Growing up in Sunnyvale, California, Kurtis lived just outside of wine country in the Bay Area. When he went off to college,…
The Sauvignon Blanc grape traces its lineage to the historic vineyards of France’s Loire Valley, where it gained early recognition for its distinct aromatic profile and vibrant acidity. It is also one of two grapes, along with Semillon, which makes white Bordeaux blends. However, it was the New World wine regions that truly propelled Sauvignon Blanc to worldwide fame, reimagining…
Cabernet Sauvignon is the King of single-varietal red wines. The robust body, coupled with its signature notes of black currant, black cherries, plum, and cedar, creates a sensory journey that is both powerful and refined. Its ability to age with grace only adds to its majesty, as tannins soften and intricate layers unfurl, revealing the true artistry of winemaking. It…
The origins of winemaking in Napa Valley can be traced back to the 19th century when European immigrants recognized the valley’s potential for grape cultivation. Early pioneers like George C. Yount and Charles Krug established vineyards and laid the foundation for what would become one of the world’s most renowned wine regions. However, it was the fateful 1976 Judgment of…
