Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
Did you know that Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Unsworth Vineyards in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island are owned by the Sonoma-based Jackson Family from California? The acquisitions, in 2022 and 2020, respectively, allow the family to grow their global portfolio, which includes vineyards in California, Oregon, Washington, Italy, France, Chile, South Africa, and Australia. They see tremendous potential…
I finally had a chance on a recent trip to Victoria to make a side trip to the Cowichan Valley to visit Unsworth Vineyards and Blue Grouse Estate Winery. Unsworth is a bit closer to Victoria, so it was the first stop on my wine tasting day. The winery grounds look beautiful with a modern-designed tasting room with lots of…
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with winemaker Patrick Murphy at 1909 Estate Winery in Langley. Patrick has been making wines for many years. You may recognize his name as one of the owners of Vista D’oro Farms & Winery in the Fraser Valley. He and his wife sold the winery in 2024, and he has been hired by…
Summer is slowly winding down. But we can still enjoy time on our patios with a glass of BC wine. Here are two BC wines from Lillooet’s Fort Berens Estate Winery you may wish to try. I am tasting their Fort Berens Estate Winery Pinot Gris 2025 and Fort Berens Estate Winery Rosé 2025. The grapes come from their estate,…
Rosé wines are quite enjoyable in the summer while you are on your patio, enjoying a meal, but these wines fit in throughout the year with their red fruit flavours and bright acidity. In BC we are familiar with the rose wines made here and maybe with rosé wines from Provence, but we should also be considering Ontario rosé wines. …
We all need R&R sometime. I have two for you today from Osoyoos’ Adega on 45th Estate Winery. I received their Adega on 45th Estate Winery Riesling 2025 and Rosé 2025. Both wines come from our terrific and well-deserved 2025 vintage. The winery founded by siblings Maria Nunes and Fred Farinha, alongside their spouses, the European-inspired property was named “Adega”…
BC is well-known for producing quality sparkling wines. Township 7 Vineyards & Winery has dedicated a significant portion of their wine production to making top-quality sparkling wines, under the “seven stars” label, for over 25 years. These wines are small lot cuvées, crafted with passion in the méthode champenoise style and made by Township 7’s winemaker, Mary McDermott. Grape varieties…
Have you tried the wines from BC’s Red Rooster Winery lately? This winery has been around for over 25 years, located on the Naramata Bench. Check out the new wine labels for the winery. I quite like the watercolour-like texture of the rooster. I received three bottles of “Pinots” from the winery: a Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and a blend…
Sometimes two different wineries or wine families get together in partnership to form a new winery, such as Almaviva, which is a joint venture established in the late 1990s between Baroness Philippine de Rothschild and the Guilisasti/Larrain family, theowners of Concha y Toro. Another example is Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington state and Ernst Loosen of Germany, creating Eroica Riesling. …
If you enjoy BC sparkling wine, you may be interested to find out which wine was named the best sparkling wine at the All Canadian Wine Championships this year. It is Noble Ridge’s 2019 The One. Here is the press release about their win, as written by the winery. Okanagan Falls, BC [July 7, 2026] Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery…
Video Guide Uncorks the Story of British Columbia Wines. Buy Now.
