Category: pinot noir

Wine agencies attend various trade events where they show their wines alongside other agencies.  But to be able to better tell their story about these wines these agencies usually have a portfolio tasting once a year where various winery principals from around the world are invited to attend to tell us their wine story.  I was fortunate to attend the…

Every Fall we have the Colours Fall Release of BC VQA wines.  Over the last year, what changes has there been to our vineyards, grape varieties, and the number of wineries? Comparing the tasting booklet from both years by the BC Wine Institute we know: there are 10 more wineries, and 299 more acres of vineyards. that Merlot, Pinot Noir,…

Recently I was invited to attend a seminar and tasting of Black Hills Estate Winery‘s wines at Chambar Restaurant downtown.  Glenn Fawcett, Chief Wine Evangelist, for Black Hills started off the seminar telling us about the history of the winery and then introduced us to their newest winemaker, Ross Wise, who spoke to us about the flight of wines we…

I have not heard of Sagewood Winery before, but I learned from Doug, the owner, that he and his wife have been growing 17 different varieties of grapes for more years than any other winery in the Kamloops area.  They are a very small production winery and do not make enough wine of each variety to enter into many wine…

Privato Vineyard & Winery is about as far north as you can get in BC for growing vitis vinifera.  In an earlier visit to Kamloops, I was told by owners John and Debbie Woodward that the hills to the north of them cannot successfully grow grapes.  Their vineyard is right at the limit of what is possible.  But what is…

Harper’s Trail Estate Winery was the first to produce wine in the Kamloops area using grapes from their Thadd Springs estate vineyard. A vineyard that has a vein of limestone running through it.  Limestone which offers calcium to the vines which aids in water retention in the soil plus easier nutrient uptake, and help maintain acidity in grapes late in…

Taking a last-minute trip to Kamloops before summer holidays was a great idea.  Over two days you can very pleasantly visit the four wineries that are in the area, plus do some sightseeing and enjoy a few meals at the variety of restaurants in the city.  My first stop was to Monte Creek Ranch Winery which is located about a…

I keep mentioning about wineries on Vancouver Island as they give you a different profile of wine compared to what we are more familiar with coming from the Okanagan.  You are not going to find a big Cabernet Sauvignon produced on Vancouver Island, at least under the current cool climate.  Aromatic white wines and Pinot Noir are the stars on…

Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery is located in West Kelowna, not too far away from Mission Hill Family Estate Winery.  It has been around for many years (winery started in 2001 with the vineyards in 1968) and I have recommended their wines in the past.  I still have a bottle of their 2003 Summit Reserve Semillon, which was aged in oak…

I am always interested to hear about the growing season and grape harvest for wine regions around the world.  Earlier this week I received a press release from the Napa Valley Grapegrowers letting us all know that harvest is underway and I post it for you below to read.  I look forward to trying some of their white wines next…