Category: riesling

Alsatian wines are a vibrant expression of terroir, tradition, and typicity, where the label is a map to aromatic precision and regional pride.  Nestled between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River in northeastern France, Alsace is a region where geology and climate intersect to produce some of the world’s most expressive, aromatic white wines. The area is protected by…

Although the winters of 2021-22 and 2022-23 were extremely cold in Lillooet, Fort Berens Estate Winery was able to harvest grapes from their two vineyards.  Here are two wines from Fort Berens Estate Winery coming from their estate fruit.  These two wines come from their Reserve level, which typically means coming from estate grapes, with the grapes getting longer hang…

In case you haven’t heard, Okanagan’s Blasted Church Vineyards is having a case sale on their Renaissance wines from now till Dec 14.  I’m tasting two of their Renaissance series wines I received.  Hatfield’s Fuse 2024 and Pinot Gris 2024.  Both wines are made in BC, but use grapes that come from Washington state, to cover our cold winter snap in…

When you have been tasting wine for several years, you likely will taste the same wine from a winery, but from a different vintage.  One such wine for me is the Pewsey Vale Vineyard Estate Riesling from the Eden Valley in Australia.  I typically taste this wine shortly after it is released, so it should be fresh and young.  As…

Keeping up with “Elbows Up”, I have two Australian white wines you may want to consider enjoying for the upcoming holiday season.  The wines are under screwcap, making for easy opening.  Both wines are listed as being certified sustainable winegrowing and are vegan-friendly.  Oxford Landing  Oxford Landing takes sustainability seriously.  They are certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA).  They ensure…

Moon Curser Vineyards in the south Okanagan, Osoyoos specifically, is well-known for their big red wines.  I recently visited the winery and tried four red wines and one white wine.  Moon Curser was unfortunately affected by the 2024 winter cold snap, so lost some of their vines.  As such, they brought in some grapes from Washington state to help make…

Adega on 45th Estate Winery started off early in 1966, as the Farinha and Nunes families perfected their craft of producing exceptional tree fruits in the South Okanagan. Maria Nunes and her brother, Fred Farinha, founded Adega on 45th in 2011 on their family farm, alongside their spouses, Alex and Pamala, cultivating 19 acres of estate fruit and have a…

Part three of the Viticultural Bridges panel discussion, was to taste through primarily Riesling and Pinot Noir wines from BC and Alsace, along with a few Pinot Gris wines.  Riesling and Pinot Noir are well-known to present their terroir through a wine’s aromas and flavours.  Some Background About Both Regions Alsace The region covers 15,500 hectares of vines along 120…

Today I had the pleasure to attend “Viticultural Bridges“, a panel discussion (seminar) on the challenges and adaptations in winemaking due to climate change. Representatives from Alsace, France, and British Columbia, shared their experiences and strategies. Their discussions covered vineyard management, rootstock selection, harvest timing, and wine styles for Riesling and Pinot Noir, highlighting how terroir and climate influence the…

As we all know, the winter of 2024 was devastating for BC Okanagan vineyards, wiping many out completely. Some wineries, like Hester Creek Estate Winery, ventured south to Washington state to provide them with grapes so that they could produce wine for 2024 for us all to enjoy. The Hester Creek Riesling and Rosé Noir 2024 grapes were sourced from…