Category: Semillon

With all the pressures caused by winter weather freezing vines reducing the grape harvest this year and forest fires over the past several years, our BC wineries need your support.  I have two wines, one white and one red, from BC’s Blasted Church Vineyards to review for you.  Blasted Church Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2022 is a white Bordeaux blend. …

Ontario’s Stratus Vineyards is a 55-acre farm, set in the Niagara Lakeshore appellation of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and is planted to 16 grape varieties.  All the grapes are grown sustainably. Their winery is the first in the world to be fully Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) – certified, which embodies their commitment to sustainability. The winery uses geothermal heating and…

I received recommendations from a friend to visit Rosewood Winery & Meadery while I was visiting the Niagara region.  I was curious to attend, in part because I had not tried mead.  This winery, started in 2000, is owned by the Roman family and originated from Ukraine.  They are also the only winery in Ontario with a license to produce…

This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving.  I looked back at the past few months this year to see what current BC and Ontario wines might be a good match for a roast turkey or ham dinner.  Below are wines from both provinces that I think would be good pairings. BC Wines High Note Estate Winery Soubrette Pinot Grigio 2022 – this…

Do you collect wines?  Sometimes a few bottles get pushed to the bottom and you forget about them till one day, several years later, you are searching for a wine and you rediscover these aged bottles of wine.  That did not happen to me, but I do age my wines and sometimes try to save some for a special occasion. …

Did you know that Monday, August 7, 2023, is BC Day? On this day, which I assume will be wonderfully sunny, would be great to celebrate with a bottle(s) of BC wine. I have two sparkling wines from Hester Creek Estate Winery that are great on the patio with nibbles as I tried it out myself. I have their Hester…

In my previous article, I talked about the top wines that I tasted at the International Festival Tasting Room during VanWineFest 2023.  Those were wines that are in my 4.5 – 5 star range. But as I checked my notes, I saw that I had many enjoyable wines in the 4 – 4.5 star range.  Below are my tasting notes…

It has been four years since I last attended Taste Washington in Seattle.  COVID shut down the event, but now Taste Washington is back and maybe even better.  This is the event where you can taste the wide variety of wines made across Washington state, without having to drive yourself.  Winery focus seems to have changed.  During my tasting time,…

I have two more sparkling wines for you to consider for your holiday purchase. The two sparklers are from BC’s Hester Creek Estate Winery. The Hester Creek Ti Amo 2021 is a Charmat method (think Prosecco) sparkling wine, while the other wine is the Hester Creek Old Vine Brut 2019 made from Estate Pinot Blanc fruit using the Traditional Method…

I have been a fan of Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery‘s wines for many years.  I still have a bottle of their 2003 Summit Reserve Semillon I purchased at the winery that I hope to open this year with friends.  On my recent trip to Kelowna, I messaged their winemaker, Jeff Hundertmark, to see if I could meet with him.  Not…