Winemaking has been around for hundreds of years. We are very familiar with wines coming from Europe, in particular France, where we talk about Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne. We typically call Europe the “Old World” wine region, while wines made…
Wanderlust. We must all have it after staying in our homes for the past two years due to COVID. Maybe venturing out to a nearby city or town within a day’s driving distance, but not getting on an airplane and…
Do you have a coterie? A small group of people with shared interests or tastes, especially one that is exclusive of other people? I think you probably have a small group of friends that you enjoy drinking wine with. I…
Today I have wines from the two signature grapes of South Africa; Chenin Blanc and Pinotage. Chenin Blanc hailing from France but has flourished in South Africa. Pinotage, a red grape, was created in South Africa in the early 1920s,…
You may say that 1990 was when South African wine came on the international scene. That is the year that Nelson Mandela was released and sanctions against South Africa were subsequently lifted. Before that time South African wines were made…
Wines come in all categories from inexpensive to ultra-expensive, with associated levels of quality. But there are exceptions, such as when a wine delivers higher quality than the price point. Have you ever tried wines from South Africa? South Africa…
Wine has been produced in South Africa since 1659, that is a lot longer than wines made in North America. 2059 will be 400 years of winemaking for South Africa. They have had time to figure out their terroir; to…
My first Trade tasting for 2019 was this week, with agents showing the latest new wines they have brought to Vancouver or new vintages of wines that are currently in our market. I was quite surprised by how many sparkling…
I tasted through many years this year through Trade tastings with agents and BC VQA wineries, the Vancouver International Wine Festival, visits to wineries, and personal purchases. I rate all the wines I taste from 1 to 5 stars. Fortunately,…
Ken Forrester and his wife started their winery together with their young family; Buying a large 38 ha plot of land in the Stellenbosch region of South Africa, and working with farmers over 90 ha of scattered parcels. Ken wanted…