What is meant by a “Cru” in wine? The term “Cru” is most often used for the French classification system, but the “Cru” concept can apply to any vineyard region recognized for their superior wine quality. My last seminar during…
This year I had many wines that I tasted this year that almost made my 5-star category; 27 white wines and 45 red wines. These wines I rated as 4.5-5 stars. When I check over them again, I can remember…
Who Is CVNE? Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (the Northern Spanish Wine Company) CVNE was founded in 1879 in the town of Haro in Rioja, Spain by 2 brothers. This is the 140th anniversary of this winery, which is…
As stated by the Vancouver International Wine Festival, “Rhône grapes have made an indelible mark in their native region in France, but are now being grown successfully throughout the wine world. While Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne have unique…
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…
Grapes may have different names depending on where they are grown around the world. How much do you know?
We are getting closer to VanWineFest 2019 and the stars are aligning. The stars you can see at the Vancouver International Wine Festival Tasting come from our theme region, California, as well as from around the world, and even from…
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,…
One of the perks of being a wine writer is an invitation to a portfolio tasting from a wine agent. The agency can bring out winery principals in some cases, who you can have a chat to about their wines. …
If you have ever attended the Top Drop tastings in Vancouver, you will have experienced many 4.5 to 5 star wines according to my rating scale. I recently attended a portfolio tasting by Vintage Corks, and this tasting was in…