Category: Syrah

The Gérard Bertrand winery, nestled in the heart of the Languedoc region in southern France, boasts a rich history steeped in tradition and innovation. Established by Gérard Bertrand, a former rugby star, the winery has consistently pushed the boundaries of winemaking excellence. His first vintage was in 1975, following his father and grandfather Paule Bertrand. One notable aspect of Gérard’s commitment…

I’ve been eagerly anticipating opening this bottle of BC’s TIME Family of Wines Chronos Syrah 2020 and had the chance to open it today to review. The quality starts with the cork, which is one long solid piece. All Chronos wines that I have tasted in the past have been top quality. Let me tell you about this wine. My…

This year I had many terrific wines to taste and review.  Wines that I rate as 5 star I deem as needing nothing to add or subtract.  They are perfect as-is.  I had one wine that reached that status this year so instead of making a separate article for that wine, I am including it in this article.  My 4.5-5…

I have two red blends from BC’s Hester Creek Estate Winery.  Both show off ripe fruit flavours and are smooth and round, with fine-grained tannins, that I think would be easy to enjoy over the holidays with appetizers or main courses.  The two wines are the Hester Creek Estate Winery Cabernet Merlot 2022 and their Character Red 2022, a blend…

Did you know that ten bottles of Rhone Valley wines are consumed every second?  Recently, Rhone Valley Vineyards‘ winemakers visited Vancouver to remind us that they are more than just Syrah and GSM blends.  They also produce white wines, rose wines, and sparkling wines.  I attended a lively presentation from five Rhone winemakers to cover their wines plus remind us…

Here are two musical compositions in wine from BC’s High Note Estate Winery.  Cadenza Red Blend 2021 (of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Sauvignon) and Verismo Syrah 2021.  Wonderful wines to share with family and friends for the holiday season.  Let me tell you about these wines. My Wine Tasting Notes High Note Estate Winery Cadenza Red Blend 2021…

I was invited to attend the Swirl Around BC 2023 seminar recently to hear from BC winemakers about the challenges and opportunities in the BC wine industry.  Our Moderator for this seminar was DJ Kearney, and our Panelists were: Alistair Veen, JoieFarm, Bailey Williamson, Blue Grouse Estate Winery; Charlie Baessler, Corcelettes Estate Winery; David Paterson, Tantalus Vineyards; Ross Wise, Black…

Here are two Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses wines for you to try. The Grenache-Vermentino-Viognier 2020 and the Grenache-Syrah-Cinsault 2021 Rosé. The Rosé has been around for a while and has been a favourite of many people.  Both wines come in a very distinctive and beautiful bottle with a rose petal-shaped base.  Instead of cork, Gérard Bertrand is using a glass stopper to…

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…

Pascal Madevon, a Bordeaux-trained winemaker who now calls BC home, brings his skills to make a magnificent red blend wine for the Okanagan’s French Door Estate Winery. The winery was founded in 2019 and is already producing impressive wines.  I received a bottle of French Door Estate Winery’s héritage French Blend 2020, which contains just about every major red Bordeaux…