Category: Vancouver Island

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 12.  Your spouse or mother would probably love to enjoy a bottle of sparkling wine.  I have a spectacular bottle of BC’s Church & State Wines Gris de Noir Brut 2020 made in the Traditional Method from Pinot Noir grapes.  It is available at the winery.  It may also be at some of the…

Don’t forget that April is BC Wine Month.  In case you have not purchased any BC wine yet, here are some compelling reasons why British Columbians should consider buying BC wines: 1. Economic Impact: The BC wine industry contributes $3.75 billion annually to British Columbia’s economy. By purchasing local wines, consumers directly support local businesses, jobs, and economic growth. 2….

Around a month ago I received three bottles of Pinot Noir.  One was from Vancouver Island, Blue Grouse Estate Winery Reserve Pinot Noir 2021, while the other two were from California.  They are the La Crema Vineyard Monterey Pinot Noir 2022 and Cambria Estate Winery Julia’s Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley, Pinot Noir 2022. I will taste each and compare my…

January 7, 2024, was Ukrainian Christmas Day.  I know that Volodymyr Zelensky passed a law to make December 25 the new Christmas Day in Ukraine, but many people still like to also celebrate on January 7.  Double the celebration.  So, I opened a bottle of BC’s Church & State Wines sparkling Blanc de Gris Brut 2019 and shared it with…

For the 2023 harvest, many winegrowers reported their earliest start on record due to a hot, sunny summer. What did Wines of British Columbia have to say? From Wines of British Columbia, “Going into the summer season BC wineries knew they were facing the challenge of a reduced wine grape crop. “A devastating extreme cold event in December 2022 impacted…

Did you know that Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery is the most northerly vitis vinifera winery on Vancouver Island? Not surprisingly, the grapes they grow are white aromatic and hybrids which do not need the number of heat units that red grapes need. Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery is also Vancouver Island’s first certified organic winery. Congratulations. On the same…

As I was visiting friends on Vancouver Island I decided to drop by 40 Knots Winery in the Comox area.  I visited the winery last year and sampled their wines on the patio.  At this visit, the 2022 white wines have not yet been bottled at 40 Knots Winery but was told that bottling will be happening soon.  So during…

In the late Fall, I interviewed a few BC winemakers about their 2022 harvest, but the wines were still fermenting in tanks, barrels or other vessels.  The winemakers sounded optimistic, thanks to the warm Fall weather.  But how would the wines taste?  This we explored with the following winemakers at the BC Vintage 2022 media preview: Laurent Fadanni, Whispering Horse…

Many of you are probably very familiar with the wineries from the Okanagan Valley, but what do you know about the wineries on Vancouver Island?  A cooler-climate region.  I put together this fun, 5-question quiz, to see how much you know about this region.  If you have not ventured to Vancouver Island to taste the region’s wines, please go as…

The 2022 harvest is the first after COVID restrictions have been lifted.  I am sure that lifting COVID restrictions was appreciated by BC wineries.  We had a cool start to the growing season, followed by mere mm of rain between July and mid-October so I’d guess the weather has had an impact on harvest and fermentation, but we shall see…