Category: Vancouver Island

Here are two BC wines for your summer enjoyment. Carpe diem as we are already into August! The two wines are from Blue Grouse Estate Winery in Duncan, BC on Vancouver Island. I tasted their Blue Grouse Estate Winery Ortega 2021 and their Blue Grouse Estate Winery Quill Rosé 2021. The Rosé is made from 100% Gamay Noir grapes. Both…

Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery is a small family-run winery (by Sylie Senay and Rolland Tanguay and their son, Alex Guertin) in Courtney – Comox on Vancouver Island.  I had not heard of the winery, but as I was nearby I thought I would check-in. The winery is certified organic and also follows regenerative and sustainable agriculture.  They grow 10…

Have you tried the Quill series of wines from Blue Grouse Estate Winery on Vancouver Island.  Their Quill series grapes come from vineyards on the Island.  The winery can pick and choose and blend the wines from these grapes to bring out the best of Vancouver Island.  I received two Quill wines from the winery to review, their Blue Grouse…

In BC we relatively quickly learned that cooler climate grapes, like Riesling, did better in the north Okanagan, and warmer climate grapes, like Syrah, did better in the south Okanagan.  Similarly cooler climate grape varieties in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island.  And more.  But we have had a few decades now to further refine these generalized grape growing regions…

Congratulations to Blue Grouse Estate Winery for making wines and helping out charities for their 10 years of being in business.  It takes a lot of work.  In case you haven’t tasted Blue Grouse wines or visited them on Vancouver Island, here is a press release for you.  Cin cin. ~~~ This summer the team at Blue Grouse Estate Winery…

2021 was a year of extreme weather conditions in BC, which had an impact on BC grapes and wine production.  Temperature records were shattered in many regions.  I’ve been told that Kelowna, Kamloops, Osoyoos, and Lillooet were among 60 cities that broke temperature records.  The heat dome in the summer causes grapevines to shut down until the weather cools off. …

Help feed hungry children in the Cowichan Valley by buying a bottle of Blue Grouse or Quill wine in BC.  The press release from Blue Grouse Estate Winery is below. ~~~ [Duncan, BC] For the third year in a row, $1 from every bottle of Blue Grouse or Quill wine sold anywhere in BC goes to Nourish Cowichan to feed hungry children….

A whole year has passed since my 2020 Wine Quiz, which was related to wines, wineries, and winemakers I was able to interact with and write about on mywinepal.com.  Here is my 2nd Annual 2021 Wine Quiz.  There are 10 questions gleaned from my articles this year. I hope you enjoy it!

The 2021 harvest will surely be marked in our minds as COVID continues.  Plus during the summer there were major fires in BC, and now with the heavy rains and flooding, I’m sure the weather has had an impact on harvest and fermentation.  Socially distanced visitors to BC wineries ensued this year.  Overall, how did the BC grape growing season and…

Do you gift BC wine to others, or for yourself, during the upcoming holidays?  I reached out to our BC wineries asking what deals they are offering people for the holidays.  Here is my list. If there are any other BC wineries that would like their holiday offerings added to my list, please comment below or email contact@mywinepal.com. ~~~ Hillside…