Category: Vancouver Island

Church & State Wines Sparkling Pinot Gris and Frizzante Muscat 2017

September is Sparkling with Church & State Wines

 mywinepal  September 5, 2020

Summer is winding down, unfortunately. But sparkling wine can be enjoyed year round.  It does feel nicer though when you are outside on your patio enjoying sparkling wine with family or friends.  Here are two tasty sparkling wines from Church & State Wines, located on Vancouver Island. My Tasting Notes Church & State Wines Sparkling Pinot Gris 2017 (BC $25.29)…

BC wine regions map

COVID-19 Precautions at BC Winery Tasting Rooms When You Visit

 mywinepal  June 26, 2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic and the lessening of restrictions people will want to meet and move about.  Dr. Henry has asked people in BC to travel within our province.  During the summer many people travel to the Okanagan where there is an abundance of sun, fresh tree fruits, beaches, and wine.  Other areas across the interior, the Fraser Valley and…

Blue Grouse Estate Pinot Gris 2019 and Pinot Noir 2017

Quick Review: Blue Grouse Estate Pinot Gris 2019 and Pinot Noir 2017

 mywinepal  May 20, 2020

This week I participated in a virtual Trade Tasting with various media and Blue Grouse Estate Winery‘s owner Paul Brunner and winemaker Bailey Williamson.  Paul gave us a brief intro to the geological history of Vancouver Island and the specifics of the soils at their Estate.  There was also a discussion of the three vineyard areas, the soils, the grapes…

Blue Grouse logo

Blue Grouse Reaches $10,000 Donated to Nourish Cowichan

 mywinepal  May 1, 2020

More good news about BC wineries helping their communities.  This announcement is from Blue Grouse Estate Winery in Duncan on Vancouver Island. ~~~ Blue Grouse Estate Winery Will Donate $10,000 to Nourish Cowichan Thank you very much from Paul, Paula and Christina Brunner.   [Duncan, BC] Results are in: Blue Grouse Estate Winery on Vancouver Island announces a donation of…

Virtual BC Vintage Preview Part 1

BC’s Virtual 2019 Vintage Preview – The Cool North and Vancouver Island

 mywinepal  April 22, 2020  1 Comment on BC’s Virtual 2019 Vintage Preview – The Cool North and Vancouver Island

BC’s wine regions, in my opinion, can be categorized as either a very cool, cool, warm, or hot climate.  Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley I’d put into the very cool category.  Lake Country would be cool.  North Okanagan and the Kootenays, I’d regard as cool to warm.  South Okanagan, Similkameen, and Kamloops to Lillooet as hot.  These regions can…

Duck Confit with Mixed Mushroom & Coco Bean Ragout (Duck Confit + Mixed Mushroom & Coco Bean Ragout. Photo credit Hamid Attie)

New This Week at Provence Marinaside – Duck Confit Cooking Kit and Caesar Cocktail Kit

 mywinepal  April 21, 2020

Has the thought of cooking duck confit from scratch intimidated you? Well, no more as Provence Marinaside has the confit made for you and the other ingredients that you need to make an awesome dinner from a kit.  They as well are offering a BC wine pairing, Averill Creek Somenos Series Pinot Noir 2016, which I wholeheartedly agree with.  I…

Blue Grouse Estate Pinot Noir 2018 label

Quick Review: Blue Grouse Estate Pinot Gris 2018

 mywinepal  February 25, 2020

This week I’m tasting the Blue Grouse Estate Winery Estate Pinot Gris 2018 from Duncan on Vancouver Island and I would like to say my tasting is a work in progress.  The wine was changing in the glass over my initial 10-15 minutes of tasting, and I didn’t think the final arrangement of aromas and flavours settled down yet.  Fast…

BC 2019 grape harvest winemaker locations

How was the 2019 BC Harvest? 4 Winemakers Give Us Their Take

 mywinepal  December 2, 2019  1 Comment on How was the 2019 BC Harvest? 4 Winemakers Give Us Their Take

In October the Wines of British Columbia sent out a brief media release about the current state of the 2019 Harvest, stating “…Despite a wetter than average September, winemakers are overcoming the challenges they are faced with right now crediting skilled vineyard management and embracing the lower sugars and alcohol levels they are seeing in the wines so far…” It…

Some of the Blue Grouse Wines we tasted for the seminar

Getting Schooled about Blue Grouse Estate Winery

 mywinepal  August 24, 2019

I keep mentioning about wineries on Vancouver Island as they give you a different profile of wine compared to what we are more familiar with coming from the Okanagan.  You are not going to find a big Cabernet Sauvignon produced on Vancouver Island, at least under the current cool climate.  Aromatic white wines and Pinot Noir are the stars on…