Category: Washington

Well, the really bad, rainy weather is not yet here, so I decided to taste a white and a rosé wine.  Red wines will come soon enough.  Today I have the Gold Hill Winery Cabernet Franc Rosé 2022 and the Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Interlude Sauvignon Blanc 2024, with the latter being made in BC, but using WA state…

Here are more 2024 wines from BC Okanagan wineries that used some or all of their grapes from south of the border, due to the devastating 2024 winter wiping out almost all grapes in the Okanagan.  In this case, Blasted Church Vineyards brought Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc grapes from the Andrews Family Vineyard in WA state.  The grapes were grown…

As we all know, the winter of 2024 was devastating for BC Okanagan vineyards, wiping many out completely. Some wineries, like Hester Creek Estate Winery, ventured south to Washington state to provide them with grapes so that they could produce wine for 2024 for us all to enjoy. The Hester Creek Riesling and Rosé Noir 2024 grapes were sourced from…

2017 was the last time I visited Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet, along with other wine writers.  The winery was still young, but the quality of their wines were notable.  Almost every year since 2018, I interviewed their current winemaker to find out about their grape harvest.  And every year, I tell people how they should try Fort Berens’…

Food and wine pairings can be exciting, with each dish and wine bringing out aspects of the other.  I will be taking on four different food and wine pairings, with this pairing of Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Interlude wines with a Chicken Tikka Masala from Canadian, Cardinal Meats. Sous Chef by Cardinal™ entrées, were created by Executive Chef, Caleb…

We had another successful year at the Vancouver International Wine Festival for 2025.  There was some controversy with western USA states being the theme region this year, but I appreciated that these western states, California, Oregon, and Washington, supplied BC Okanagan wineries that asked with grapes so that they could produce wines for the 2024 harvest.  It is good to…

From my recent tastings of white and sparkling wines from west coast USA during VanWineFest 2025, a few key trends emerge. Chardonnay remains a dominant varietal, showcasing a range of styles from richer, rounder textures with lower acidity in Paso Robles to fresher, more mineral-driven expressions from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. There is a clear emphasis on texture and mouthfeel, with…

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, one of Washington State’s most influential wineries, has played a leading role in showcasing the region’s world-class wines. With deep roots dating back to the 1930s, the winery has helped put Washington on the global wine map, crafting elegant and expressive wines that highlight the state’s diverse terroir. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is bold and structured, with…

At every Vancouver International Wine Festival, when I attend the International Festival Tasting Room, I have a plan for which wines to taste.  Luckily, as an accredited media person, I can attend the International Festival Tasting Room several times.  But each time, is different.  For this one session, I visited the theme region, west coast USA, and tasted only red…

We all love to get good value from our purchases, especially in wine when the quality of the wine exceeds bottle price. In this VanWineFest 2025 seminar, “Value & Variety, West Coast Style“, we were introduced to 10 different wineries along the USA west coast. This trio of states offer every climate, terroir, grape, and wine style to tempt wine…