Category: wine tasting

As California was the theme region for VanWineFest 2019, you would expect Chardonnay to be prominent in my list of favourite white wines, and you would be right.  But there is also Viognier, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.  I put the region in California with the wine name if the winery shows a specific area.  If you like any of these…

As stated by the Vancouver International Wine Festival, “Rhône grapes have made an indelible mark in their native region in France, but are now being grown successfully throughout the wine world. While Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne have unique varietal expressions, they also partner well in a blend. This seminar takes you from Australia to North America’s West Coast…

Today’s seminar at the Vancouver International Wine Festival was on the Pinot Noir grape.  Wine educator, author and historian Paul Wagner and a panel of Pinot Noir producers from Burgundy, Oregon, California, New Zealand, and BC’s Okanagan Valley talked to us about their wines and love for the Pinot Noir grape. The winery principal panelists that spoke to us were Ross Baker,…

As stated by the Vancouver International Wine Festival, “Cabernet Sauvignon is king in Napa Valley. Explore the quality and ageability of the region’s signature grape variety while savouring a 10-year retrospective from Napa’s finest. Taste for yourself why these wines are considered to be among the most coveted wines in the world.” Our Moderator was Anthony Gismondi.  We had a winery…

As described by the Vancouver International Wine Festival about this seminar, “California Chardonnay shocked the wine world at the 1976 Judgement in Paris and has carried on powering the family-owned and operated Jackson Family Wines for more than 35 years. Join us as we journey from the Russian River to Santa Barbara exploring California’s Next Chardonnay with acclaimed Winemaster Randy…

I have traveled to many wine-producing countries; New and Old World; Northern and Southern hemisphere, and it is always a pleasure to visit the wineries, speak with the owners about their wines, and getting a tour of the winery and vineyards.  In part, this is what you get to experience with this novel by Steven Laine, a Canadian with a wine background…

My first Trade tasting for 2019 was this week, with agents showing the latest new wines they have brought to Vancouver or new vintages of wines that are currently in our market.  I was quite surprised by how many sparkling wines I had a chance to try.  I normally see a peak interest in sparkling wine leading up to the…

The Vancouver International Wine Festival 2019 starts February 23.  A big part of the festival is attending the International Festival Tasting Room that has 160 wineries attending, pouring a total of 1450 wines.  How do you know which wineries you want to make sure you try?  California is the theme region, so there will be more wineries from there, compared…

We are getting closer to VanWineFest 2019 and the stars are aligning.  The stars you can see at the Vancouver International Wine Festival Tasting come from our theme region, California, as well as from around the world, and even from our own Province!  What is a vine star?  A vine star is a term the Festival uses for winery principals…

When is the right time to drink one of your precious bottles of Burgundy, Bordeaux, Super Tuscan, Napa Cab, or other wine that you hold dear in your cellar?  I pondered that question with the start of the New Year and wondered when the world will end by apocalypse or other disasters.  The answer, of course, comes from Wikipedia and…