MyWinePal

I sat up at attention when this email message showed up.  Oyosoos Larose produces very high quality red Bordeaux blends in the South Okanagan.  Wine maker, Pascal Madevon‘s top wine being the “Le Grand Vin” and then a second tier, but also very tasty, “Pétales d’ Osoyoos Larose“.  I have met Pascal many times at wine tasting events and he…

Tuesday evening, the rain fell, but it could not dampen my spirits as I entered The Flying Pig Restaurant in Yaletown to taste the wines from Ravenswood Winery, listen to winemaker Joel Peterson, and enjoy the entrees prepared to pair with the wines.  Ravenswood’s motto is “No Wimpy Wines” and I may add that this could also apply to the…

I’m so excited because tomorrow I will be attending a media dinner to try a flight of wines by Ravenswood Winery wine maker Joel Peterson at the Flying Pig in Yaletown.  The wines I will be sampling, and tweeting live to you will be: Ravenswood VB Chardonnay 2010 Ravenswood VB Zinfandel 2009 Sangiacomo Chardonnay Lodi Zinfandel 2009 Sonoma Zinfandel County…

Le Parisien opened in April 2012 on Denman Street in the West End of downtown Vancouver.  The younger sister to Bistro Pastis in Kitsilano, voted the Best Bistro at the Vancouver Magazine Awards.  With this media dinner at Le Parisien, I am sure that Le Parisien will be winning many awards soon.  Both restaurants are owned by French Chevalier de…

By day you would think coffee shop, but by night a wine bar. The new Take Five Cafe on 62 W. Cordoba, in Gastown offers both to their customers.  I was invited to attend their grand opening this past week to see what they have to offer, and there is quite a range for you.  As I mentioned there is…

Yesterday Le Vieux Pin and sister winery, La Stella, opened their doors to select wine and food media in Vancouver to taste some of their newly released wines. There were 2 wines in particular that I concentrated on with notes, but there were also some nice Rhone style white blends that I would like to also describe to you. La…

We are less than a month away from the Taste of Tulalip, wine and food event held at the Tulalip Resort Casino, in Washington State.  The casino invited a few of the food and wine media to get a sneek peek at what we, and you, can expect to experience on November 9 and 10, 2012.  Luckily I was one…

Every year Mark Anthony Wine Merchants have a portfolio tasting of their wines from around the world. Every year I am impressed by wineries that I know, and new wineries I have yet to try. This year I have tasty wines for you from sparkling to still red and whites. Sparkling Lanson Black Label, NV, France, ($64.99). Nice creamy, bready,…

With the changing seasons we have changes in menus at our restaurants.  Last week Dianne Chow and I went to Beachside Forno in West Vancouver to have a sample of items from their new fall menu.  We were greeted by manager, Andy, as well as Chef Jason Harris.  This evening we were treated to 3 of the new fall items,…

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure to interview Ezra Cipes, CEO of Summerhill Pyramid Winery, located in Kelowna, BC.  One of the things Ezra told me about was a new line of BC VQA wines that they are producing called “Alive“, making both a red and a white wine.  The wine labels really look alive too with pictures…