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Here are two holiday-worthy red wines from BC’s Township 7 Vineyards & Winery that you should consider.  The first, under screwcap, is the Township 7 Provenance Series Merlot 2020; the second, under cork closure, is the Township 7 Benchmark Series Fool’s Gold Vineyard Syrah 2020.   What’s the Difference? What is the difference between Township 7’s Provenance and the Benchmark series of…

This is my seventh year interviewing winemakers or winery principals in Ontario about their latest grape harvest and wine production.  Now that it is early December and the wines are all in tanks or barrels, how did the Ontario grape growing season and harvest fare?  I interviewed three winemakers/winery principals this year: Chris Thompson, Winemaker at Lighthall Vineyards in Prince Edward…

Beer has a long history, perhaps longer than wine, either way, both have ancient roots.  I received The Meaning of Beer by Jonny Garrett to review and was surprised at how beer has been intertwined with so many aspects of society. Jonny sifts through thousands of years of the evolution of beer, its effects on society, and innovation to today,…

When you buy wine in a BC Liquor store, you don’t think about how the wine was selected for the shelves.  Behind the scenes are many wine agencies that search for wines from around the world, to build their portfolio, and have some of their portfolio sold through BC Liquor stores with the remaining wines, usually specialty wines, sold in…

The BC coastal wineries and the Fraser Valley had a completely different winemaking experience compared to the interior of BC in 2024.  With the cold weather winter snap in the Interior, most of the vitis vinifera vines died so many winemakers had to source grapes from outside of BC; Many chose Washington and Oregon states.  The coastal and Fraser Valley…

The Prisoner Wine Company is leading the resurgence of California red blends.  They acquire grapes from more than 100 vineyards throughout California’s premier grape-growing regions of various varietals to create their blends.  The Prisoner Red Blend 2021 which I received was inspired by the wines first made by the Italian immigrants who originally settled in Napa Valley. It was released…

What do you know about Sicily’s Tenute Nicosia winery? Tenute Nicosia‘s goal is to promote the best wine-growing areas in Sicily (around Mt. Etna) while fully respecting the environment, focusing on the finest native varieties and the international cultivars that can best adapt to Sicily’s terroir.  The winery is headed by Carmelo Nicosia, assisted by his sons Francesco and Graziano…

This year’s harvest in the BC interior was extremely different from past harvests as the winter cold snap killed most of the grape vines.  Coastal and Fraser Valley wineries did not suffer the same fate.  The amount of grapevine loss varied a bit in the interior, depending on how close the vineyards were to interior lakes and the slopes where…

Here is a toast to Ironstone Vineyards from California. Below is some information from the winery in their own words and the wines they will pour at the VanWineFest 2025.  Enjoy! About Ironstone Vineyards Ironstone is nestled in the charming gold rush town of Murphys in California’s Sierra Foothills. For decades, the Kautz Family has been devoted to sustainably growing…

Cava, often referred to as the “Champagne of Spain,” is a sparkling wine that hails primarily from the Penedès region in Catalonia, Spain. Known for its vibrant bubbles and complex flavours, Cava is produced using the traditional method, similar to that of Champagne, which involves a second fermentation in the bottle. Origins of Cava The roots of Cava can be…