MyWinePal

When I was contacted to see if I was interested to review this book, 100 Things to Do in Vancouver Before You Die, by Kathryn Anderson, I could not say no, as I’ve been a Vancouverite for 38 years as an adult, and counting.  What new gems may I find within these pages that I did not already know about?…

My interviews in the past for Vancouver International wine Festivals have always been with winery principals, but at the Festival this year, I came across Chocolats Favoris, offering Canadian-made chocolates, so had to interview them.  Owned and operated by Patrick Robert and Paul Codilla, in Gastown, they had a booth at the International Festival Tasting Room where you could sample…

My next set of Ontario Chardonnay wines to review comes from Cave Spring Vineyard.  This winery is one of the pioneers in the area, having been around for four decades.  They are certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario and their wines are also vegan-friendly.  The two wines I received to review are Cave Spring Vineyard Chardonnay 2024 (coming from a selection…

On a lighter tone, at VanWineFest 2026, I had a chance to attend a walk-about lunch at LaSalle College Vancouver; French bistro fare prepared and served by LaSalle students, while sampling a selection of French wines representing seven French wine regions.  Below is a list of the French wines followed by the menu.  No wine reviews here, just some general…

Do you know about the long history of Domaine Laroche in Chablis, France?  I interviewed Romain Chevrolat from Domaine Laroche in the International Festival Tasting Room during the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2026.  Listen in as Romain tells us about their winery.  He makes fantastic wines, BTW.

Easter is this weekend and you are wondering what wines to pair with your holiday meal.  I would like to suggest that a rosé wine pairs well with everything.  Rosé wines typically have high acidity and nice red fruit flavours that are very complimentary for many dishes.  I also recommend an aromatic white wine.  These wines usually have higher acidity…

Have you heard about the Fraser Valley‘s latest winery opening?  I attended the soft opening of Chapter Estates Winery, located in the Langley area.  They have a vineyard at the winery, plus a restaurant so you can enjoy wine and food.  A great way to have a weekday or weekend escape.  Here is some background information about the winery, my…

My next wine for my Ontario Chardonnay Review comes from Tawse Winery, located in the Twenty Mile Bench area of the Niagara Peninsula.  I received their Tawse Quarry Road Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 for the review.  They farm organically, although I didn’t notice an organic symbol on the wine label.  This vineyard has been certified organic since 2008.  Here are my…

I had an interesting conversation with Stephane Dupuch, winery owner, from Chateau Sainte-Marie, in the International Festival Tasting room during the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2026.  Stephane is the fourth generation in this family-run winery, located in the Entre-Deux-Mers of Bordeaux.  They produce red, white, and sparkling wines.  They also have a winery located on the left bank in Bordeaux. …

With Canadians not wanting to travel to the USA at the moment, we have more opportunities to explore our beautiful country.  I do enjoy eating tasty food and visiting wineries where I can sample their wines and maybe speak with the wine maker.  Victoria is a wonderful place to visit.  It has a culinary scene and it is close to…