Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
What surprises does 2025 hold for wine lovers? Could it be a new varietal or region that you have not yet tried? Or maybe a new winery in your area? Today, I am tasting two red wines from Blasted Church Vineyards that were sent to me. They are not new to me, but maybe the grape varieties may be new…
California’s 689 Cellars offers a variety of wines for different classes of wine drinkers, from casual to serious. Here is some background information from the winery and the wines they will be pouring at VanWineFest 2025. About 689 Cellars Curtis McBride is the owner and founder of 689 Cellars and Premier Wine Group. Curtis founded Premier Wine Group over 20…
What is fool’s gold? It is the nickname for a mineral called pyrite that looks like gold, but is harder and does not have much value. I wondered about the naming of the Fool’s Gold Vineyard in the north Oliver area of the Okanagan as there is no fool’s gold. The soil is sandy clay loam soil containing many rocks…
Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, is a vibrant celebration marking the start of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar. In 2025, it ushers in the Year of the Earth Snake, a sign in the Chinese zodiac symbolizing wisdom, intuition, and transformation. According to legend, the Snake, though often underestimated, is clever and resourceful,…
While I was Grinch-like in awarding 5 stars to only three wines I tasted in 2024, I was more Oprah-like with the 4.5-5 -star wines. Plus, there are many quality wines, so it should not be a surprise. This year there were 13 BC wines, 18 Italian wines, 4 French wines, 2 Californian wines, and 4 wines from New Zealand…
The holidays are a time when many of us get together with family or friends to enjoy a meal together; hopefully with a glass of wine. Here are a few last-minute suggestions of wines you can pair with traditional dishes for the holidays. Enjoy. Wine Pairings for Roast Turkey – Chardonnay: A lightly oaked Chardonnay complements the rich flavours of…
In 2024, I wrote 190 articles, with most of the articles reviewing at least one bottle of wine. From a quick calculation, I wrote about 493 wines on mywinepal this year. Wines submitted to me through the year ranged from to wines, but I usually only post wines that were at least . 5-star wines are the wines that I…
2022 is the last vintage in the Okanagan before the harsh winter cold snaps of 2023 and 2024. 2022 produced a large crop of grapes although the season started cool, it finished with a sunny Fall, so there is lots of wine to go around. I suggest stocking up on 2022 wines as 2023 and 2024 will be reduced in…
Mulled wine has a rich history that dates back to the Roman Empire. As the Romans expanded into colder regions of Europe, they sought ways to warm themselves during the winter months. Heating wine and spicing it with ingredients like cloves, cinnamon, and honey made it a comforting beverage and helped preserve the wine and mask imperfections (wine in the…
Here are two big red wines. One from a grape you may not know too well, Tannat, and the other wine is a Chianti Classico, but at the top tier, Gran Selezione. The Tannat wine comes from Argentina, which is uncommon, as Argentina is best known for Malbec. But this Tannat shows that it also does well in Argentina. Let…
