Tag: bc

I love tasting and reviewing wines, but sometimes after a long stretch of wine tasting, it is refreshing to taste another alcoholic beverage.  On my visit to southern Vancouver Island, I stopped by Junction Orchard & Cidery to try their ciders.  The cidery is located about 15-20 minutes north of downtown Victoria, so it is easy for a visit if…

Did you know that Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Unsworth Vineyards in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island are owned by the Sonoma-based Jackson Family from California?  The acquisitions, in 2022 and 2020, respectively, allow the family to grow their global portfolio, which includes vineyards in California, Oregon, Washington, Italy, France, Chile, South Africa, and Australia.  They see tremendous potential…

I finally had a chance on a recent trip to Victoria to make a side trip to the Cowichan Valley to visit Unsworth Vineyards and Blue Grouse Estate Winery.  Unsworth is a bit closer to Victoria, so it was the first stop on my wine tasting day.  The winery grounds look beautiful with a modern-designed tasting room with lots of…

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with winemaker Patrick Murphy at 1909 Estate Winery in Langley.  Patrick has been making wines for many years.  You may recognize his name as one of the owners of Vista D’oro Farms & Winery in the Fraser Valley.  He and his wife sold the winery in 2024, and he has been hired by…

Aging aromatic white wine varietals has been contentious, with many saying that these types of wines need to be enjoyed young.  BC grows many aromatic white vitis vinifera varieties.  Pinot Blanc is one of the grapes grown, although it is not as perfuse in aromatics compared to Pinot Gris, which is widely grown in BC.  I recently opened a bottle…

Summer is slowly winding down.  But we can still enjoy time on our patios with a glass of BC wine.  Here are two BC wines from Lillooet’s Fort Berens Estate Winery you may wish to try.  I am tasting their Fort Berens Estate Winery Pinot Gris 2025 and Fort Berens Estate Winery Rosé 2025.  The grapes come from their estate,…

Here are two fresh wines for the summertime from the Okanagan’s Blasted Church Vineyards: a Chardonnay and a Rosé wine.  The rosé is made with a red grape you may not know, Blaufränkisch, but it is in the Valley and is originally from Austria and is also in Germany, where it is known as Lemberger (an unfortunate name in my opinion)…

We all need R&R sometime.  I have two for you today from Osoyoos’ Adega on 45th Estate Winery.  I received their Adega on 45th Estate Winery Riesling 2025 and Rosé 2025.  Both wines come from our terrific and well-deserved 2025 vintage.   The winery founded by siblings Maria Nunes and Fred Farinha, alongside their spouses, the European-inspired property was named “Adega”…

BC is well-known for producing quality sparkling wines.  Township 7 Vineyards & Winery has dedicated a significant portion of their wine production to making top-quality sparkling wines, under the “seven stars” label, for over 25 years.  These wines are small lot cuvées, crafted with passion in the méthode champenoise style and made by Township 7’s winemaker, Mary McDermott. Grape varieties…

Chaberton Estate Winery is the pioneer estate of the Fraser Valley and in BC. They farm 44 acres of estate-grown fruit with other parcels from across the Okanagan Valley. The winery’s history was initially established by the Violets family, whose European lineage includes a Guinness World Record for a one-million-litre oak barrel.   They sold their winery and vineyard in France…