Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
Sparkling wines are always appreciated. They pair with many dishes and can be enjoyed on their own. I have two traditional method sparkling wines from Church & State Wines. A Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature 2018 made with Chardonnay grapes from their Black Sage Bench vineyard and a Gris de Noirs Brut 2019 made with Pinot Noir grapes from their…
Sparkling wine is very versatile to pair with many foods. But some people may not think that applies to Champagne. But it does. Champagne comes in many different styles giving you many opportunities to try a bottle with something that you have for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or with snacks on your patio. Here are a few suggestions from Comité…
Let’s welcome Taittinger and their beautiful Champagne to VanWineFest. Hear them talk about their history and wines they will be pouring for us. About TAITTINGER The Taittinger family has managed the Champagne House for nearly a century. Its aim has always been the pursuit of excellence. “Having our family name on a bottle places demands and responsibilities on every minute….
Riesling, Pinot Gris and Viognier were prominent in this BC VQA Spring wine release tasting. It is not surprising as white wine releases are more common in the Spring while more red wines are released in the Fall. Viognier though I think made a bigger showing this year than in past years, and showed well. Lots of fruit flavour and…
What is the Taste Washington Grand Tasting compare to? If you thought the Vancouver International Wine Festival Tasting Room, double the size, and add in 65 restaurants serving up freshly cooked dishes. I checked the Taste Washington website and it states that there are 235 wineries participating, but it felt like many more to me. Standing on the second level…
I tasted through many years this year through Trade tastings with agents and BC VQA wineries, the Vancouver International Wine Festival, visits to wineries, and personal purchases. I rate all the wines I taste from 1 to 5 stars. Fortunately, the quality of many wines is quite good, giving them at least a 3 out of 5-star rating. At the…
One of the great names in the Champagne region is Taittinger. Champagne Taittinger was founded in 1734 by Jacques Fourneaux. It is the third oldest Champagne house in the region. The current family that owns Taittinger started in 1931 with the purchase of the Forest-Fourneaux vineyards by Pierre Charles Taittinger. Taittinger concentrates on using Chardonnay grapes for their wines but…
If you have ever attended the Top Drop tastings in Vancouver, you will have experienced many 4.5 to 5 star wines according to my rating scale. I recently attended a portfolio tasting by Vintage Corks, and this tasting was in that same quality range. Vintage Corks offers premium wines from US, Italy, Canada and more. You can find Vintage Corks’…
Two years ago I was fortunate to meet wine maker Izele van Blerk from KWV, the largest winery in South Africa, at a Trade tasting in Vancouver 2 years ago. I talked about my experience with South African wine through the South World Wine Society, where I was the President and cellar master at some time. I’ve continued to watch…
It’s Spring! I have at least 5 tulips blooming in my front yard, the sun is out, and I’m looking to find some new and exciting white wines for the patio for me and for you. Last week was the latest Import Vintners & Spirits Association (IVSA) Trade tasting to introduce the wine & spirits trade to the new libations…
