Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
As I recently tasted two Okanagan Viognier wines from the 2025 vintage, I thought it may be interesting to compare and contrast between the two wines. Terroir of course can affect the aromas and flavours, but also the winemaker’s methods of vinification. The two wines I tasted were the Hester Creek Estate Winery Viognier 2025 and the other is the…
Today I have two aromatic white wines to tell you about from BC’s Blasted Church Vineyards. I tasted their Blasted Church Vineyards Renaissance Series Sauvignon Blanc 2025 and Blasted Church Vineyards Renaissance Series Viognier 2025. These wines come from our latest, fantastic 2025 harvest. It is nice to see our wineries doing so well this vintage after the problems with…
Amidst the clamour of the Vancouver International Wine Festival, I had a conversation with Evan Saunders, winemaker for Blasted Church Vineyards, to discuss the last two years vintages; one made with WA state grapes in 2024, and the latest vintage with estate BC grapes. The 2024 Washington Intervention Following a 2023 season that already saw significantly diminished yields, 2024 arrived…
Wine lovers often talk about “Old World vs. New World,” but the comparison becomes far more interesting when you look at two regions that share a deep respect for terroir while expressing it in completely different ways. British Columbia and France may be separated by an ocean and centuries of winemaking history, yet they meet at the intersection of climate,…
In case you haven’t heard, Okanagan’s Blasted Church Vineyards is having a case sale on their Renaissance wines from now till Dec 14. I’m tasting two of their Renaissance series wines I received. Hatfield’s Fuse 2024 and Pinot Gris 2024. Both wines are made in BC, but use grapes that come from Washington state, to cover our cold winter snap in…
Here are more 2024 wines from BC Okanagan wineries that used some or all of their grapes from south of the border, due to the devastating 2024 winter wiping out almost all grapes in the Okanagan. In this case, Blasted Church Vineyards brought Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc grapes from the Andrews Family Vineyard in WA state. The grapes were grown…
Many people are familiar with grape varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, but there is a whole world of exciting and distinctive grape varieties waiting to be explored. Albariño, Viognier, and Grüner Veltliner each bring unique characteristics and flavours that set them apart from the usual white wine offerings. Whether it’s Albariño’s refreshing citrus and coastal minerality, Viognier’s lush stone…
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…
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…
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…
Video Guide Uncorks the Story of British Columbia Wines. Buy Now.
