Tag: Bordeaux

I recently decided to review two French red wines that are blends.  Blends have the benefit that two or more grape varieties together fill in the weakness of the other grape.  For example, one grape may be fruity but lack tannins, while another grape has plenty of tannins but lacks much fruit character.  Putting the two grape varieties together makes…

BC’s Township 7 Vineyards & Winery has two elegant red wines that should go well with our beautiful summer plans of a BBQ with family or friends.  The wines I received to review are their Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Benchmark Series NBO 2022 and Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Benchmark Series Reserve 7 2022.  Both wines are blends.  The…

How often do you drink white Bordeaux wines? Do you know that they range from bone dry to lusciously sweet? Do you know which grape varieties go into white Bordeaux wines? I recently attended a seminar at L’Abbatoir in Gastown, covering these wines and some ideas for wine pairings that was hosted by Wines of Bordeaux.   Our speaker was Emma…

I spent Friday afternoon at the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2026 tasting French red wines.  Here are my favourite French wines from the International Festival Tasting Room.  There is a fairly even distribution of red wines from different regions of France (and therefore different varietals) in my picks below.  Enjoy. My French Red Wine Selections Castel Frères Exclusive Aspirant de…

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…

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. …

In this video interview, I spoke with Dimitri Matrat from Chateau Monlot about  their red and white wines from Bordeaux.  Château Monlot is an 8-hectare Saint-Émilion Grand Cru estate in Bordeaux, France, with a 400-year history, specializing in Merlot-driven wines. Listen and watch as Dimitri tells me about their wines, during the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2026.

A Tour de France in Your Glass Food and wine go together, especially in France.  I attended the VanWineFest 2026 seminar, A Tour de France in Your Glass.  With Moderator, Arnica Rowan, we took an oenological journey through seven classic French wine regions, each with their own unique characteristics and history. We crossed the country from Champagne to South West…

Chinese (Lunar) New Year 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, starting on February 17, 2026 until February 5, 2027.  The Horse embodies enthusiasm, speed and fieriness, bringing a year focused on bold moves and exploration.  The Year of the Horse brings themes of freedom, action, and momentum, encouraging bold moves, new projects, travel, and social connection, fuelled by…

Here we have the Famille J-M Caze winery, which originated in Bordeaux and spread across France and into Portugal, telling us about their history and the wines they will be pouring at the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2026. Enjoy. Some Background About Famille J-M Caze The Cazes family originally came from the mountainous Ariege region and settled in the Medoc…