Tag: Cinsault

June 10 is National Rosé Day, but what do you know about Rosé wines?  Here’s some background so you can further appreciate these wines and toast a glass or two on June 10. What are Rosé Wines? Rosé wines, often referred to as rosé, are a category of wines that bridge the gap between red and white wines. They are…

It has been four years since I last attended Taste Washington in Seattle.  COVID shut down the event, but now Taste Washington is back and maybe even better.  This is the event where you can taste the wide variety of wines made across Washington state, without having to drive yourself.  Winery focus seems to have changed.  During my tasting time,…

Here are two more Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses wines for you to try. The Pinot Noir 2019 and the Grenache-Syrah-Cinsault 2020 Rosé. The Rosé has been around for a while and has been a favourite of many people.  Again in the stylish bottle with the rose petal base and the glass stopper.  In case you did not know, all…

Today I have another lesser-known AOC in the southern Rhone Valley – AOC Ventoux.  You may be very familiar with one of the wineries from AOC Ventoux, Château Pesquié.  Their wine labels in solid blocks of colour should be very familiar to you when you check on the shelves in the BC Liquor Stores and elsewhere across Canada.  I have…

My first Masterclass at the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2020 was about the wines from the Languedoc region produced by Gérard Bertrand and moderated by Anthony Gismondi.  Gérard Bertrand is the ambassador of the fine wines of Languedoc-Roussillon around the world and owns 16 estates with their unique terroirs in the region.  The Languedoc has, in general, had a poor…

Please welcome Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné, an iconic winery from Hermitage in the Northern Rhone Valley to the Vancouver International Wine Festival.  Let them introduce themselves to you today. About Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné In 1834, a full 100 years before the introduction of the A.O.C. system, Antoine Jaboulet began to transform a sleepy region into one of the most…

What do you know about Chateauneuf-du-Pape?  How many grape varieties are permitted in the blend?  How many soil types are there in Chateauneuf-du-Pape?  Raphael Pommier, an Associate Winemaker at Maison Ogier, spoke to us about the history of the winery and about the Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC.  Raphael has his own vineyard but also works with Ogier, joining about 17 years ago.  Ogier’s…

Provence rosé wines have been conquering the world.  Their growth has been double digits for several years in Canada and the USA; it is spreading in China; French people drink more rosé than white wine.  Need I continue?  I had a chance to interview Valerie Lelong, Marketing & Communications Export Manager from Vins de Provence about the current state of rosé…

I had not heard of Domaine Saint Jean du Barroux until recently;  a winery located between the Dentelles de Montmirail and Mont Ventoux in the Southern Rhone, owned by Oenologist, winemaker/grower, Philippe Gimel. A tiny vineyard with 4 of 16 hectares covered with fruit trees and shrubbery.  The remaining 12 hectares of vineyards are planted along an eroded fault line…

February 10, 2013 is a new Chinese New Year.  This new year will be the Year of the Water Snake. It begins on the first day of the first lunar month (usually in late January or early February) and ends on the 15th day of the first lunar month (Lantern Festival). According to Chinese Horoscopes, “Ancient Chinese wisdom says a…