Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
It’s time for our BC wines to be recognized by our peers. The results from the 2023 British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards have been announced. Here is the press release. Pick up the bottles that won as soon as possible as they will sell out soon! ~~~ (KELOWNA, BC) – April 18, 2023: On April 3 through 5, 2023,…
Top Drop Vancouver 2022 was on May 10 and 11. Part of the event was a large tasting room, with 40 wineries presenting a selection of their wines. There was also to my great happiness, cider as well, which I will get to later in this article. Top Drop Canada puts on this event yearly (except during the COVID shutdown),…
Food and wine are enjoyed together, especially if you are in beautiful scenery like the BC Okanagan Valley. Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards, that produces excellent sparkling wines, as well as still wines, is opening a second restaurant on their property in Peachland. Read their announcement below, and when the time is possible, go, visit, have a sip and a bite. ~~~…
This will be an unusual Mother’s Day for us all. Those of you who live in the same city as your mom can visit her on Mother’s Day, safely. For those of us that live in different cities, phoning/skyping/zooming are all we can offer to speak to our mothers. No more flying out to visit her for the weekend. Sending…
Every Fall we have the Colours Fall Release of BC VQA wines. Over the last year, what changes has there been to our vineyards, grape varieties, and the number of wineries? Comparing the tasting booklet from both years by the BC Wine Institute we know: there are 10 more wineries, and 299 more acres of vineyards. that Merlot, Pinot Noir,…
It is the Easter weekend for many people around the world, and besides the religious celebrations, enjoying meals with family and friends is also a big part. The BC VQA Spring wine release kicked off this week, but the wines may not yet be at your local bottle shop or BC Liquor Store. Here are 5 BC VQA wines that…
Do you love Pinot Noir? BC Pinot Noir? I do love Pinot Noir and BC Pinot Noir. We have the right cool climate to help bring out the nuances of Pinot Noir, compared to some warmer climate wines from this grape. Acidity, floral and fruit aromas and flavours all excite me. The yearly BC Pinot Noir Celebration is coming up…
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 perks of being a wine writer is an invitation to a portfolio tasting from a wine agent. The agency can bring out winery principals in some cases, who you can have a chat to about their wines. They also pour wines that are available at regular retail, specialty wine shops, and special orders. Having access to these…
BC VQA wines are released twice a year; once in the Fall and then in the Spring. The Fall wines tend to show more white wines, as well as Pinot Noir, while the Spring event has more red wines. This tasting I was able to taste many fine white wines as well as some surprising reds. The Okanagan Valley is…
