Tag: france

I’ve traveled to France twice for vacation, and both times I made sure to stop in the Rhone Valley.  I love the Syrahs from the northern Rhone, as well as the famous Chateauneuf du Pape blend from the south.  I also have to note that the Rhone has very aromatic and flavourful white wines, coming from the Viognier, Marsanne and…

Top Drop Vancouver is a collaboration between Vancouver’s wine industry, that focus on smaller boutique and terroir-focused wineries from BC and around the world, and offers these wines to taste at a public event, this year held at the Roundhouse in Yaletown on September 8.  I was fortunate to be able to attend this walk-about event, with a glass in…

Buying French wine can be daunting.  The name of the grape is not seen on the bottle.  There could be the name of the village or vineyard on the bottle.  None of which probably helps many people here in Canada.  But with perseverance and a bit of knowledge you can learn a bit about a wine region, such as the…

Icon Fine Wines & Spirits is a wine and spirit agency located in Yaletown that features predominantly family-owned boutique wine produced from major wine regions of the world, as well as niche spirits and imported craft beer.  I was invited recently to try the latest wines, and vintages, in their portfolio.  Following are some of my favourite wines from the…

Today is a first for me;  Actually 2 firsts.  One of my firsts is that I will be meeting and interviewing Mr. Harry McWatters, who established Sumac Ridge winery and See Ya Later Ranch.  Harry has overseen many firsts in the BC wine industry and has been active for 40+ years here in BC.  I’m not sure why I haven’t…

The Near I recently reviewed Duncan, BC’s Blue Grouse Estate Winery, and mentioned in the article that I was going to cover their sparkling wine in a separate article.  The time is now!  Their sparkling wine is called “Paula“, after their only daughter, Paula, who is an aspiring opera student. The wine is a blend of Pinot Gris 38%, Ortega…

Natural wine is a hot topic in the wine world. Maybe you have not heard of it. There is some range of what is a “Natural” wine. It could fall into the organic, or biodynamic, or sustainable categories for some people.  During this seminar at Cornucopia, we had DJ Kearney, wine educator, writing and judge, give her perspective on Natural…

The Holiday season is coming up whether it is Christmas or Hanukkah, or another celebration.  A celebratory drink for many of us is sparkling wine, which can come from different countries, at different price points; but all are enjoyable!  Prosecco, Champagne, Cava, Cremant and more are terms you may hear relating to different sparkling wines.  I recently had a chance…

You have probably tried a southern Rhone wine, such as a Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  Maybe not knowing the grapes that go into it, these wines are quite enjoyable and very food friendly.  The Rhone Valley is located in southeastern France between Lyon an Avignon.  The Northern Rhone is cooler and the valley has steep hillsides, and produces primarily red wine from Syrah…

After summer holidays are over and you are all relaxed from the sun, food, and wine with family and friends, September comes around.  For the wine trade, this is the start of the busy season leading up to Christmas, and with this there are many agency portfolio tastings.  I attended two portfolio tastings this past week, and I’m here to…