Tag: france

I am privileged to try so many wines from around the world each year, here in Vancouver.  Sparkling, rose, red, white, and fortified wines have all passed my lips.  And for some instances there is a wine that stops you in your tracks, all your senses become heightened as they focus on the spectacular wine in your glass.  I would…

The Christmas holidays and New Years Eve are fast approaching, and with that, you will probably be invited to parties, or invite people over to your party.  But what wines to serve?  I always like to have at least one sparkling wine at my parties, usually served at the start of the evening.  There are a ton of choices of…

A portfolio tasting is a great place for a restaurateur, liquor store staff, and wine media, like me, to find out about the latest vintages of wines, and brand new wines, for a wine agent’s portfolio.  With a change in season, for example, restaurants may want to change their cooked dishes, and to these dishes they should match up /…

At a certain quality level of wine, which typically comes from wineries that have decided to spend the extra effort on selecting grapes from the best vineyard plots, hand picking and sorting the grapes, and letting the grapes express themselves in the wine without an over agressive human hand, you get shades of perfection (note that I am not talking…

One of the definitions in The Free Dictionary of “portfolio” is “A group of investments held by an investor, investment company, or financial institution.” I thought that for a wine & spirits agency those bottles of wines and spirits are an investment to them.  They search out and try to find value, and then share these gems with the public. …

With September, comes the new season of tasting wines which have arrived in British Columbia, through the IVSA.  There can always be found wines from every corner of the world, and also beer and spirits too.  My wine picks come from across the world, and I hope you have a chance to try them sometime soon. Where I had the…

Can you match the French wine region with the following grape varieties? Region:  Bordeaux, Alsace, Rhone Valley Variety:  Pinot Gris, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah If you can’t figure it out, scroll to the bottom of this article for the answer.  Assuming you guessed correctly, or checked with the answer below, All four grape varieties are grown at Perseus Winery, located…

Do you switch the types of wines you drink throughout the year?  Lighter, brighter White, Sparkling, and Rosé wines for the longer spring and summer, and fuller bodied reds for the cold, rainy (or snowy) winter days?  Of course the fuller bodied reds also go with BBQ in the summer, but in general I think most of us like a…

Easter is a big holiday for many of us, where we get together with family and enjoy a big dinner. Easter is also leading us into Spring. Flowers are already blooming here in Vancouver, and I’m sure it will come soon in the rest of Canada.  Below are a few suggestions that I posted a few years ago.  As I…

It seems like only yesterday that champagne flowed freely, people were laughing, and wines from around the world were being served and discovered by Vancouverites.  The Vancouver International Wine Festival was quite a whirlwind for me as a Media person; visiting the International Tasting room several times, plus attending several walk-about food&wine tastings, and a seminar.  I did post articles…