Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
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…
Alsatian wines are a vibrant expression of terroir, tradition, and typicity, where the label is a map to aromatic precision and regional pride. Nestled between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River in northeastern France, Alsace is a region where geology and climate intersect to produce some of the world’s most expressive, aromatic white wines. The area is protected by…
Our climate is changing. That is not up to debate. Wineries from around the world have been looking into ways to make their vineyards more resilient to these changes. One of those regions is the AOC Côtes du Rhône within the Rhône Valley in France. I received three wines from the region, along with information about how the Côtes du…
Happy New Year, everyone! In 2025, I wrote 142 wine tasting articles, with most of the articles reviewing two bottles of wine. From a quick calculation, I wrote at least 284 wine reviews on mywinepal. Wines submitted to me through the year ranged from to wines, but I usually only post wines that were at least . Price is not a factor…
We have had some turmoil in Canada and in BC for wines in 2025. Many BC interior wineries suffered from the 2024 cold snap causing them to either not produce any wine in 2024, or importing grapes from across the border, or from Ontario. We also had the removal of USA wines from BC government liquor stores. Overall, we had…
Say Bonjour to Vignobles Jalousie Beaulieu from Bordeaux in France. Below is some information from the winery in their own words and the wines they will pour at VanWineFest 2026. Enjoy! Some Background Information The Jalousie Beaulieu vineyards are in a small commune called Galgon, close to the Fronsac hillsides, 10 km from Saint Emilion. It is a family vineyard since 1910….
Six years ago we welcomed Gérard Bertrand and the Gérard Bertrand Group to VanWineFest 2020. Now, we can welcome them back to VanWineFest 2026. Read about their history and wines in their own words. Introducing Gérard Bertrand In 1975, Georges Bertrand introduced his son, Gérard, to harvesting on the Domaine de Villemajou in the unique terroir of Corbières. From his…
In my last article on the IVSA trade tasting of wine, beer, and spirits, I concentrated on sparkling wines, but at the end of the tasting, I did take some time to taste a few red wines, and I was pleasantly surprised by all of them, so I am listing them here for you. My Red Wine Picks Ceci Antico…
Now that school is back and summer holidays are over, we know that the holiday season will be coming up soon. Whether it is Thanksgiving in October or Christmas in December, sparkling wine has a place. I attended the latest IVSA trade wine, beer, and spirits event this week, and decided to spend most of my time sampling sparkling wines. …
Part three of the Viticultural Bridges panel discussion, was to taste through primarily Riesling and Pinot Noir wines from BC and Alsace, along with a few Pinot Gris wines. Riesling and Pinot Noir are well-known to present their terroir through a wine’s aromas and flavours. Some Background About Both Regions Alsace The region covers 15,500 hectares of vines along 120…
Video Guide Uncorks the Story of British Columbia Wines. Buy Now.
