Tag: france

When you pick up a bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine, you may notice that some have a vintage year on the label, while others do not. The presence or absence of a vintage date can have a significant impact on the wine inside. But what exactly does it mean, and how does it affect the taste, aging potential, and…

Did you know that Canada is a very important market for French, Bourgogne, wines?  We are the third largest market in volume and sixth largest market in term of value.  The Canadian Bourgogne market is weighted toward white wines, particularly from Chablis. Our seminar today introduced us to some Bourgogne wine regions that we may not have much familiarity, but…

While the term “Cru” is most often used for the French classification system, the “Cru” concept can apply to any vineyard or group of vineyards recognized for their superior quality.  It was first mentioned in Champagne in 1911 and then spread across France, and now the rest of the world. This seminar, The Global Cru, took participants on a global…

I am always excited to try the wines from Famille Perrin who also own the famous Château de Beaucastel in southern France. The vineyards for this wine are located on the slopes of Mont Ventoux. It is a blend of Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah.  This wine comes sealed with screw cap for easy enjoyment. My Wine Tasting Notes Famille…

This is my third article reviewing Canadian Wine Trends that happened over 2024.  In this article, I will review our interest in Old World (e.g. Europe) vs New World (e.g. North and South America) wines.  Did we get more interested in European wines? I used Google Trends to produce graphs for our interest in Old World and New World wine areas, showing…

January 29th, 2025 is the Chinese (Lunar) New Year of the Earth Snake. In the Chinese zodiac, the snake is associated with wisdom, charm, elegance, and transformation. Snakes represent the symbol of wisdom. They are intelligent and wise. They are good at communication but say little. Snakes are usually regarded as great thinkers. Some famous people born in the Year…

While I was Grinch-like in awarding 5 stars to only three wines I tasted in 2024, I was more Oprah-like with the 4.5-5 -star wines.  Plus, there are many quality wines, so it should not be a surprise.  This year there were 13 BC wines, 18 Italian wines, 4 French wines, 2 Californian wines, and 4 wines from New Zealand…

When you buy wine in a BC Liquor store, you don’t think about how the wine was selected for the shelves.  Behind the scenes are many wine agencies that search for wines from around the world, to build their portfolio, and have some of their portfolio sold through BC Liquor stores with the remaining wines, usually specialty wines, sold in…

Hervé Martin, the celebrated chef and owner of The French Table bistro on Main Street, is welcoming lovers of French cuisine back to his beloved restaurant after an unexpected twist in his retirement journey.  He trained in Michelin-starred restaurants in France and then went on to work in the elite kitchens of three Michelin-starred establishments in Switzerland and France. Hervé…

You may not have heard of Jean-Claude Mas but his family began growing grapes in the south of France in 1892.  Jean-Claude gained experience in the wine business and education around the world, coming back to the family business when he inherited his father’s vineyards in Pézénas of 35 hectares.  In 2000 he created Les Domaines Paul Mas from these…