Tag: france

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, situated in the southern Rhône Valley of France, is a renowned wine region celebrated for its exceptional wine production. This historic appellation is located in the department of Vaucluse, where the terroir is characterized by its distinctive rocky soils and a Mediterranean climate that basks in the warm, sun-drenched days. Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines are highly esteemed and have gained worldwide…

One of the first iconic wines I ever heard about was Opus One.  The bottle was distinctive with the facial profile on it.  At the time I did not know who made this wine, but I knew it came from California.  I now know much more about Opus One.  Have you tried it?  Take this fun, 5-question quiz to see…

East meets west at Cult Wine Canada in Vancouver. I attended a small portfolio tasting of Chinese distilled spirits and European wines distributed by Cult Wine Canada.  In this article, I will cover their European wines and in my follow-on article, I will cover the distilled spirit called baijiu.   If you have not heard of Cult Wine Canada, they describe…

Sauvignon Blanc‘s home is France, but it has spread around the world, like many other vitis vinifera.  It typically is served as a single varietal wine but does show up in blends, most notably in Bordeaux. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words sauvage, “wild”, and blanc, “white”, due to its early origins as an indigenous…

This past week Business France, the national agency to develop the French economy through export growth, brought in several French wineries to Vancouver.  These wineries do not yet have representation in British Columbia.  You currently cannot purchase these wines.  This article is meant for wine agents in BC that are interested in adding more French wines to their portfolio.  Below…

I had a lovely chat with Marine Séon, Export Sales Manager, from Hacienda Araucano from Chile at VanWineFest 2023.  The winery has a French influence with French owner François Lurton as well as being the winemaker.  Marine tells me a bit about the winery, which has organic and biodynamic vineyards, and the Sauvignon Blanc she poured for me from the…

I enjoy attending the Top Drop Canada wine tasting each year.  It is probably my second favourite event after the Vancouver International Wine Festival.  If you have not heard of Top Drop before, the organizers describe it as “Top Drop’s focus and mandate is providing a platform for terroir-influenced, handcrafted wines, and the people behind them. We believe in the…

June 10 is National Rosé Day, but what do you know about Rosé wines?  Here’s some background so you can further appreciate these wines and toast a glass or two on June 10. What are Rosé Wines? Rosé wines, often referred to as rosé, are a category of wines that bridge the gap between red and white wines. They are…

If you have not yet purchased your ticket for Top Drop, which is on May 23 and 24 evenings, you should as the tickets are almost sold out.  Plus the ticket sales help support the BC Hospitality Foundation which provides financial support for hospitality workers coping with extraordinary health crisis costs. Here are the full details of Top Drop.  See you there!…

François Schmitt took over the family winery in Alsace, Domaine François Schmitt, joined by his son, Frédéric, in 1998, and his wife, Myriam in 2010. I spoke with Frédéric and Myriam about their wines.  Frédéric views their wines as gastronomic, built for food.  Today I tasted all still wines, but they also make a significant amount of cremant wines.  One…