Tag: italy

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…

In 2024, I wrote 190 articles, with most of the articles reviewing at least one bottle of wine.  From a quick calculation, I wrote about 493 wines on mywinepal this year.  Wines submitted to me through the year ranged from to wines, but I usually only post wines that were at least .   5-star wines are the wines that I…

Here are two big red wines.  One from a grape you may not know too well, Tannat, and the other wine is a Chianti Classico, but at the top tier, Gran Selezione.  The Tannat wine comes from Argentina, which is uncommon, as Argentina is best known for Malbec.  But this Tannat shows that it also does well in Argentina.  Let…

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…

What do you know about Sicily’s Tenute Nicosia winery? Tenute Nicosia‘s goal is to promote the best wine-growing areas in Sicily (around Mt. Etna) while fully respecting the environment, focusing on the finest native varieties and the international cultivars that can best adapt to Sicily’s terroir.  The winery is headed by Carmelo Nicosia, assisted by his sons Francesco and Graziano…

Monte Del Frá, from the Verona region of Italy for the past 60+ years has produced wines from indigenous grapes; both red and white grapes. Verona is a province within the Veneto wine region in Northeast Italy. They make two fun wines I’ve written about in the past, but bringing it up again as they are fun wines, easy to…

I and other Trade individuals were invited to Discover Extraordinary Italian Wines.  Some of the wineries at the event were searching for local representation, while other wineries already have an agent and their wines are in BC Liquor stores or private wine shops and restaurants.  I’ve put a “*” beside those wineries that have local representation, so you should be…

Amaro is a type of Italian herbal liqueur renowned for its complex flavours and often bittersweet profile. The name “amaro” translates to “bitter” in Italian, which is a fitting descriptor for this diverse and intriguing spirit. Typically enjoyed as a digestif after a meal, Amaro is celebrated for its ability to aid digestion, though its use has evolved into a…

I was fortunate to be invited to taste the wines made by Cristiana Tiberio at a lunch seminar held at Pepino’s Spaghetti House on Commercial Drive. From the winery, “Agricola Tiberio is a family-owned estate, specializing in wines made from authentic Abruzzo native grape varieties. The story of Agricola Tiberio began in 2000 when Riccardo Tiberio purchased the eight-hectare plot…

Gambero Rosso is the leading platform for the promotion of Italian wine in the world.  Each year they have a tasting of all Italian wines submitted to them and they rank the wines with the top wines given the title of Tre Bicchieri, Three Cups in English.   Last year a selection of people from Gambero Rosso reviewed 2,647 Italian wineries…