Tag: merlot

Blue Grouse logo

Have You Tried Wines from Blue Grouse Winery?

 mywinepal  December 5, 2015  1 Comment on Have You Tried Wines from Blue Grouse Winery?

You may not have heard of Blue Grouse Estate Winery from Duncan before, but the winery has quite a history.  In 2012 the Brunner family took over the winery but it was owned for many years by Dr. Hans Kiltz and his wife Evangeline in the late 1980s, where they discovered several grape vines planted on their land.  The grapes…

Calliope hummingbird

Checking Out Calliope’s Latest Releases

 mywinepal  November 24, 2015

Who is Calliope Wines? The Wyse Family, founders of Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, has a second label called Calliope, which pays homage to a tiny hummingbird found in southern British Columbia. The grapes for Calliope wines are sourced from local vineyards in the South Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. Their goal is to create expressive, fresh wines from each grape variety…

Rocca delle Macie logo

Presenting Rocca delle Macìe at the Vancouver International Wine Fest 2016

 mywinepal  November 24, 2015

Rocca delle Macie is a young winery when you compare it to the most famous wineries in the Chianti area. The company was founded in 1973 by Italo Zingarelli, whom, after various positive experiences in the movie production and distribution, decided to make a dream of his childhood come true: to buy a large farm and make it outstanding.  After…

VQA logo

My Picks From the Colour BC VQA Wine Fall Release 2015

 mywinepal  September 20, 2015

The Fall BC VQA wines were released this past week, and as usual there are too many wines to taste and evaluate.  I usually like to try wines I have not had before, or sample from BC newest wineries.  If you have not come across the term VQA before, it stands for Vintners Quality Alliance, an association that was formed…

Gray Monk winery overlooking Okanagan Lake

Have You Visited BC Lake Country Wineries?

 mywinepal  July 12, 2015

Do you know where Lake Country is in BC?  Most people probably don’t, but it is just a short drive north of Kelowna.  One of the first wineries in BC, Gray Monk Estate Winery, was established in Lake Country. Other Lake Country wineries are 50th Parallel Estate, Arrowleaf Cellars, Intrigue Wines, and Ex Nihilo Vineyards. I was recently in the…

Summerland BC and Lake Okanagan

Visiting 3 Summerland Wineries

 mywinepal  June 23, 2015

Sometimes you get some free time and can take a quick trip to the Okanagan.  That recently happened to me.  I wanted to visit at least 2 new wineries to me on this trip. I stayed in Kelowna, and checking the latest winery map, I saw that I have been to all in the area before, so I fixed my…

Time and McWatters wine corks

Round Two: Time Estate vs McWatters Collection Meritage Results

 mywinepal  June 2, 2015

Which side of the Dordogne River do you sit?  Left Bank or Right Bank?  I ask this as I was presented with two bottles of Meritage; one from Time Estate and the other from McWatters Collection.  Both BC wines from the Okanagan Valley, and both Bordeaux blends, (but blends represented by styles from different sides of the Dordogne River). What is…

Sileni Estates logo

Wow – Pairing Sileni Estates Wines with Tableau Bar Bistro Dishes

 mywinepal  May 28, 2015

It is always a treat to sit down for a meal with a wine maker and have them tell you about their wines they are drinking with you, and enjoying with paired dishes.  Such was the case recently when I, and a few other media people, sat down with Grant Edmonds, winemaker of Sileni Estates from Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand…

Ruffino Chiantis

Drink Chianti, Eat Gnudi, Celebrate Valentine’s Day

 mywinepal  January 21, 2015

Valentine’s Day is around the corner.  For those that have a spouse, significant other, or boyfriend/girlfriend, there may be some pressure to have a special celebration that day.  It was suggested to me by a PR company in Vancouver that having a nice, light Italian meal with a bottle of Chianti might fit the bill.  They supplied me with the…

Curious Beasts and Three Blend Red wines

Are You a Curious Wine Beast?

 mywinepal  January 8, 2015

Two curious red wines passed by my lips recently.  One, the Curious Beasts Blood Red Wine 2011 and the other the California Square Three Red Blend 2012.  Rarely do I see a bottle wrapped in paper or other material, other than some Riojas from Spain.  The Curious Beasts Blood Red wine comes in a very Halloween thought-provoking blood red and…