Tag: Napa Valley

This year I had many wines that I tasted this year that almost made my 5-star category; 27 white wines and 45 red wines.  These wines I rated as 4.5-5 stars.  When I check over them again, I can remember how much I enjoyed these wines.  Having a 4.5-5 or a 5-star rating does not mean that you need to…

I am always interested to hear about the growing season and grape harvest for wine regions around the world.  Earlier this week I received a press release from the Napa Valley Grapegrowers letting us all know that harvest is underway and I post it for you below to read.  I look forward to trying some of their white wines next…

DISH stands for Drink, Indulge, Savour, Help.  The DISH event supports the BC Hospitality Foundation.  Many of the BCHF’s beneficiaries have been in accidents or illnesses which necessitated financial support.  This is the 9th annual event and over the years the BCHF has helped 217 beneficiaries and granted scholarships to 188 students in the hospitality, culinary arts, beverage, sommelier and…

Besides all the fun of drinking wine from around the world with friends or family at the Vancouver International Wine Festival, there is also a more serious component, such as the seminars you can attend to learn about a grape variety or region in more detail.  There are also Trade-only events where we can learn or discuss what is happening…

As California was the theme region for VanWineFest 2019, you would expect Chardonnay to be prominent in my list of favourite white wines, and you would be right.  But there is also Viognier, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.  I put the region in California with the wine name if the winery shows a specific area.  If you like any of these…

As described by the Vancouver International Wine Festival about this seminar, “California Chardonnay shocked the wine world at the 1976 Judgement in Paris and has carried on powering the family-owned and operated Jackson Family Wines for more than 35 years. Join us as we journey from the Russian River to Santa Barbara exploring California’s Next Chardonnay with acclaimed Winemaster Randy…

As you may know, the Vancouver International Wine Festival theme region is California, and the most well-known region within California is Napa Valley.  After you attend the Festival and taste some of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay that come from Napa, you may want to go there to visit the tasting rooms and experience more of what Napa has to…

The Vancouver International Wine Festival 2019 starts February 23.  A big part of the festival is attending the International Festival Tasting Room that has 160 wineries attending, pouring a total of 1450 wines.  How do you know which wineries you want to make sure you try?  California is the theme region, so there will be more wineries from there, compared…

This is Part 2 of my top rated wines for 2018.  I earlier released my list of 40 white and sparkling wines for 2018, which you can read at this link.  This red wine list came from Trade tastings with agents and BC VQA wineries, the Vancouver International Wine Festival, visits to wineries, and personal purchases.  I categorized the wines below to…

I tasted through many years this year through Trade tastings with agents and BC VQA wineries, the Vancouver International Wine Festival, visits to wineries, and personal purchases.  I rate all the wines I taste from 1 to 5 stars.  Fortunately, the quality of many wines is quite good, giving them at least a 3 out of 5-star rating.  At the…