Tag: organic

Some wines are crafted to be aged years or decades before you can enjoy them, while others are made to be enjoyed now.  Especially when it is summertime and you can get outside and enjoy the fresh air.  I have two wines from BC’s Haywire Winery that fit the bill to enjoy now.  I have their Haywire Winery Gamay 2022…

These are the first wines that I’ve tasted from BC’s Garnet Valley Ranch, made by Okanagan Crush Pad, and I am greatly impressed with the quality. Garnet Valley Ranch is a certified organic site, home to vineyards, field crops, a lavender farm, a bustling beehive and a small winery and The Outlook visitor center.  The area is planted primarily with…

Gérard Bertrand‘s Le Chouchou 2023 is the winery’s answer to new consumer trends, producing a light, fresh red wine.  It has low alcohol content and can be enjoyed at a cooler temperature.  It sits somewhere between a rosé and a fuller-bodied red wine, IMHO.  This wine is a blend of organic Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault grapes coming from Cevennes, Limoux,…

When I was in University many years ago, I purchased a bottle of Maison Louis Latour Chardonnay, that was on their entry-level scale.  That wine sparked my interest in French wine.  In some “New World” regions, Chardonnay has been more recently planted, while other locations have had Chardonnay vines for over 100 years.  Over time, through the wine trade’s many…

I’ve been talking about white and rosé wines lately, but we should not forget about enjoying red wines over the summary.  I have two Okanagan red wines from Haywire Wines to tell you about.  I received their Haywire Wines Pinot Noir 2022 and Haywire Wines Naramata Bench King Family Vineyard Merlot 2022 to review.  The grapes are organically grown and…

If you are searching for a BC wine that is vegan-friendly, made using organically-grown grapes, and fermented with indigenous yeasts in neutral vessels like stainless steel, amphora, and concrete, then you should try Okanagan’s Haywire Winery‘s wines.  I have two white wines to tell you about today from Haywire.  Their Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, are both 2022 vintage, made by…

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…

Don’t forget that April is BC Wine Month.  In case you have not purchased any BC wine yet, here are some compelling reasons why British Columbians should consider buying BC wines: 1. Economic Impact: The BC wine industry contributes $3.75 billion annually to British Columbia’s economy. By purchasing local wines, consumers directly support local businesses, jobs, and economic growth. 2….

This was the last video interview I made during The Grand Tasting at Taste Washington 2024.  Treveri Cellars makes organic sparkling wines and has been doing it for many years. While some wines are made with “traditional” sparkling wine grapes, like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, they also venture out and make sparkling Gewurztraminer and Riesling. I tasted a glass of…

While Italy has been known to produce robust, hearty reds, many of the country’s greatest wines offer a lighter touch without sacrificing flavour. This seminar, “Italy’s Lightness of Being”, led by Filippo Bartolotta and Michaela Morris, took us through sparkling wines, white wines with texture, and much more.  Winery principals, Fabio Bosio, Tommaso Chiarli, Daniel Grace, Stefano Inama, Nicola Mazzella,…