Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
Wine is a complex beverage, as its flavours and aromas develop over time. Some wines can be enjoyed when they are young and fresh from fermentation while other wines take years or decades for the wines to soften, for flavours, tannins, and acidity to evolve to a high point for your enjoyment. These flavours and aromas can be categorized into…
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…
BC Day is celebrated to honour the history, culture, and achievements of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It falls on the first Monday in August each year and is a statutory holiday in the province. This day commemorates the creation of the colony of British Columbia, which was formed on August 2, 1858. This was a significant event in…
To start off the Vancouver International Wine Festival, I attended this masterclass which featured 11 British Columbia wines from across the province, “Defining the Root of BC Terroir“. Our panellists, the winemakers at the wineries, discussed the unique growing conditions of their vineyard and terroir of the area. There was also some discussion on what BC winegrowers are doing in…
Okanagan’s Osoyoos Larose is well known for their top-tier Le Grand Vin and their second-tier wine, Petales d’Osoyoos. Their inaugural wine, Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2001, exceeded all expectations at home and abroad. Myself and a group of other media and sommeliers were invited to sit down for a casual dinner with winemaker Michael Kullman to taste through some…
Have you enjoyed the premium wines of Okanagan’s Osoyoos Larose? Depending on where you live, it may be difficult to get, but now you can join their limited membership giving you access to their quality wines direct from the source. Their press release follows. ~~~ [Osoyoos, BC] In 1998, Groupe Taillan of Bordeaux, France, entered Canada with a vision to…
When we think about red wines of BC we think of wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Syrah grapes. But what about lesser known grapes such as Malbec? How much single varietal Malbec wines are made in BC, or is blended with other grape varieties to make a “Meritage” wine? Malbec is a Bordeaux grape that needs…
Osoyoos Larose is the first BC winery that was formed in 1998 by a French company, Groupe Taillan of Bordeaux and Constellation Brands Canada together to create a world-class Canadian wine from classic red Bordeaux varietals. The Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin is their flagship wine built to age, but they also have a second-tier wine, Pétales d’Osoyoos. I’ve reviewed the Pétales…
Did you know that at the Festival Tasting room for the Vancouver International Wine Festival this year there will be 700 wines for you to try? France is the theme country and there will be 42 French wineries pouring their wines for you. This is very exciting as there will be wines from Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace and more to…
The Osoyoos Larose Petales d’Osoyoos 2016 is a Right-Bank Bordeaux blend, primarily Merlot with lesser amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec produced by the Osoyoos LaRose winery in the south Okanagan. I do not have the percentages for the 2016 vintage, but for the previous vintage 2015, 76% of the blend was Merlot. The wine is…
