Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
Recently I opened a bottle of BC’s Blasted Church Vineyards Big Bang Theory 2024. It is made primarily from Merlot, Syrah, and Malbec (with contributions from varietals like Pinot Noir and Lemberger) using fruit sourced from the Andrews Family Vineyards in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills. 2024, remember, was when we had the terrible January cold snap that wiped out many…
I recently attended a walkabout wine tasting of the wines from the state of Victoria, which is in the southeastern corner of Australia. Its capital city is Melbourne, where the Australian Open is held in January, kicking off the first of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments. Within Victoria there are 21 wine regions that range from cooler climates, for…
Gérard Bertrand, coming from the south of France, in the Languedoc, took over his father’s winery in 1987, although he started off as a professional rugby player in France. Gérard Bertrand currently owns 16 estates with their unique terroirs in the region. The Languedoc has been growing grapes for wines for 24 centuries (Greeks planted grapes around 550 BC) and…
British Columbia’s wine industry continues to show just how much can be achieved in a relatively young wine region. The 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada provided a good reminder of that, with BC wineries earning an impressive 640 medals, representing 51% of all medals awarded at the competition. Beyond the medals, the results also point to the diversity of…
If someone asked if you would like to try an Espumante wine, would you know what they asked? Espumante is the Portuguese term for sparkling wine. Typically made in the Charmat method, it is usually a fun, friendly, easy-to-sip, wine. I received a bottle of the Okanagan’s Adega on 45th Espumante 2025 to review for you. This wine is a…
BC’s Sandhill Wines is introducing Secco, a fresh, fruit-forward BC VQA sparkling wine made using the Charmat method, made from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. I received a bottle to try. It is a test release, so not widely available; it is just at a few private liquor stores. I thought I would let you read the winemaker’s notes…
Did you know that Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Unsworth Vineyards in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island are owned by the Sonoma-based Jackson Family from California? The acquisitions, in 2022 and 2020, respectively, allow the family to grow their global portfolio, which includes vineyards in California, Oregon, Washington, Italy, France, Chile, South Africa, and Australia. They see tremendous potential…
I finally had a chance on a recent trip to Victoria to make a side trip to the Cowichan Valley to visit Unsworth Vineyards and Blue Grouse Estate Winery. Unsworth is a bit closer to Victoria, so it was the first stop on my wine tasting day. The winery grounds look beautiful with a modern-designed tasting room with lots of…
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with winemaker Patrick Murphy at 1909 Estate Winery in Langley. Patrick has been making wines for many years. You may recognize his name as one of the owners of Vista D’oro Farms & Winery in the Fraser Valley. He and his wife sold the winery in 2024, and he has been hired by…
Summer is slowly winding down. But we can still enjoy time on our patios with a glass of BC wine. Here are two BC wines from Lillooet’s Fort Berens Estate Winery you may wish to try. I am tasting their Fort Berens Estate Winery Pinot Gris 2025 and Fort Berens Estate Winery Rosé 2025. The grapes come from their estate,…
Download the MyWinePal Wine Tasting Kit (CAD $11.95)
