Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
Champagne on ice at TWB The Wine Bar Champagne, the world’s most celebrated sparkling wine, comes exclusively from the Champagne region in northeastern France. While the bubbles may steal the spotlight, the label tells a deeper story; about origin, grapes, and craftsmanship. To decode Champagne is to appreciate its layered complexity, from vineyard to vintage. The Champagne Appellation System Champagne…
Alsatian wines are a vibrant expression of terroir, tradition, and typicity, where the label is a map to aromatic precision and regional pride. Nestled between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River in northeastern France, Alsace is a region where geology and climate intersect to produce some of the world’s most expressive, aromatic white wines. The area is protected by…
2023 was a little challenging for BC wineries with reduced yields (~34 to 56 percent loss) coming from a winter cold snap. Harvest was a little later as the growing season was a bit cooler, with a dry Fall. How did that affect the wines in the Okanagan? I have a small sample size of two wines to review for…
Happy New Year, everyone! In 2025, I wrote 142 wine tasting articles, with most of the articles reviewing two bottles of wine. From a quick calculation, I wrote at least 284 wine reviews on mywinepal. Wines submitted to me through the year ranged from to wines, but I usually only post wines that were at least . Price is not a factor…
We have had some turmoil in Canada and in BC for wines in 2025. Many BC interior wineries suffered from the 2024 cold snap causing them to either not produce any wine in 2024, or importing grapes from across the border, or from Ontario. We also had the removal of USA wines from BC government liquor stores. Overall, we had…
I saved my last two wines from Domaine Artema Winery to be their Village Sparkling Rosé 2024 and their La Petite Mort (port style), NV, dessert wine. These two wines can cover the start and end of a delicious dinner. I did not decant either wine. In the first case, you don’t want the delicious bubbles in your sparkling wine…
Today, I’m easing us into the colder weather with a 2024 Rosé and a Gamay wine made by Oliver’s Domaine Artema Winery. Gamay is a red wine grape with less tannins and more acidity, making it easier to sip on its own as well as being food friendly. The Rosé wine uses Pinot Noir primarily with a substantial amount of…
I was privileged to be invited to attend the “Iconic Wineries of British Columbia” Holiday Preview this week, held at the Holt Renfrew, in downtown Vancouver. We sampled selections from Mission Hill Family Estate, Martin’s Lane, CheckMate Artisanal Winery, CedarCreek Estate Winery, Liquidity Wines, and Road 13 Vineyards. There were red, white, rose, and sparkling wines, along with canapes, made by the chefs from…
Earlier this summer, I had a chance to visit Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet, BC. I have admired their wines since they started, and I’ve been letting wine lovers know that they are producing excellent wines in Lillooet. There are two wines that I did not have a chance to try on my visit. Luckily, co-owner, Heleen Pannekoek, gave…
Did you know that Nk’Mip Cellars is North America’s first Indigenous-owned winery? An enterprise of the Osoyoos Indian Band, the winery’s core identity is linked to the land, its Syilx heritage, and a mission to express its culture through internationally award-winning wines. The winery’s mission is to express its cultural identity and history in every aspect of its operation and…
Video Guide Uncorks the Story of British Columbia Wines. Buy Now.
