Tag: Ridge Vineyards

While the term “Cru” is most often used for the French classification system, the “Cru” concept can apply to any vineyard or group of vineyards recognized for their superior quality.  It was first mentioned in Champagne in 1911 and then spread across France, and now the rest of the world. This seminar, The Global Cru, took participants on a global…

The second seminar I attended at VanWineFest 2025 was the “Three Rings of Sustainability“. Dr. Monique Bell (Professor of Marketing, Fresno State University) and Dr. Damien Wilson (Hamel Family Faculty Chair of Wine Business, Sonoma State University) lead a panel of principals as they explored the three rings of sustainability – environmental, social, and economic. We learned how sustainable wine…

If you have not yet purchased your ticket for Top Drop, which is on May 23 and 24 evenings, you should as the tickets are almost sold out.  Plus the ticket sales help support the BC Hospitality Foundation which provides financial support for hospitality workers coping with extraordinary health crisis costs. Here are the full details of Top Drop.  See you there!…

While busily moving through the swell of people interested in tasting big Napa Cabs at the Vancouver International Wine Festival, I wedged myself into tables, and indeed tasted Napa Cabs, but also Pinot Noir, Merlot, Petite Sirah, etc. from various regions in California.  With the short amount of time I’m able to spend at each table, my tasting notes are…

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…

One of the perks of being a wine writer is an invitation to a portfolio tasting from a wine agent.  The agency can bring out winery principals in some cases, who you can have a chat to about their wines.  They also pour wines that are available at regular retail, specialty wine shops, and special orders.  Having access to these…

Top Drop is the last major wine tasting in Vancouver before the start of summer. Top Drop is meant to represent the best in terroir and winemaker craft. Nature and Nurture.  Wineries from around the world are selected for the best of both, and we were not disappointed.  In my 5 star wine rating, most wines were at least 4…

If you want to taste top-shelf wine from around the world, attend Top Drop Vancouver.  I’ve attended the last two years and can vouch for the wines that you will enjoy.  Here is my review of last year’s event: Top Drop Vancouver 2017 – An Authentic Experience And here is the announcement of the upcoming Top Drop event, along with…

California is one of the great wine regions of the world, in part due to the excellent climate and soils, and in part due to the willingness to experiment with different grape varieties and methods to produce the best quality wine.  At this year’s Vancouver International Wine Festival I had an opportunity to speak with many California principals and winemakers,…