Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
Many people have taken an ocean cruise travelling up to Alaska or around the Caribbean, or maybe the Mediterranean Sea, but fewer people have taken a river cruise, as far as I know. I decided to go on a Rhine River cruise hosted by Avalon Waterways, travelling from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland. It was an eight day trip and included…
Here in British Columbia, we love our local wines. But a question always lingers in the minds of serious wine lovers: how do our favourites truly stack up against the world’s established benchmarks? To try to answer that question, I attended the seven stars Masterclass hosted by Township 7 Vineyards & Winery who are celebrating 25 years of producing sparkling…
Now that school is back and summer holidays are over, we know that the holiday season will be coming up soon. Whether it is Thanksgiving in October or Christmas in December, sparkling wine has a place. I attended the latest IVSA trade wine, beer, and spirits event this week, and decided to spend most of my time sampling sparkling wines. …
I enjoy working with wine agents. They gather wines from around the world and offer the wines to us for our enjoyment. This year is the 10th Anniversary of World Wine Synergy (WWS), and I was fortunate, along with other wine trade people to celebrate this anniversary at La Quercia restaurant. Over those 10 years I’ve been invited to meet…
The wines of BC and the rest of the world, excluding the USA, were the last of the wines I tasted at the International Festival Tasting Room during VanWineFest 2025. Read through my wine tasting notes below and if you find some wines that spark your interest, check out your local BC Liquor store, some private wine shops,…
Grupo Marqués del Atrio, a respected name in Spanish winemaking, combines tradition and innovation to craft high-quality wines from some of Spain’s most renowned regions. With deep roots in Rioja, the winery produces elegant, terroir-driven Tempranillo-based wines that showcase rich fruit, balanced oak, and refined structure. Expanding beyond Rioja, Marqués del Atrio also works with vineyards in Navarra, Utiel-Requena, and…
This is my third article reviewing Canadian Wine Trends that happened over 2024. In this article, I will review our interest in Old World (e.g. Europe) vs New World (e.g. North and South America) wines. Did we get more interested in European wines? I used Google Trends to produce graphs for our interest in Old World and New World wine areas, showing…
Cava, often referred to as the “Champagne of Spain,” is a sparkling wine that hails primarily from the Penedès region in Catalonia, Spain. Known for its vibrant bubbles and complex flavours, Cava is produced using the traditional method, similar to that of Champagne, which involves a second fermentation in the bottle. Origins of Cava The roots of Cava can be…
The Airén grape is a white grape variety native to Spain. Despite its relative anonymity compared to more famous varietals like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, the Arién grape holds a significant place in the history of Spanish wine making and has an intriguing profile that contributes to its unique character. Historical Roots The Arién grape has deep historical roots in…
It is Aug-uary in Vancouver. I cannot see the north shore mountains and the clouds are covering the tops of the concrete towers that are spread across the lower mainland. Red wines are on my horizon. So I dipped into my wine cellar and decided to open two red wines from Europe. The first wine is CVNE Viña Real Crianza…
Video Guide Uncorks the Story of British Columbia Wines. Buy Now.
