Tag: spain

What is meant by a “Cru” in wine?  The term “Cru” is most often used for the French classification system, but the “Cru” concept can apply to any vineyard region recognized for their superior wine quality. My last seminar during the Vancouver International Wine Festival was on the topic of “cru”.  What it is and how it is expressed.  We…

Here are some BC Liquor Store suggestions for sparkling wines.  I particularly like the Taittinger Champagne, Bottega prosecco, and Fitzpatrick Family sparkling from BC. Check out these brilliant options to celebrate the end of the year!

This year I had many wines that I tasted this year that almost made my 5-star category; 27 white wines and 45 red wines.  These wines I rated as 4.5-5 stars.  When I check over them again, I can remember how much I enjoyed these wines.  Having a 4.5-5 or a 5-star rating does not mean that you need to…

Who Is CVNE? Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (the Northern Spanish Wine Company) CVNE was founded in 1879 in the town of Haro in Rioja, Spain by 2 brothers.  This is the 140th anniversary of this winery, which is now in its 5th generation of the family. CVNE is now comprised of 4 wineries: CVNE, Imperial, Viña Real and…

As stated by the Vancouver International Wine Festival, “Rhône grapes have made an indelible mark in their native region in France, but are now being grown successfully throughout the wine world. While Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne have unique varietal expressions, they also partner well in a blend. This seminar takes you from Australia to North America’s West Coast…

My first Trade tasting for 2019 was this week, with agents showing the latest new wines they have brought to Vancouver or new vintages of wines that are currently in our market.  I was quite surprised by how many sparkling wines I had a chance to try.  I normally see a peak interest in sparkling wine leading up to the…

This is Part 2 of my top rated wines for 2018.  I earlier released my list of 40 white and sparkling wines for 2018, which you can read at this link.  This red wine list came from Trade tastings with agents and BC VQA wineries, the Vancouver International Wine Festival, visits to wineries, and personal purchases.  I categorized the wines below to…

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…

If you have ever attended the Top Drop tastings in Vancouver, you will have experienced many 4.5 to 5 star wines according to my rating scale.  I recently attended a portfolio tasting by Vintage Corks, and this tasting was in that same quality range.  Vintage Corks offers premium wines from US, Italy, Canada and more.  You can find Vintage Corks’…

Vancouver-based wine importer Vintage Corks is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a walk-around tasting featuring some of the world’s most exclusive wineries. Vintage Corks is unusual among local wine importers in that the agency specializes in acclaimed and hard-to-find boutique wines from around the world.  It is the exclusive local representative of celebrated wines from producers such as Gaja, Dana Estate,…