Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
Have you heard about the Fraser Valley‘s latest winery opening? I attended the soft opening of Chapter Estates Winery, located in the Langley area. They have a vineyard at the winery, plus a restaurant so you can enjoy wine and food. A great way to have a weekday or weekend escape. Here is some background information about the winery, my…
A Tour de France in Your Glass Food and wine go together, especially in France. I attended the VanWineFest 2026 seminar, A Tour de France in Your Glass. With Moderator, Arnica Rowan, we took an oenological journey through seven classic French wine regions, each with their own unique characteristics and history. We crossed the country from Champagne to South West…
I attended one dinner during the Vancouver International Wine Festival this year, courtesy of the Festival. It was with Maison Chapoutier at L’Abattoir. It was a truly spectacular evening with Mr. James Leonardo De Sá from M. Chapoutier telling us about the winery and the wines we enjoyed that evening. Did you know that Canada represents Chapoutier’s largest market outside…
Here we have the Famille J-M Caze winery, which originated in Bordeaux and spread across France and into Portugal, telling us about their history and the wines they will be pouring at the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2026. Enjoy. Some Background About Famille J-M Caze The Cazes family originally came from the mountainous Ariege region and settled in the Medoc…
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…
Six years ago we welcomed Gérard Bertrand and the Gérard Bertrand Group to VanWineFest 2020. Now, we can welcome them back to VanWineFest 2026. Read about their history and wines in their own words. Introducing Gérard Bertrand In 1975, Georges Bertrand introduced his son, Gérard, to harvesting on the Domaine de Villemajou in the unique terroir of Corbières. From his…
Gate 22 Winery in Surrey, BC, is probably new to many people. I know it only came on my radar later this year. It has an interesting name, which made me think of a gate at an airport, plus their logo shows an airplane propeller. When I checked with the winery, I was told the ownership group manages the Boundary…
Vanessa Vineyard, located in the Similkameen Valley, may not be a well-known winery to many, but it should. Winemaker, Howard Soon, joined Vanessa in 2017 after retiring from Sandhill Wines. He has won over 100 awards for the wines he has crafted and has received the Order of Canada. Recently there was the 2025 Top 50 BC Wine awards and…
If you visit Osoyoos and stay at the Spirit Ridge Resort or visit the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, you will drive past Adega on 45th Estate Winery. The winery and tasting room is at the top of a hill slope and gives you a wonderful view of Osoyoos. The winery was recently taken over by Gate 22 Winery, which has…
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…
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