Tag: Vancouver International Wine Festival

Let’s welcome Vignobles Ducourt to VanWineFest 2026.  Here is some information about the winery in their own words plus the wines that they will pour at the Festival Tasting Room. About Vignobles Ducourt Having acquired Château des Combes in 1858, the Ducourt family settles in Ladaux, a small village in the heart of Entre-Deux-Mers, to the southeast of Bordeaux. Pierre…

Say Bonjour to Vignobles Jalousie Beaulieu  from Bordeaux in France. Below is some information from the winery in their own words and the wines they will pour at VanWineFest 2026.  Enjoy! Some Background Information The Jalousie Beaulieu vineyards are in a small commune called Galgon, close to the Fronsac hillsides, 10 km from Saint Emilion. It is a family vineyard since 1910….

We had another successful year at the Vancouver International Wine Festival for 2025.  There was some controversy with western USA states being the theme region this year, but I appreciated that these western states, California, Oregon, and Washington, supplied BC Okanagan wineries that asked with grapes so that they could produce wines for the 2024 harvest.  It is good to…

The Vancouver International Wine Festival (VanWineFest) has been a staple in the city’s wine scene since its inception in 1979. Originally a one-day event at the Hotel Vancouver featuring just a single winery – Robert Mondavi – the festival has since grown into one of North America’s largest and most prestigious wine festivals. Every year, it attracts wineries from around…

From my recent tastings of white and sparkling wines from west coast USA during VanWineFest 2025, a few key trends emerge. Chardonnay remains a dominant varietal, showcasing a range of styles from richer, rounder textures with lower acidity in Paso Robles to fresher, more mineral-driven expressions from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. There is a clear emphasis on texture and mouthfeel, with…

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, one of Washington State’s most influential wineries, has played a leading role in showcasing the region’s world-class wines. With deep roots dating back to the 1930s, the winery has helped put Washington on the global wine map, crafting elegant and expressive wines that highlight the state’s diverse terroir. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is bold and structured, with…

At every Vancouver International Wine Festival, when I attend the International Festival Tasting Room, I have a plan for which wines to taste.  Luckily, as an accredited media person, I can attend the International Festival Tasting Room several times.  But each time, is different.  For this one session, I visited the theme region, west coast USA, and tasted only red…

Hope Family Wines, based in Paso Robles, California, is a renowned family-owned winery known for producing bold, expressive wines that capture the essence of the region’s warm climate and rich soils. Hope Family Wines consists of six individual brands: Liberty School, Treana, Quest, Austin Hope, Troublemaker, and Austin.  Led by winemaker and owner Austin Hope, the winery has built a…

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…

Justin Vineyards & Winery, a benchmark producer in Paso Robles, California is renowned for crafting bold, Bordeaux-style wines that showcase the region’s rich soils and warm climate. Led by winemaker Scott Shirley, Justin focuses on producing structured, expressive wines with depth and elegance. Their flagship Isosceles blend—crafted from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc—delivers layers of dark fruit, spice, and…