Tag: vanwinefest

Another successful Vancouver International Wine Festival has passed, and I was able to try many bottles of fantastic wines.  But do you know the reason for the Vancouver International Wine Festival? Tasting and learning about wine; yes of course, but the main reason is to raise funds for the Bard on the Beach Theatre Society.  The reason for Bard on…

Maybe you are not a fan of Italian Chianti Classico, Amarone or Prosecco?  There are other regions of Italy such as Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna, and Piedmont that offer wonderful wines. Piedmont in particular is well known for the Nebbiolo grape, which could be known as Italy’s heartbreak grape as the region is prone to fog (known as Nebbia in Italian) and…

Did you know that this year is the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley, California?  It is.  I learned this when I spoke with Mr. Mark de Vere, Master of Wine with Robert Mondavi Winery during the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2016.  What a milestone. Did you also know that Robert Mondavi started the…

Tuscany is best known for its most famous, and probably Italy’s most famous, red wine called Chianti.  This wine is made primarily from the indigenous Sangiovese grape, and then blended with other red grapes, either Italian, like Colorino, or international, like Merlot. The region is further enhanced by the evolution of the “Super Tuscan” wine, most notably Sassicaia, made from International grape varieties,…

Veneto is a region in Northeastern Italy that has a wide range of wines and styles that you probably have tasted and enjoyed, but never knew where it came from.  When people say “Chianti“, you probably think Tuscany, but if someone says “Prosecco” or “Amarone“, does Veneto jump to the tip of your lips?  Veneto makes a range of wonderful…

Italy has a plethora of indigenous grapes.  Some maybe well known to you, like Sangiovese or Nebbiolo, but others, like Barbera may not be too familiar.  I would like to let you know a little bit about the red Barbera grape, as many Italian wineries will be pouring wine for you from this grape during the International Festival tasting during…

February 20, 2016 is the first day for the Vancouver International Wine Festival this year.  We are just about a month away.  Did you know that the tickets for events are open to the public?  Many events are sold out already, but if you buy sooner rather than later, you still have a chance at other events. One event that…

Australia is an ancient land, with some of the oldest known rocks in the world.  To that Australia has a 200 year wine making history, with vinous roots that reach back more than 100 years.  Shiraz was one of the original varieties brought to Australia from Europe and is an iconic grape for the country.  The Vancouver International Wine Festival…

Okanagan Crush Pad seems to be coming up with lots of small production wines, trying different things with different grapes, people, and inspiration.  This article is about two of their latest wines; Haywire Free Form and Samantha Syrah. About Haywire Free Form I was immediately intrigued when I read about this wine as the wine maker’s rolled the dice and…

A Brief History of Hollick Wines Hollick Wines is a small winery in Coonawarra, South Australia. Ian and Wendy Hollick purchased a piece of grazing land on the southern end of the Coonawarra district in 1974. This small block of land was one of the original allocations in the Coonawarra Fruit Colony which John Riddoch founded in 1890. Although predominantly…