Enjoy Wine, Food, and Travel with Karl MyWinePal
I try to make a trip to the Okanagan once a year as part of my summer vacation. This year I decided to stop in Oliver as part of my trip and visit 3 different wineries, all in close proximity to each other. The first winery visit on my list is C.C. Jentsch Cellars. I have been impressed with their…
What do you know about the current (2017) statistics about Australian wine? Did you know that the total vineyard area in Australia is 135,133 ha, of which Shiraz accounts for 39,893 ha (30%) and Chardonnay (the largest white variety) cover 21,442 ha (16%)? There are estimated to be 2468 wineries and 6251 grape growers in Australia. Compare that to Canada…
Do you know that the Okanagan Valley gets 2 hours more sunlight per day than Napa Valley during the July and August growing season and that the Okanagan is warmer and more arid than Napa? We should be able to get great ripe fruit, but as well as the Okanagan being a desert climate, we also get cool evenings allowing…
This special dinner at La Terrazza for Vancouver International Wine Festival we were able to experience the synergy of wines from Spain, Italy and Uruguay, evoking passion along with the culinary treasures created by Chef Gennaro Iorio. We sampled wines from Bodega De Moya (Valencia), Dominio De Punctum (La Mancha), Bodega Garzon (Garzon) and Tenute Silvio Nardi (Montalcino). Our featured food and…
Whatever you are celebrating this December, it’s probably with family and/or friends for a meal at some point. Food loves wine, so here are a few of my recommended wines that should go with many dishes, or to enjoy on their own before or after your meal. Enjoy these BC wines! My Holiday BC Wine Suggestions Backyard Vineyards Blanc de…
BC’s father daughter team of Harry McWatters and Christa-Lee McWatters-Bond have collaborated to produce two lines of wine lately; Evolve Cellars and McWatters Collection. For me Evolve Cellar’s wines are meant to be young and fresh and easy to drink, while McWatters Collection has more structured wines that you can put in your cellar for many years and enjoy. I…
Cooking with local, healthy, sustainable ingredients should be a goal we all aspire. Knowing where our food comes from and how it was harvested can help us make sustainable food choices. For Chef Ned Bell, it has been a journey to learn about sustainability, first from the land to the plate, and now from what is in our oceans to…
Last week the BC wineries who are part of the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) presented their latest releases of red, white, and sparkling wines. 74 wineries had tables and each poured around 4 wines on average. So 296 new releases hit our market, with some wines available at BC liquor stores, while others only available a private wine shops, or…
The first indigenous-run winery in BC is Nk’Mip Cellars in Osoyoos, and it has been that way for several years, until recently. Robert Louie served as the Chief of the Westbank First Nation until 2016, but in 2011, he and his wife Bernice met wine maker Jason Parkes and together they started BC’s second indigenous winery: Indigenous World Winery. The…
2016 was a very good year for BC grapes. The growing season started early, became hot in Spring, cooled down in July, warmed up again in August and cooled a bit in September. A bit of a roller coaster in temperature and rain, but overall warm and cool I think when it was needed. In the Okanagan with the cool…
Video Guide Uncorks the Story of British Columbia Wines. Buy Now.
