Tag: VQA

I have two Cabernet wines for you from South Okanagan’s Adega on 45th Estate Winery;  one is their Cabernet Franc 2022 and the other their Cabernet Sauvignon 2019.  Did you know that Cabernet Franc is one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon?  Who is the other parent?  Adega cultivates 19 acres of estate fruit and are committed to sustainability.  Their…

With recent wins at the IWSC in London, the All Canadian Wine Championships, and WineAlign National Awards, Evolve Sparkling House is turning heads as Canada’s top sparkling producer. Located at the same latitude as the famed Champagne region in France, the Okanagan Valley provides ideal conditions with long sunny days balanced by cool nights, that yield grapes perfect for sparkling…

2022 was an epic year for making wine, according to BC’s Hester Creek Estate Winery.  The year started out challenging with a late cold start, summer temperatures were not too high, low rainfall during the summer, but then lead to a long, warm end to extend the growing season, allowing the grapes to fully mature.  Many wineries noted that their…

For many years, I’ve known Privato Winery in Kamloops for their premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines.  But times change as original family-owned winery owners bow out, and the winery is either taken over by their children, sold to someone outside the family, or the winery is shut down.  For Privato, the winery has been transitioned over to their children,…

Today I have a mini-vertical of Cabernet Franc wines from the Niagara region’s Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery, in particular their The Chestnut Tree Cabernet Franc wines from 2015, 2017, and 2018.  It is exciting to taste a vertical of wines from a single winery and vineyard, so that you can get a glimpse into how the wine ages and the…

Here are my latest two Niagara region Cabernet Franc wines to tell you about from One-Eighty Estate Winery.  The story of One-Eighty Estate Winery, “…all started when Bob and Marzia decided they wanted to pursue a new path in life…Bob and Marzia and their two daughters, Taylor and Sara, have always been risk takers in life…Opportunity arose to own and…

Here are two Ontario Cabernet Franc wines from Flat Rock Cellars and Featherstone Estate Winery & Vineyard coming from the Niagara region.  The two wineries are separate entities, but it worked out to have single bottles of their single varietal Cabernet Franc wines to be tasted and discussed together.  Flat Rock Cellars is solely owned by Ed Madronich, while Featherstone…

I received two Cabernet Franc wines from Pillitteri Estates Winery as part of my discovery and discussion about how this grape expresses itself in the Niagara region of southern Ontario.  These two wines are from the 2020 vintage, with one, the Exclamation Cellar Series, being the top tier, which is only made in exceptional years.  It should be interesting to…

As I mentioned in a recent Instagram post, with inter-trade barriers coming to a close in Canada by Canada Day and Canadians wanting to support Canadians, I contacted some Ontario wineries about sending me samples of their Cabernet Franc wines to review. Cabernet Franc has found a remarkable home in the diverse terroirs of Ontario, producing wines that are both…

The holidays are a time when many of us get together with family or friends to enjoy a meal together; hopefully with a glass of wine.  Here are a few last-minute suggestions of wines you can pair with traditional dishes for the holidays.  Enjoy. Wine Pairings for Roast Turkey – Chardonnay: A lightly oaked Chardonnay complements the rich flavours of…