Tag: VQA

Narrative is a collection of wines by Okanagan Crush Pad that tells the story of what is most exciting about the Okanagan Valley: geological & climatic diversity.  The two red wines I received to review are the Narrative Cabernet Franc 2018 and Narrative Non-Fiction 2018, the latter a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.  Both are fermented and…

Today I have two wines from Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery in Creston to taste.  Their Chardonnay 2018 and Terraces Pinot Noir 2020.  Did you know that Chardonnay is an offspring of Pinot Noir with Gouais Blanc?  Both these wines come with oak ageing and went through malolactic fermentation.  Isn’t it interesting that Chardonnay, a white grape, is vinified the same as…

Rosewood Estate Winery Praxis Cabernet Franc 2017 (ON $40 at the winery) It’s been a hot minute since I featured a local wine, so today I’m sharing a local Ontario Cab Franc: Rosewood Estate Winery Praxis Cabernet Franc 2017. This was a beauty. Aromas of blackberries, brambleberries, blackcurrant leaf, eucalyptus, graphite and tobacco mingled with notes of walking through a…

You can enjoy sparkling wine anytime. No occasion is needed, but if there is an occasion, like Valentine’s Day or a birthday, it can make it more special. I opened these two bottles of BC sparkling wine from TIME Family of Wines; their TIME Brut 2018 and Chronos Brut, with friends to enjoy being with them after COVID has kept…

Pinot Noir is one of my favourite red grapes.  It in general has a lighter touch and is very elegant, typically with red fruits and floral components.  I am grateful to receive two wines from Moraine Estate Winery, their Pinot Noir 2020 and Rosé 2021. Both wines are fresh and bright, and I think will be a great way to get…

Windrush Estate Vintner’s Reserve Pinot Noir 2018 (ON$ 34.95 from the winery direct) I have a local Pinot to share with you today – and I think most of you already know how enamored I am by Ontario Pinot, and this one is no exception.  Enter Windrush Estate‘s Vintner’s Reserve Pinot Noir 2018. Made with grapes grown in Niagara, this…

It might be -20 outside (Celcius!!), but that definitely doesn’t stop me from opening up a rosé when the mood strikes! And that mood struck the other night for what ended up being a very delectable pairing. The wine: Thirty Bench Rosé 2019 (ON $29.95 from the winery)The meal: Hoisin fried green beans, broccolini and mushroom stir fry, tofu, and…

Do you like diamonds?  Have you heard of wine diamonds?  They are actually tartrate crystals that have precipitated out of a wine when the wine was exposed to cold temperatures.  You typically find these wine diamonds on the bottom of the wine cork, which is what I saw when I opened a bottle of Poplar Grove Winery Merlot 2016.  This…

Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir 2018 (ON $45) A few Wednesdays ago I shared the 2nd wine from my blind Pinot Tasting and today I’m back with the final installment of the individual wines! The third wine we tried was from Canada. It was Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir 2018. And weirdly enough, this…

This is my first wine to review in 2022, Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery Gruner Veltliner 2018.  A BC wine coming from Osoyoos in the south Okanagan.  Gruner Veltliner is not yet a commonly known white grape here in BC, but it should become more well-known.  The grape is widely grown in Austria, as well as in Hungary, Slovakia, and…