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- news
A Triumvirate of Pinots from BC’s Red Rooster Winery_PR SAMPLE
Have you tried the wines from BC’s Red Rooster Winery lately? This winery has been around for over 25 years, located on the Naramata Bench. Check out the new wine labels for the winery. I quite like the watercolour-like texture of the rooster. I received three bottles of “Pinots” from the winery: a Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and a blend...
- news
Tasting Côté Mas Wines With Elisa Mas at Social Corner_PR SAMPLE
I recently attended a lunch at Social Corner in downtown Vancouver paired with a selection of Côté Mas wines from Domaines Paul Mas in the Languedoc in southern France. Two years ago I had a wine pairing dinner in Vancouver with Jean-Claude Mas, introducing me to several of their range of wines. In this lunch, I met with Jean-Claude Mas’...
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Understanding Colour Depth in Red Grape Varieties
Red wines come in a spectrum of colours, from light and translucent to deep and opaque. The opacity of red wine is influenced by several factors, including grape variety, winemaking techniques, and the wine’s age. Young red wines typically display deep purple, ruby, or magenta hues that show their youthful character. They are usually quite opaque, with dense colour that...
- news
Quick Review: BC’s Township 7 Viognier and Rose 2025_PR SAMPLE
More 2025 vintage BC white and rosé wines are being released, just in time for summer. I received a Viognier and a rosé wine from Township 7 Vineyards & Winery. Viognier and rosé wines seem to be quite popular with BC wineries this year, as I’ve received and tasted many of them recently. But now, let me tell you about...
- news
Time to Sparkle with Blue Grouse Estate Winery Wines_PR SAMPLE
Have you ever heard of a sparkling wine called Charme de l’ile, Island Charm in English? It is not a wine from France. It is from Vancouver Island and can only be made on Vancouver Island using Island grapes. Just like Champagne can only be made in the Champagne region of France. Charme is also a nod to the method...
- news
Two Big Red Wines from BC’s Gold Hill Winery_PR SAMPLE
For the past few articles, I’ve been writing about white, aromatic wines and sparkling wines for the summer. But there is more than bright, white, and sparkling wines for the summer. Think red wines for the BBQ. Today I have two red wines coming from the Okanagan’s Gold Hill Winery. They have an excellent reputation for big red wines. The...
- news
Two Hester Creek Estate Winery 2025 Pinots_PR SAMPLE
BC wineries are quite accomplished at producing quality, aromatic white wines. I have two aromatic white wines from the Okanagan coming from the Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris grapes. They are the Hester Creek Estate Winery Old Vine Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris wines from the 2025 vintage. 2025 was a fantastic vintage for BC Okanagan wines. The white wines...
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A Pasta Dinner with Fort Berens Estate Winery Chardonnay 2025 Accompaniment_PR SAMPLE
What BC wine would you have with a sechetti (parachute) pasta stuffed with ground chicken and bacon, served in a creamy rosé sauce? One option is a Rose wine, but another valid option would be a Chardonnay. Today I had this pasta dish with a glass of Lillooet’s Fort Berens Estate Winery Chardonnay 2025. Fort Beren’s wines are now certified...
- news
Let’s Compare Two 2025 BC Okanagan Viognier_PR SAMPLE
As I recently tasted two Okanagan Viognier wines from the 2025 vintage, I thought it may be interesting to compare and contrast between the two wines. Terroir of course can affect the aromas and flavours, but also the winemaker’s methods of vinification. The two wines I tasted were the Hester Creek Estate Winery Viognier 2025 and the other is the...
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Introducing England’s Domaine Evremond Classic Cuvee Edition I_PR SAMPLE
Sometimes two different wineries or wine families get together in partnership to form a new winery, such as Almaviva, which is a joint venture established in the late 1990s between Baroness Philippine de Rothschild and the Guilisasti/Larrain family, theowners of Concha y Toro. Another example is Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington state and Ernst Loosen of Germany, creating Eroica Riesling. ...
- news
Hester Creek Estate Winery: Two More Aromatic BC White Wines for Summer_PR SAMPLE
My last article was on two aromatic wines from Blasted Church Vineyards. I tasted their Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. Today I tasted two more aromatic BC white wines, but this time from Hester Creek Estate Winery. I tasted their Hester Creek Estate Winery Viognier 2025 and Hester Creek Estate Winery Riesling 2025. It will be interesting to compare the styles...
- news
Noble Ridge’s 2019 The One Named Best Sparkling Wine at ACWC
If you enjoy BC sparkling wine, you may be interested to find out which wine was named the best sparkling wine at the All Canadian Wine Championships this year. It is Noble Ridge’s 2019 The One. Here is the press release about their win, as written by the winery. Okanagan Falls, BC [July 7, 2026] Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery...
- news
Two Aromatic White Wines for the Summer from Blasted Church Vineyards_PR SAMPLE
Today I have two aromatic white wines to tell you about from BC’s Blasted Church Vineyards. I tasted their Blasted Church Vineyards Renaissance Series Sauvignon Blanc 2025 and Blasted Church Vineyards Renaissance Series Viognier 2025. These wines come from our latest, fantastic 2025 harvest. It is nice to see our wineries doing so well this vintage after the problems with...
- news
Ontario Chardonnay Review: Wine Aromas and Flavours by Soil Type and Year
This is the final article for my Ontario Chardonnay Review. I’ve reviewed the wines, compiled tasting notes, identified soils associated with the participating wineries, and identified the weather conditions for each vintage. Are there any similarities between wines produced on the same soil type, and are there any similarities between wines produced in the same year, and finally are there...
- news
Fort Berens Estate Winery Riesling and Gruner Veltliner 2025_PR SAMPLE
In BC we welcomed the bountiful grape harvest of 2025, after we had two terrible years with cold winter weather that devastated our grape vines. White wines are usually the first to be released after a harvest. I received several bottles of the 2025 vintage wines from Lillooet’s Fort Berens Estate Winery, and today I tasted two of those wines: ...
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Family-Friendly and Pet-Friendly BC Wineries & Cideries for Summer 2026
It is not too late to start checking out wine-inspired vacation destinations in British Columbia. But if you have children and/or fur babies, you may want to pick locations and wineries that have something to offer for them as well. Here is a list of BC wineries and more that have family-friendly options for parents travelling with children or pets for...
- news
Two Rose Wines From BC’s Hester Creek’s 2025 Vintage_PR SAMPLE
We are having wonderful summertime sunny weather, and it is a great time to review two BC rosé wines for you. I have Hester Creek Estate Winery’s Rosé Pinot Noir 2025 and Rosé Cabernet Franc 2025. Many people know about rosé wine being made from Pinot Noir grapes, but not too many know that Cabernet Franc also makes an excellent...
- news
Ontario Chardonnay Review: Growing Seasons and the Wines
I have been interviewing Ontario winery principals for many years about their harvest and the growing season. Weather and growing conditions can vary widely from year to year. For my Ontario Chardonnay Review I tried to get wines that were from one or two growing seasons. Most of the wines I received came from 2023 and 2024, with a few...
- news
Ontario Chardonnay Review: Soils of the Niagara Region and Winery Locations
Soil is one of the important factors influencing the aromas and flavours produced by wine grapes. For my Ontario Chardonnay Review, I checked with the Government of Canada National Soil Database (NSDB) Soils of Ontario to determine the soil types associated with each of the Ontario wineries that provided their bottle(s) of Chardonnay. Using the free, open source, computer mapping...
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Two French Red Blends: Chateau Daviaud and M. Chapoutier Belleruche_PR SAMPLE
I recently decided to review two French red wines that are blends. Blends have the benefit that two or more grape varieties together fill in the weakness of the other grape. For example, one grape may be fruity but lack tannins, while another grape has plenty of tannins but lacks much fruit character. Putting the two grape varieties together makes...
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Book Review: Heart of Glass, RIEDEL and the Art of Taste_PR SAMPLE
Many wine lovers have probably heard of RIEDEL glasses or have RIEDEL glasses. I have a few sets, with many glasses that have broken over time. Such is the fate of all wine glasses eventually. But what do you know about the history of RIEDEL glasses? I recently received an advanced copy of the “Heart of Glass, RIEDEL and the...
- news
Ontario Chardonnay Review: Dreas Blanc de Blancs Brut 2021_PR SAMPLE
The last Chardonnay to review for my Ontario Chardonnay Review is a sparkling wine made by Drea’s Wine Co. which produces small batch, single vineyard, low intervention wines. Drea’s wines are certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario. I really enjoyed tasting Drea’s Cabernet Franc wines when I undertook my Ontario Cabernet Franc Review last year. Let me tell you about the latest...
- news
Ontario Chardonnay Review: Two Reserve Wines from Henry of Pelham_PR SAMPLE
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I received four bottles of different Chardonnay produced by Ontario’s Henry of Pelham winery. I previously tasted their more entry level wines: Henry of Pelham Family Estate Classic Chardonnay 2025 and Speck Brothers Family Tree “The Goat Lady” Chardonnay 2023. These wines were under screwcap. The next two wines that I just tasted...
- news
Celebrate Team Canada with Champagne Taittinger Brut Reserve FIFA Edition_PR SAMPLE
The FIFA World Cup starts June 11, 2026, with Canada’s first game on June 12th against Bosnia and Herzegovina. As we play and win games, which sparkling wine will you be drinking to celebrate our wins? Champagne Taittinger has been awarded the Official Champagne of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Their special edition FIFA Brut Reserve Champagne is available across...