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Unique White Grape Varietal Wines You Should Try

Unique White Grape Varietal Wines You Should Try #albarino #viognier #grunerVeltliner #bcwine #wawine #orwine

Many people are familiar with grape varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, but there is a whole world of exciting and distinctive grape varieties waiting to be explored. Albariño, Viognier, and Grüner Veltliner each bring unique characteristics and flavours that set them apart from the usual white wine offerings. Whether it’s Albariño’s refreshing citrus and coastal minerality, Viognier’s lush…

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Oregon's Willamette Valley Wineries Attend VanWineFest 2025

Oregon's Willamette Valley Wineries Attend @VanWineFest 2025 #ORwine #winelover

Winemaking in Oregon’s Willamette Valley began in the 1960s when a handful of visionary pioneers, including David Lett, Dick Erath, and the Adelsheims, recognized the region’s potential for producing world-class Pinot Noir. Inspired by Burgundy’s cool climate, they planted vineyards in what was then an unproven wine-growing area. Over time, the valley’s unique combination of volcanic and marine…

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Get to Know Columbia Valley Wines from Washington State

Get to Know Columbia Valley Wines from Washington State #WAwine @wawinecanada @chateaustemichelle @valdemarestates @vindulacwinerychelan @Tirriddis @vanwinefest

Columbia Valley AVA (Image courtesy commons.wikimedia.org) One of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in the USA is the Columbia Valley AVA in Washington State. While it has been recognized for some time, the region’s wines are gaining increasing acclaim and attention, particularly in recent years. Columbia Valley encompasses a diverse range of terroirs and is home to more than 99,000…

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Quick Review: BC's Frind Estate Winery Pinot Noir Cuvee 2022

Quick Review: BC's @FrindWinery #PinotNoir Cuvee 2022 @winesofbc #winewriter #bcwine #bcvqa

I love Pinot Noir wines, with their more delicate aromas, flavours, and mouthfeel.  My first Pinot Noir to taste in 2025 is from Frind Estate Winery in West Kelowna; Their Frind Estate Winery Pinot Noir Cuvée 2022, coming under screwcap.  It checks off all the things that I enjoy in Pinot Noir: red fruit and floral aromas and flavours, higher acidity, and lighter tannins.   My Wine Tasting…

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Kim Crawford Wines' Illuminate Low Alcohol Wines

Kim Crawford Wines' Illuminate Low Alcohol Wines @nzwine #nzwine @kimcrawfordcanada @mediaprofile

With Dry January almost finished, I tried two lower-alcohol wines from New Zealand’s Kim Crawford Wines.  I received their Illuminate Sauvignon Blanc 2023 and Rose 2023.  Both wines are bottled at 7% alcohol.  How did they get the wines down to 7%?  Most wines that are fermented dry are in the range of 11-14%.  From the winery, “‘Spinning Cone’ technology is used to reduce the alcohol from a…

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Canadian Wine Trends 2024: Sparkling Wines Interest

Canadian Wine #Trends 2024: #SparklingWines Interest #champagne #cremant #prosecco

Interest in enjoying sparkling wine on a regular basis has been increasing since people started buying prosecco.  But there is still Champagne, Cremant, Cava, Franciacorta, pet-nat, and generally termed sparkling wines from the New World.  How did sparkling wines capture Canadians’ interest in 2024?  I created graphs for various sparkling wine styles using Google Trends.  Let’s get into the…

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Canadian Wine Trends 2024: Old vs New World Wine Regions

Canadian Wine #Trends 2024: Old vs New World Wine Regions. @bordeauxwines @winesofburgundy @chianticlassico @RiojaWine @california.wines.canada @nzwinecanada @winesofarg @wineaustralia

Old World vs New World wines This is my third article reviewing Canadian Wine Trends that happened over 2024.  In this article, I will review our interest in Old World (e.g. Europe) vs New World (e.g. North and South America) wines.  Did we get more interested in European wines? I used Google Trends to produce graphs for our interest in Old World and New World wine areas, showing overall monthly…

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Quick Review: Robin Ridge Winery Gamay 2022

Quick Review: Robin Ridge Winery #Gamay 2022 @robinridgewinery @winesofbc @patagoniawinespirits #winewriter #sommelier #winemedia #redwine #bcwine #bcvqa

While many people may think of full-bodied red wines for our cold winters, don’t count out lighter-bodied red wine with higher acidity and juicy bright fruit flavours.  They can brighten your day and pair nicely with a cheese plate, roast chicken, or fatty sausages.  One such wine is BC’s Robin Ridge Winery Gamay 2022.  It is also an organic wine if that is something you look for in a wine.  My…

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Canadian Wine Trends 2024: Red and White Varietal Wines

Canadian Wine #Trends 2024: Red and White Varietal Wines #chardonnay #PinotGris #Riesling #sauvignonblanc #Merlot #CabernetSauvignon #PinotNoir #Syrah

This is the second of my Canadian Wine Trends 2024 articles.  I will cover our interest in red and white still varietal wines using Google Trends information.  Was there an overall upward slope (interest) or downward slope (disinterest) in a style over the year? Was there a peak at a certain time of the year? Let’s find out. Red and White Wine Interest You can right-click on the graphics below…

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Explore the Wines of Croatia with Provence Marinaside at VanWineFest 2025

Explore the Wines of #Croatia with Provence Marinaside at @VanWineFest 2025 @kortakatarinawines @fakinwines @coronicawines @stina_vino

Are you tired of drinking wines made with the same grapes?  Why not try some wines from Croatia with new grape varieties at Provence Marinaside during VanWineFest 2025?  Here is the dinner announcement with food and wine pairings.  Cheers! ~~~~~ (Vancouver, BC) – Tucked away on the eastern coast of the Adriatic is Croatia – a nation with a wine-making culture dating back 2,500 years to the…

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Canadian Wine Trends 2024: BC and Ontario Wines

Canadian Wine Trends 2024: BC and Ontario Wines @winesofbc #bcwine #ONwine @winescanada #googletrends

In 2022, I reviewed the 2021 wine trends across Canada, by province for different grape varieties and by regions around the world.  To do this, I used Google Trends. Google Trends.  Wikipedia describes Google Trends as “…a website by Google that analyzes the popularity of top search queries in Google Search across various regions and languages. The website uses graphs to compare the search volume…

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VanWineFest 2025: A Feast for Your Palate Winery Dinners

@VanWineFest 2025: A Feast for Your Palate Winery #Dinners #VIWF @cincinristorante @bluewatercafe @acquafarinavan @lapiazzadarioristorante @alouetteyvr

Here is an announcement about the VanWineFest 2025 winery dinners that go on sale, Jan 8, 2025. The Announcement Looking for an exceptional dining experience this February? VIWF winery dinners go on sale Wednesday, January 8, at 9:30 a.m. Many dinners sell out quickly, so don’t delay – get your tickets! This year, the festival features 14 spectacular dinners, including the…

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Taste ASV Wines from California at VanWineFest 2025

Taste ASV Wines from California at @VanWineFest 2025 @california.wines @chartonhobbsbc #Chardonnay #Cabernet

ASV Wines is a new California winery to me, but it has been around for several years.  Let’s welcome ASV Wines and taste their wines at VanWineFest 2025.  ASV Wines is certified or affiliated with the California Sustainable Vineyard & Winery Association (CSWA), California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), International Featured Standard (IFS), California Association of Wine Grape Growers (CAWG)…

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Selecting Wines for the Chinese New Year of the Snake 2025

Selecting Wines for the Chinese New Year of the Snake 2025 #CNY2025 #bcwine #ORwine #IDwine @haywirewine @wineaustralia

Chinese New Year of the Snake (Image courtesy https://pikbest.com) January 29th, 2025 is the Chinese (Lunar) New Year of the Earth Snake. In the Chinese zodiac, the snake is associated with wisdom, charm, elegance, and transformation. Snakes represent the symbol of wisdom. They are intelligent and wise. They are good at communication but say little. Snakes are usually regarded as great…

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The First Red Wines Reviewed for 2025: Blasted Church

The First Red Wines Reviewed for 2025: Blasted Church @winesofbc #bcwine #bcvqa #okanagan #winewriter

Blasted Church Renaissance Series Cabernet Franc 2021 and Small Blessings Mourvedre Syrah Grenache 2021 wine labels What surprises does 2025 hold for wine lovers?  Could it be a new varietal or region that you have not yet tried?  Or maybe a new winery in your area?  Today, I am tasting two red wines from Blasted Church Vineyards that were sent to me.  They are not new to me, but maybe the grape…

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Enjoy the Range of 689 Cellars Wines at VanWineFest 2025

Enjoy the Range of @689Cellars Wines at @VanWineFest 2025 @appellationwine @california.wines.canada #NapaValley #CabernetSauvignon #Chardonnay #VIWF

California’s 689 Cellars offers a variety of wines for different classes of wine drinkers, from casual to serious. Here is some background information from the winery and the wines they will be pouring at VanWineFest 2025. About 689 Cellars Curtis McBride from 689 Cellars Curtis McBride is the owner and founder of 689 Cellars and Premier Wine Group. Curtis founded Premier Wine Group over 20 years…

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No Fooling, Township 7 Riesling 2021 and seven stars Rigel Sparkling Wine 2022

No Fooling, BC's @Township7 #Riesling 2021 and seven stars Rigel Sparkling Wine 2022 @winesofbc #bcwine #bcvqa

Pyrite aka Fool’s Gold (By Ivar Leidus – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, httpscommons.wikimedia.orgwindex.phpcurid=99444453) What is fool’s gold?  It is the nickname for a mineral called pyrite that looks like gold, but is harder and does not have much value.  I wondered about the naming of the Fool’s Gold Vineyard in the north Oliver area of the Okanagan as there is no fool’s gold.  The soil is sandy…