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Cocktail Time With Sherry

#Cocktail Time With #Sherry. #finosherry #PedroXiménez #spanishwine @Bodegas_Alvear @PWS_Canada

Bodegas Alvear sherries Sherry is a very misunderstood wine style. It comes in a wide range of styles, from dry and citrusy to medium-bodied with some sweetness and nuttiness to deeply coloured, luscious, very sweet with a thick feeling on the palate.  These wines each have a place in a meal or sipping on their own. But, what you may not know, is that you can make cocktails using sherry.  I…

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Garnet Valley Ranch Chardonnay and Pinot Noir 2022: Quality from Okanagan Crush Pad

Garnet Valley Ranch #Chardonnay and #PinotNoir 2022: Quality from @OkCrushPad. @bcwine #bcwine #bcvqa #winelover #sommelier #organic #veganfriendly

These are the first wines that I’ve tasted from BC’s Garnet Valley Ranch, made by Okanagan Crush Pad, and I am greatly impressed with the quality. Garnet Valley Ranch is a certified organic site, home to vineyards, field crops, a lavender farm, a bustling beehive and a small winery and The Outlook visitor center.  The area is planted primarily with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes; I am tasting…

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A Burger Pairing with Mayhem Wines Cabernet Merlot 2022 on a Hot Summer Day

A Burger Pairing with @MayhemWines #Cabernet #Merlot 2022 on a Hot #Summer Day. @buybc @bcwine #bcwine #winelover #sommelier #okanagan

It’s hot! Darn out outside.  No time to spend cooking inside.  Time for the BBQ.  I was thinking of grilling some prime rib beef burgers I recently purchased and enjoyed them with BC’s Mayhem Wines Cabernet Merlot 2022.  Let me tell you about the wine and then the pairing. My Wine Tasting Notes Mayhem Wines Cabernet Merlot 2022 (BC $24.44) This wine is a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc…

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Enjoy Gerard Bertrand Le Chouchou 2023 This Summer

Enjoy Gerard Bertrand Le Chouchou 2023 This Summer. #organic #Grenache #Syrah #Cinsault #summertime #winelover #winewriter @GerardBertrandO @PWS_Canada

Gérard Bertrand‘s Le Chouchou 2023 is the winery’s answer to new consumer trends, producing a light, fresh red wine.  It has low alcohol content and can be enjoyed at a cooler temperature.  It sits somewhere between a rosé and a fuller-bodied red wine, IMHO.  This wine is a blend of organic Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault grapes coming from Cevennes, Limoux, in south-central France. I received this…

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Pairing Wine With Seafood? Take This Delicious Quiz.

Pairing #Wine With #Seafood? Take This Delicious #Quiz. #sommelier #chef #winelover

Rosé and white wine paired with seafood in coconut cream on wild rice Pairing wine with seafood is an art that enhances the dining experience by harmonizing flavours and textures. When done well, the right wine can accentuate the delicate sweetness of seafood or balance its richness, creating a symphony of tastes on the palate. The acidity of the wine can refresh the palate between bites, while…

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Enjoying Mayhem Wines Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Enjoying Mayhem Wines #PinotGris and #SauvignonBlanc 2023. @bcwine #bcwine #bcvqa #okanagan #winelover #sommelier

With the Canada Day long weekend, it was fitting to enjoy some BC wine.  I have two bottles of white wine from Mayhem Wines to tell you about; the Mayhem Wines Pinot Gris 2023 and Sauvignon Blanc 2023.    2023 was a challenging year in the Okanagan due to the cold winter snap that adversely affected the grape vines and reduced the amount of wine produced in the interior of BC.  From the winery,…

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Pairing Township 7's Rosé and Pinot Gris 2023 with BC Seafood

Pairing BC's @Township7 Rosé and Pinot Gris 2023 with BC Seafood. #bcwine #bcvqa @bcwine #okanagan #winelover #cheflife #sommelier #buybc @EatDrinkBuyBC

Summer is the time to enjoy BC seafood and BC wine together on your patio with your friends.  That is exactly what I did with Township 7’s Provenance Series Rosé and Pinot Gris 2023.  In general rosé and Pinot Gris wines tend to be fresh and best enjoyed upon opening, without decanting.  For these tasting notes, that is just what I did.  Opened the wines, poured them, made my notes, and tried…

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Book Review: Jupiter's Blood by Steven Laine

#BookReview: Jupiter's Blood by @StevenLaine. @goodreads @bookpubservices #whatamireading #winelover #wine #novel

Jupiter’s Blood novel by Steven Laine Steven Laine is a fiction writer with WSET III, FWS, IWS, SWS, CWS, and Champagne Academy credentials.  For the 2020 harvest, Steven worked as a harvest cellarman for three months with the winemakers at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery in BC.  His novels revolve around some aspect of wine.  In his previous novel, Dragonvine, Steven wrote about a young man,…

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A Gift From Provence, France: Rosé Wines

A Gift From Provence, France: #Rosé Wines. @vinsdeprovence @bcliquorstores @lavieilleferme @miravalwines #Grenache #Cinsault #Syrah #Frenchwine #winelover #sommelier

Chateau Barbelle, Domaine Saint Ferreol, Mirabeau, and Famille Sumeire rosé wines from Provence Rosé wine, with its delicate hue and refreshing taste, has captured the hearts of wine enthusiasts worldwide.  According to statistics, I read that rosé wine consumption tripled since 1990. Vins de Provence exported nearly 62 million bottles in 2022 with the USA, buying up 37% of the total quantity…

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Drink Red for Summer with Haywire Wines Pinot Noir and Merlot 2022

Drink Red for Summer with @HaywireWines #PinotNoir and #Merlot 2022 #bcwine #bcvqa @bcwine #okanagan #organic #vegan #winelover #sommelier

I’ve been talking about white and rosé wines lately, but we should not forget about enjoying red wines over the summary.  I have two Okanagan red wines from Haywire Wines to tell you about.  I received their Haywire Wines Pinot Noir 2022 and Haywire Wines Naramata Bench King Family Vineyard Merlot 2022 to review.  The grapes are organically grown and the wines are vegan-friendly. I am glad to see…

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Whites and Rosés Wines of Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages AOCs for the Summer

Whites and Rosés Wines of Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages AOCs for the #Summer. @Vinsrhone #winelover #sommelier

Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhône Blanc 2017 with wine in glass We are now enjoying nicer summer weather.  It’s time to get out onto the patio and enjoy some rosé and white wines. While you may think of Rhône wines as being Syrah or red blends, this region also produces white and rosé wines.  Here is a press release I received talking about these Rhône wines. ~~~~~~~~~ This summer, treat yourself to a…

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A Chilean Red and White Wine by Vina Chocalan for Your Summer Pleasure

A Chilean Red and White Wine by Vina Chocalan for Your #Summer Pleasure. @ConsorcioVinos @PWS_Canada @WinesOfChile_CA #CabernetSauvignon #SauvignonBlanc #winelover #sommelier

Vina Chocalan One of the newer winemaking families in Chile is the Toro family located in the Maipo and the San Antonio Valley.  They bought their first vineyard in 1998 and made their first wine in 2001 under the label Viña Chocalán. Chocalán is the indigenous word for the yellow blossoms from a shrub that blooms in the area. I received two bottles of their wine to review for you.  I have the…

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Exploring the Kerner Grape: It's History and Growth in British Columbia Wineries

Exploring the #Kerner Grape: It's History and Growth in British Columbia Wineries. #bcwine #bcvqa @bcwine @SummerGateWine @nostalgiawines @reclinewinery @graymonkwinery #hybridgrape #winelover #sommelier

Nostalgia Wines Kerner 2020 In two previous articles, I covered two red grape varieties that are grown in BC, but are not well-known; Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt.  We also do make some interesting white wines with relatively unknown varieties. I would like to introduce you to the Kerner grape. Let’s delve into the story behind the Kerner grape, and its aromatic profile, and discover the British…

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Quick Review: BC's Haywire Winery Organic Pinot Gris and Chardonnay 2022

Quick Review: BC's Haywire Winery #Organic #PinotGris and #Chardonnay 2022. #bcwine #bcvqa @bcwine #okanagan #winelover #sommelier

If you are searching for a BC wine that is vegan-friendly, made using organically-grown grapes, and fermented with indigenous yeasts in neutral vessels like stainless steel, amphora, and concrete, then you should try Okanagan’s Haywire Winery‘s wines.  I have two white wines to tell you about today from Haywire.  Their Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, are both 2022 vintage, made by winemakers Matt…

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Zweigelt: Another Lesser Known Red Wine Gem in BC

#Zweigelt: Another Lesser Known Red Wine Gem in BC. #bcwine @bcwine #bcvqa @ArrowleafWine @upperbench @RocheWines @bench1775 @volcanichillswi @summerhillwine #okanagan #winelover #sommelier

Kalala Organic Estate Winery Zweigelt 2018 with wine in glass Zweigelt is a red grape that while not as obscure as the Blaufränkisch grape I wrote about earlier, is still relatively unknown in BC.  Only 0.7% of red grapes grown in BC are from Zweigelt.  This is a versatile and vibrant red grape variety, that is a cornerstone of Austrian viticulture. Named after its creator, Dr. Fritz Zweigelt,…

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Exploring Blaufränkisch: A Hidden Gem in British Columbia

Exploring #Blaufränkisch: A Hidden Gem in British Columbia. #bcwine #bcvqa @bcwine @mtboucheriewine @BlastedChurch @LarchHillsWine

Mt. Boucherie Blaufrankisch 2017 label Nestled among the vineyards of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley lies a grape variety quietly making waves in the wine world – Blaufränkisch. Blaufränkisch, also known as Lemberger, traces its roots back to Central Europe, particularly Austria and Hungary. The grape is believed to have originated in the region of Lower Styria, now part of Slovenia, before…

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How Familiar Are You With Oak Barrels? Take the Quiz.

How Familiar Are You With Oak Barrels? Take the #Quiz. #winemaking #winelover #winery #sommelier

Getting a Pinot Noir barrel sample at Privato Winery Oak barrels are important in the production of many red wines and some white wines.  Barrels can be used to ferment the wine, or they can be used to age the wine after it has been fermented in another vessel like a stainless steel tank.  Where the barrels originate as well as the production of the barrels can affect the aromas, flavours, and…