Category: Wine Tasting

Q&A

What do you get when you put a winemaker, a broadcaster and a Hollywood actor in the same room together? If it’s winemaker, Michal Mosny, broadcaster, Terry David Mulligan and Hollywood actor, Jason Priestley, you get a beautiful Bordeaux blend from the Okanagan. I first wrote about Michal Mosny in 2020. Michal is the proprietor…

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Gray Monk Estate Winery

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to taste two wines from one of the oldest wineries in British Columbia, Gray Monk Estate Winery. Gray Monk was founded by George and Trudy Heiss. George was born in Austria, while Trudy was born in Germany. Both hairdressers by trade, the two met at a hairdressing competition…

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Winter Whites: Yalumba Viognier

In 1847 a brewer named Samuel Smith moved from England to South Australia with his wife and five children. Smith and his family settled in the small town of Angaston, which is located in the Eden Valley, in Barossa. It was here that Smith purchased 30 acres of land and in 1849 he planted their…

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Tantalus 2019 Blanc de Blancs

I think my favourite sparkling wine this year has to be the Tantalus 2019 Blanc de Blancs. This wine was made from a single block of Chardonnay that was picked on September 3rd, 2019. The base wine was fermented in seasoned puncheons and barrique and then aged on the lees until May 2020. Made in…

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Cabernet Franc Day with the Okanagan Crush Pad

Cabernet Franc is thought to have been born in the Basque region of Spain, close to the French border. In France, Cabernet Franc is planted throughout Bordeaux, where it is often blended with Merlot, creating highly sought-after wines, such as Cheval Blanc. During the 17th century, Cardinal Richelieu, who had a great fondness for Cabernet Franc,…

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Whispering Horse Winery

Do you have a favourite winery? Recently someone asked me this very question and I found it challenging to answer. For me there is not just one, singular winery that is my favourite, I have many favourites, and each for different reasons. When I start thinking about my favourites though, one that quickly comes to…

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Pinot Noir Day

Pinot Noir has been nicknamed the ‘heartbreak grape’ partly due to its thin skin which makes it more susceptible to disease. Despite how difficult it can be to grow and to work with, when the stars align, it can produce incredible wines. Pinot Noir is infamous for producing outstanding wines in both Burgundy and Champagne,…

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National White Wine Day

National White Wine Day is celebrated August 4th, so if you need another excuse to open your favourite bottle of white wine, this is it! With a seemingly endless number of white grape varieties there truly is something for everyone, from Albariño to Zalema. I am celebrating National White Wine Day with a couple of…

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Bottega Rosé Gold Brut

Another great summer wine to beat the heat this week. The Bottega Rosé Gold Brut works well as an aperitif or pair it with light and refreshing summer fare, including sushi and Niçoise salad. Rosé Gold Brut $32.99 The Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) for this wine was grown in Lombardy, Italy; it was hand-picked and…

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A Red Wine for Summer: Haywire Gamay

I am back after a one month hiatus. Despite the break I have been enjoying some great summer wines, including the 2019 Haywire Gamay from the Okanagan Crush Pad, located in Summerland, BC. Gamay Noir is the perfect summer red. It is most notably grown in France where it is called Beaujolais. Gamay is low…

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