Wonderful whites enhance a warm summer afternoon or evening. And certainly, our enjoyment of them increases every year. Typically, our go-to summer white is Sauvignon Blanc. Of course that preference continues. But these days, we also appreciate Albariño, Bacchus, Grüner Veltliner, and more. Most importantly, there are so many wonderful whites to discover. For example, here are 20 that we have opened from Washington (6), British Columbia (5), Italy (1), France (2), South Africa (3), Chile (1), and New Zealand (2). Many are good-value porch pounders or deck wines, but some shine with an elegant meal.
Category Archives: Cowichan Valley
Top 40 Wines 2024
In short, it was difficult to narrow down the list to our Top 40 wines in 2024, but ultimately we chose those wines that made a lasting impression. Not surprisingly, we tasted hundreds of wines last year. Some, we bought at wineries and retail outlets. Others, we tasted at wine events such as Swirl Around B.C. and Walla Walla on Tour. Likewise, some fine folks shared their bottles with us, while others kindly sent us samples. We also tasted many wines on incredible Washington road trips to Walla Walla, Lake Chelan, Leavenworth, Maltby, and Woodinville. However, these wines are not all 2024 releases. Instead, they are wines we tasted in 2024.
As a sneak peek, our top red wine is Trothe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, while our top white is Dossier 2022 Halo Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. Read on for the rest of our Top 40 list of reds, whites, rosés and sparklers.
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What’s in Our Glasses Lately
What’s in our glasses? We enjoyed some fine wine lately, and subsequently posted about these great bottles on social media. However, in case you missed our posts, you can catch up here. In addition, we would love it if you would follow Write for Wine on Instagram and Facebook.
Read on to find out what’s been in our glasses!
Blue Grouse
We’ve been fans of Blue Grouse wines for years, and frequently cross the nearby border to buy bottles. However, in July, for the first time, we visited their classy estate winery. Blue Grouse is an acclaimed Cowichan Valley producer, with one of the oldest vineyards on Vancouver Island. Blue Grouse Estate Winery’s philosophy is “stewardship.” Their vineyards are all sustainably farmed. During our visit, our charming, knowledgeable host Vanessa Wheaton poured five wines for us – three whites, a sparkling rosé and one red. These are just a small sample of many standout Blue Grouse wines.