Last month, we visited Unsworth Vineyards, on the southeast corner of Vancouver Island, for the first time. This beautiful winery in the Cowichan Valley offers outstanding wines and warm hospitality. The First Nations Salish translation of ‘Cowichan’ means warm land. Certainly, temperatures in the valley are typically warmer than anywhere else in Canada. The late Canadian chef and author, James Barber named the area “Canada’s Provence.” As a result of the mild, Mediterranean-like climate, rich volcanic and glacial soil, and rolling hills, the wines feature a distinctively pronounced minerality. Friendly and knowledgeable Hospitality Manager Karen Newington poured eight stellar Unsworth wines for us, including three that are made from grapes unique to Vancouver Island. Read on for details.
Category Archives: Wine
Italian Whites
We think any time of year is the season for Italian whites. And we don’t just mean Pinot Grigio, which frequently is the first that comes to mind. That is to say, these four Italian whites are lesser known, yet delicious. They come from the volcanic soils in Sicily, the high-altitude region of Marche, the peculiar soil composed of gritstone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and finally the low mountain range and lowland crossed by rivers of Veneto. In other words, you might not have heard of all of them, but don’t let that stop you. These are good wines!
Washington Wine
August is Washington Wine Month, and as this 31-day celebration winds down, we wanted to look back on some of the bottles of splendid juice we’ve enjoyed in the last month or so. Most importantly, we celebrate Washington wine every month. But during August, there are even more reasons to rejoice. For example, many wineries, restaurants, bars and wine shops are holding “WAugust” promotions and discounts. Find details at the list of WA Wine events for this last week in August. Meanwhile, here are 12 excellent WA wines we’ve recently tasted.
San Felice Wines
We became acquainted with San Felice wines last year, so we happily accepted these three standout Italian wines. 2020 Bell’Aja Bolgheri Superiore 2020; 2019 Il Grigio Chianti Classico Gran Selezione; and 2018 Poggiorosso Chianti Classico Gran Selezione are special-occasion wines from the historic estate located in the heart of Chianti Classico territory. As well, they all complement summer barbecues or winter roasts.