In late May, we took a quick 30-minute drive across the border to taste wine at the beautiful Chaberton Estate Winery in Langley, B.C. It was our first visit, but it definitely won’t be our last. Chaberton winemaker Gary Zhygailo hosted us, and showed us the estate vineyard and production facility. Next, Gary poured 12 excellent whites, rosé, and noteworthy reds. We joined Dave Nershi and his lovely wife Kathy there. We’ve known Dave, who lives in North Carolina, for 15 years. However, we hadn’t seen him since the Wine Media Conference in Walla Walla seven years ago. We so enjoyed raising a glass together again.
Continue reading
Category Archives: Pinot Gris
Swirl Around BC 2024
In September, we had the pleasure of attending Swirl Around BC 2024 Wine Expo, an event in Vancouver held by Wines of British Columbia to celebrate BC wine. Forty-five wineries participated, and the two of us managed to share small pours from 15 of them. BC wine is indeed worth celebrating. In addition, several winemakers told us the good news that they are working with Washington state vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills and Wahluke Slope AVAs to source their fruit, following an unprecedented BC crop shortage due to the area’s deep freeze earlier this year. Continue reading
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.
Swirl Around BC
We continue to increase our knowledge and excitement about BC wines. Last week, we drove to my hometown Vancouver to attend a Wines of BC tasting, Swirl Around BC. Coming on the heels of our recent, successful Okanagan trip, we looked forward to more BC wines to experience. We were not disappointed. More than 50 wineries poured new releases that showcased the diverse terroir in BC. Our favorite wine of the day: Black Hills 2020 Ipso Facto. Two sparklers also caught our attention: Tinhorn Creek Blanc de Blanc 2018 and Tantalus Blanc de Blanc 2019. Read on for more about these and other BC wines we appreciated.