MyWinePal

Many people have taken an ocean cruise travelling up to Alaska or around the Caribbean, or maybe the Mediterranean Sea, but fewer people have taken a river cruise, as far as I know.  I decided to go on a Rhine River cruise hosted by Avalon Waterways, travelling from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland.  It was an eight day trip and included…

Ontario’s Dobbin Estate Winery does not talk a lot about itself.  It lets their wines do the talking.   Last year I tasted their Dobbin Estate Cabernet Blend 2020, which I rated as one of my top wines for 2025.  They are located on the highly acclaimed Twenty Mile Bench, and they note their calcium-rich soils are ideal for producing Chardonnay,…

BC’s Township 7 Vineyards & Winery has two elegant red wines that should go well with our beautiful summer plans of a BBQ with family or friends.  The wines I received to review are their Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Benchmark Series NBO 2022 and Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Benchmark Series Reserve 7 2022.  Both wines are blends.  The…

Blue Grouse Estate Winery from Vancouver Island has changed hands a few times.  The latest owners are the second and third-generation Jackson family (California) members Katie Jackson, Julia Jackson, Chris Jackson, Hailey Jackson-Hartford Murray, and MacLean Hartford.  The family sees tremendous potential in Cowichan’s cool-climate maritime winegrowing region and plans to embolden the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines.  I have…

I received three vintages of Chardonnay from Ontario’s Wending Home Estate Vineyards & Winery as part of my Ontario Chardonnay Review.  I reviewed the 2020 and 2021 vintages previously (see article), and today I am reviewing their 2023 vintage.  Without further delay, here are my tasting notes for this wine. My Wine Tasting Note Wending Home Estate Vineyards & Winery…

French wines from the Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages AOCs are here to show a new generation of drinkers just how delicious and versatile these appellations can be. I have a rosé and 2 red wines from these AOCs to review: Louis Bernard, Cotes du Rhone, Rosé, 2024 Mas de Sainte Croix Tendresse d’un Climat, Cotes du…

As you may have noticed, I was on a Rhine River Cruise starting in Amsterdam, ending in Basel, Switzerland.  But inbetween, I spent many days in German cities.  In one city, Düsseldorf, I signed up for a German Altbier walking tour.  Here is what I learned about this style of beer from a local guide as he brought us to…

Here are my tasting notes for the last few wines I enjoyed on my Avalon Waterways cruise of the Rhine River. I did try several German beers while on excursions during the day and will try to write an article on German beer later. My Wine Tasting Notes Christoph-Seydel-Str 2024 Spätburgunder trocken Reinhessen.  Crystal clear. Medium minus red cherry colour. …

The ship has sailed and I am halfway through this trip on the Rhine River with Avalon Waterways.  I saw many steeply sloped vineyards yesterday south of Koblenz as well as a few castles perched on hillsides. Today we passed by Heidelberg.  Here are my tasting notes for a few more wines I enjoyed during my dinners.  I have been…

Cruising on the Rhine River with Avalon Waterways cruise line, the wine list at dinner changes daily.  Here are a few of the wines I tasted from my first two dinners.  All wines from the cruise are European. Many are from Austria.  None of these wines are currently available through the BC Liquor store, but who know, they may be…