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Canadian Wine blog

Writing on Canadian Wine by the MWC team Kurtis Kolt (BC), Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson (MB) Jake Skakun (ON), Michelle Bouffard (QB) and various national guest contributors.

My Wine Canada

Canadian Winery Spotlight: GreenLane Estate Winery

I had the chance to sit down with the wines from GreenLane Estate Winery in advance of its feature as this month's Wine Club winery. The winery thrives within the Lincoln Lakeshore appellation on the Niagara Peninsula under the helm of Dianne Smith, winemaker and general manager. These are mostly small lot wines from Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery has some coveted plots of old vine Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon. For more info on the winery, check out my past post on GreenLane Estate Winery. And for notes on my favourite wines from them that I tasted last week, read on! Continue reading →

Published on August 10, 2016 by Jake Skakun
Top Wine Picks From Orofino Vineyards

While there’s plenty of great wine coming from B.C.’s Okanagan Valley, it’s the neighbouring Similkameen Valley where much of the buzz is at of late. My last trip to B.C. wine country was in June as a judge at this year’s National Wine Awards of Canada. And while we spend most days cooped up in a convention center meeting room tasting 80-90 wines a day, at night we get treated to some pretty special dinners, winery visits and other events. Orofino Vineyards was one winery that we visited; they fared very well at the show, earning a half-dozen medals, five of which were silver. Continue reading →

Published on August 8, 2016 by Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson
Pair It Up! Upper Bench Wines & Barbecue

I love this point in the summer, when farmer’s markets are right at that sweet spot with an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruit, and it seems like there’s more selection than ever. One thing we’ve been gorging ourselves on as of late around our house are fresh B.C. blueberries.

Now, there’s a bit of a caveat with this.

My wife owns a PR and communications company, and one of her clients is the B.C. Blueberry Council. One of the perks of her having this client, besides the wealth of blueberries we always have around, is that she works with them on recipe development. Continue reading →

Published on August 2, 2016 by Kurtis Kolt
Pair It Up With The Grange of Prince Edward

The Grange of Prince Edward's wine portfolio is perfect for summer drinking. Whether white or red, the wines express the cool climate of Prince Edward County with high acidity and innate freshness. Even Cabernet Franc, a grape often vinified into a full-bodied, structured wine, is medium-bodied, vibrant, and extremely elegant in the hands of the Grange. In honour of the drinkability of these wines and the fact that they're featured this week for FREE SHIPPING, I've paired a few of them up with recent summer recipes from Western Living Magazine. Continue reading →

Published on July 27, 2016 by Jake Skakun
Pair It Up! BENCH 1775 Wines + Free Shipping

I’m filing this post from sunny Barolo in Northern Italy, where I’ve been immersed in the Collisioni Festival. A dish I’ve always had a soft spot for at home that hails from this region is a simple plating of cheese ravioli with butter and sage. It’s at once rich and decadent, yet simple and elegant – the richness of the cheese and creamy, buttery angle is lifted by the herbal freshness of fresh sage.

While here in Barolo the dish pairs well along side wines made from area grape varieties like Nebbiolo or Arneis, I couldn’t help but think many homegrown British Columbia wines would easily suit as a pairing.

Looking on the site here at My Wine Canada, you may have noticed that Naramata’s BENCH 1775 Winery is offering an awesome deal of free shipping if you order a minimum of six wines from ‘em, and you can mix and match your selections, too! Well, let’s take advantage of the opportunity with my recommendation of a handful of their wines that’d jive well with this pasta. Continue reading →

Published on July 19, 2016 by Kurtis Kolt
Top Wine Picks from 13th Street Winery

Once again this year I had the privilege of being a judge at the National Wine Awards of Canada hosted by WineAlign. It’s truly exciting to witness the growth of the Canadian wine industry. New wineries are constantly opening, not to mention the overall quality keeps on rising. 13^th Street Winery has been making great wine from day one. If they were solid right from the start, they’ve never been better now. Below are four of my top picks currently available right here at My Wine Canada. Sign up to join the Wine Club, and you'll automatically get these wines sent to you this month. Go Canada Go! Continue reading →

Published on July 13, 2016 by Michelle Bouffard
Top Wine Picks! Easy-Going Ontario Summer Sippers

My wine-drinking preferences change with the seasons. In winter, for example, I like bigger, brooding reds and richer, complex whites; they almost seem to warm the soul in the frozen Manitoba climate.

But in our gorgeous, sun-drenched summers I’m all about crisp, refreshing wines, no matter the colour. I don’t like excessive oak or tannin in my summer sippers — I want fresh fruit and a splash of acidity. Continue reading →

Published on July 11, 2016 by Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson
Pair It Up! The Rare Wines of Moon Curser

Moon Curser does off the beaten track varieties very well. Calling these grapes off the beaten track isn't exactly true—they're highly planted in other parts of the world, just not the Okanagan. For over a decade, the folks at Moon Curser (previously Twisted Tree) have been experimenting with plantings in the South Okanagan and they've got great wines to show for it. Here are a few summer food pairings to serve up with their unique Okanagan wines. Continue reading →

Published on July 5, 2016 by Jake Skakun