One day with my wife's encouragement I decided to start a website the subject being the wines and wineries of Canada.. A rather easy task (the pamphlet at the local government liquor store listed 25 wineries) not too difficult. First step, learn to build a website, second step purchase a domain name and website hosting.

It was a learn as I go process that did not take too much of my time, about three days consisting of twenty to twenty five hours, after all there were only 25 wines, according to the pamphlet. With wineries in British Columbia and Ontario there would be three pages, the Home Page, British Columbia page and an Ontario page.

It would be just a matter of time before I would be done and the site up and running.. but then I decided I would have time for some research into Canada's wineries. Information on the internet was very limited, the year was 1992.

I came across a Book called "Vintage Canada" by Tony Aspler in 1993 oh my gosh! there were wineries in Quebec and Nova Scotia also there were wineries in different regions of Ontario. There was so much more to the wines of Canada I was now in a race against time to catch up and make my website current.

Robert Orben said "Time flies. It's up to you to be the navigator". and so the years passed and the website grew.
New pages were added regularly. I had the time to deal with it all; The nineties came and went, a new millennium had begun Canada's wine industry grew, her wines became more popular. Her ice wines became world renowned and time became my enemy.

The number of wineries grew and soon I was boasting about the five hundred wineries in Canada. The website had over a million visitors in 2009 the website had grown to over 150 pages. In 2010 the list of new winery licenses was amazing; In 2018 we will have over 800 wineries in Canada.

Rapid changes were taking place. Wineries were adding new brands, changing their names, wineries were opening regions were no one thought grapes could grow before, virtual wineries opened. Wine companies were forming, buying out smaller wineries. Restaurants and guest rooms were being added it was all happening so fast!

I thought about this yesterday as I realized I had spent over six hours communicating with just one winery; one owner. I do not regret this time. The website is my passion. I just don't know how I am going to find the time
to remain Canada's number one wine website supporting not only the wines of Canada but our country.

Time is money... www.winesofcanada is taking my time but not providing the money. It's an old cliche that we all know and understands, but to what extent do you really apply it in your life. Time is our most precious resource because it is the only one that is truly scarce.

As Canada's wine industry grows and grows .. I need time, time from the wineries of Canada. I need them to take the time and provide information about their winery, give me information and I will tell the world. We thank the many who do..

I have had marketing and hospitality managers from the big wineries telling me they don't have time to answer my questions. My response is get off facebook, get off twitter and take time to answer the questionnaire I send. I'm promoting your winery for free and it would give me time to make sure your information is current. There is always someone with the time to point out to me that certain things they deem important are missing.

We first discover the wonderful world of wines on our honeymoon when by chance we ended up in Napa Valley
Why did we start a second website www.winesofwoi.com simple we live within a few blocks of the US border and have a cabin So we have the opportunity to taste many Washington wines. We discontinued this site due to the tremendous growth of the Canadian wine industry.

Time now for me to make lunch. You have to spend some time sleeping, eating, playing, relaxing and growing within yourself, time with your friends and family.

For those of you who never found the time to return my e-mails, my calls, or greet me when I visited not to worry I found the time to list you as well.

Happy New Year

Advertise place your banner here!!

Have a safe and happy holiday season

Happy New Year!

http://www.winesofcanada.com/featured_winery_visit2019.html

We do live in amazing times. It was only 40 years ago that nobody cared much about Canadian wines except for a few strong-willed pioneers. Today we think nothing of it when we hear of a new winery opening. They seem to pop up everywhere.

When I heard this summer a small winery had opened in Saanich of Vancouver Island near Victoria I thought little of. I marked them down on my list of wineries. Something I would look at in the winter months.

Perhaps I should have paid more attention to Parsell Vineyards. The new winery is owned by Tilar J. Mazzeo. She is a well known author turned winemaker.

Ms Mazzero is a New York Times bestselling author (with a post-graduate certificate in winemaking from the University of California at Davis) whose early career was as a nationally recognized wine writer in the US. Her husband is a fourth-generation Vancouver Island native and farmer. The Parsell family came to Saanich in the 1880s and grew fruit for the first winemaking industry to develop on the island in the 1920s, and Parsell Vineyard is our take on a new generation of that old family business.

Mazzeo's work as a wine writer has appeared in numerous national outlets in the United States, including Food and Wine magazine, Mental Floss, and in the wine guides of which she is the author The Back Lane Wineries of Napa and The Back Lane Wineries of Sonoma (Ten Speed Press). She is the proprietor and winemaker at Parsell Vineyard in British Columbia.

Mazzeo has held previous teaching appointments at the University of Wisconsin, Oregon State University, and the University of Washington. She was the Jenny McKeon Moore Writer in Residence in the Creative Writing and English program at the George Washington University from 2010-2011. She was the Washington Scholar at Pembroke College, Cambridge, UK in the late 1990s. She is the editor of digital scholarly editions at Romantic Circles and has been featured as a preeminent teacher of creative nonfiction with the Teaching Company / Great Courses.

Her book The Widow Clicquot, a biography of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, the eponymous founder of the champagne house Veuve Clicquot was published in 2008 by Harper Collins. It became a New York Times bestseller. A film adaption of the book was announced by Variety to be directed by Taylor Hackford. ^[3][4]

In 2010 Mazzeo's book The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Biography of a Scent. was published. ^[5][6]

In 2007 she released her book Plagiarism and Literary Property in the Romantic Period which was reviewed in the New York Times.^[7]

In 2014 Mazzeo's book, The Hotel on Place Vendôme, the story of the Ritz Hotel in Paris during Nazi occupation, was released. It became a New York Times bestseller in travel writing and was a Los Angeles Times bestseller for more than 20 weeks.

In 2016 Mazzeo published Irena's Children, the story of Polish social worker Irena Sendler, whose efforts prevented the death of thousands of Jewish children during WWII

In 2016, Publisher's Weekly announced that Mazzeo is completing a forthcoming biography of Eliza Hamilton, the wife of Alexander Hamilton.

The farm 4 acres of vineyard at their home and tasting room with another 3 acres of small vineyards in the local area. Their main varietals are Gamay Noir a Jus Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Ortega. They have a small production of Marechal Foch. They also have small plantings in Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Auxerrois that are part of their blending program for their sparkling wine production (about 50% of our production). The sparkling wines are made in the ancestral method. They have small productions of orange wine, Sangria, and vermouth.

signature wines: ancestral method sparkling wines and Gamay Noir.

They are the first winery in BC to be approved to sell our wine in reusable bottles.

If Ms Mazzeo is as good a winemaker as she is an author the BC wine industry will be very lucky.

Never Forget

So many men and women so brave!

A Toast to all brave men and women

The first of the Fraser Valley wineries, Domaine de Chaberton  (now called Chaberton) was opened by founder's Claude and Inge Violet. This very successful winery was named after the vineyard they had owned in France. The Fraser Valley location was selected for its proximity to Vancouver, the micro climate, south-facing slope, and quality of soil and low rainfall. The winery was sold in 2005 to Anthony Cheng and Eugene Kwan, business partners In 2014 the name was changed to Chaberton Estate Winery

The 55 acre parcel of land produces a selection of vitis vinifera 'cool climate' grapes including their signature wine grape "Bacchus". The first vines planted, these Bacchus plants are now over 30 years old! Joining them are: Siegerrebe, Madeleine Sylvaner, Reichensteiner, Madeleine Angevine, Ortega and Gamay Noir.

While the majority of the white varietals are grown in Langley, specially selected red wine grapes from vineyards in the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys are used in the red wines.

Chaberton  most outstanding wine is their Bacchus, the 2015, 2016and 2017 vintages are all extremely good. The last one I tried  most recently was Reserve Bacchus 2016. It is an amazing wine bursting with full fruit flavours

This evening Barbara and I enjoyed the Ortega Dessert wine. So smooth so sweet so favourable and iconic wine indeed.

Chaberton is located in the Fraser Valley in the township close to Langley city making a nice drive in the country from Vancouver.

The Fraser Valley Wineries

We look back,away back to the 80s when even I did not know about the Fraser Valley Wineries. Actually, there was only one winery to know back then. My dear wife and I  found ourself living on the Surrey-Langley border. Money was scarce in those days but we decided to enjoy an evening out and even splurge on a bottle of wine.

We had no idea what to order; our waiter recommended a local wine from Chaberton Estate.  We did not know there was a winery nearby!  We went with his suggestion and were very impressed.

The first of the Fraser Valley wineries, Domaine de Chaberton was opened by founder's Claude and Inge Violet. This very successful winery was named after the vineyard they had owned in France. The Fraser Valley location was selected for its proximity to Vancouver, the microclimate, south facing slope, and the quality of soil and low rainfall. The winery was sold in 2005 to Anthony Cheng and Eugene Kwan, business partners In 2014 the name was changed to Chaberton Estate Winery

Shortly thereafter we became aware of Glenugier Winery. Owned by the Glenugier family. For health reasons, they sold the winery which became know as Neck of the Woods and later renamed Backyard Vineyards.

Under the guidance of winemaker James Cambridge Backyard has become one of the provinces most popular wineries. The Fraser Valley was now definitely on the provinces wine map.

The Colmans opened Township 7 in 1999 Rapidly gaining a following for their Merlot. The winery became so popular the Colemans sold the winery. Today the Langley Township winery is rapidly growing and adapting to its popularity.

There were other smaller wineries operating at this time. George and Ragna Flynn started farming their property in Pits Meadows in 1946, and opened the winery in 2003. George was
 84 then,

Terry Bremner's fruit winery  Wellbrook opened June 2004 in Delta.

Located just minutes from the charming and historic town of Fort Langley, BC,  Wade and Erinn  Bauck opened Fort Langley Winery.

Blackwood Lane Vineyards & Winery was the dream of Carlos Lee and his oenophile partners. Their goal was simple, to produce wines that lived up to their high standards and expectations. Their philosophy is summarized in the Company's motto: “Bonus Vita et Bonus Amici” (Good Life and Good Friends).

Backwood Lane produced a wonderful red blend called the Reference. When author John Schreiner gave the wine a score of 96 and Winesofcanada.com a 97 The winery was given a major boost. Today it has a top of the line cellar of wines and the best patio in the Fraser Valley.

A major boost to the fruit wine industry of the valley came when Krause Berry farm already a very popular place to visit and purchase berries, opened its winery in 2013. There 2016 Cassis won the prestigious ACWC Fruit wine of the year!

Lulu Island winery opened in Richmond in 2001 followed shortly by Isabel Winery. In 2016 the Holger Family opened Country Vines

The Abbotsford valley region first winery was Mt Lehman Winery founded by Vern Siemens in 2000. They were followed by Singletree and Seaside Pearl.  Making the Mt Lehman region  a popular new wine route.

Farther east Ripples and Whispering Horse opened producing quality wines. Prior to both of these wineries was St Urban winery in Chilliwack.

Travelling east of Vancouver has never been more exciting for wine lovers. Today we have numerous wineries producing top quality wines.  Luck  us!

Barbara and I spend a majority of the summer exploring the valley from wineries to goat farms (cheese) parks and secret gardens.

In 2018, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, with support from the Government House Foundation, and The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society announced a new partnership in recognizing the best of British Columbia wines with the creation of the British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards.

The British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards replaced the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in B.C. Wine and the B.C. Wine Awards. The new competition is open to all licensed wineries in British Columbia, including fruit wines and mead. Bronze, silver and gold medals are awarded, with the top 1% of medal winners receiving the Lieutenant Governor’s platinum medal and with one wine receiving the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Best Wine in British Columbia.

This of course dramatically increases the number of winners.  To give credit to The Okanagan Festival they chose a very strong panel of judges for the event.

2018* platinum medal

Sperling Vineyards Sparkling Brut 2011 ($43.49 for 200 six-packs). This is a traditional Champagne method wine made with Pinot Blanc from a 1996 planting. The wine spent five years on the lees before being disgorged. It has classic bready/bisquity aromas and flavours from time on the lees. There are also flavours of citrus and apple. Good acidity gives the wine a crisp, tangy finish. The bubbles are fine and persistent. (My tasting notes.)

Black Hills Estate Winery Syrah 2016 ($39.90). This vintage of Syrah is elegant, offering notes of blackberry, blueberry, and black & white pepper on the nose with hints of cocoa and eucalyptus lingering in the background. Soft, supple tannins dominate the palate with rich black fruit carrying through for a mouth-watering finish. This wine will pair well with wild game and hearty red meat dishes. Enjoy now or cellar for up to eight years.

Hillside Estate Winery Reserve Pinot Gris 2017 ($24). Our classic Pinot Gris—luscious ripe fruit created scents of orange blossoms and vanilla mingled with tropical fruit aromas followed by a rich and supple mid-palate.

Kismet Estate Winery Syrah Reserve 2016 ($39.99). Syrah is especially suited to the warm dry climate of the South Okanagan, where it reaches full ripeness with deep purple colour and spicy aromas. Aged for 18 months in new French and American oak barrique barrels. Bright cherry red colour with a good depth and bluish hues at the rim. Intense red currant and red berry fruit aromas along with spice and vanilla. A lively, vibrant palate with intense flavours.

Kismet Estate Winery Cabernet Franc Reserve 2016 span>($39.99). Smokey toasty, blackberry, black cherry and leather. Sumptuous soft and seamless texture. Focused acidity lifts the fruit of this viscous wine. Structured bold and emery tannins complete the finish. Aged for 18 months in French and American barrique barrels.

Lake Breeze Vineyards Pinot Noir 2016 ($25.90 but sold out). Best wine of the show. This wine is a medium bodied elegant red with rich aromas and flavours of strawberries and plum, followed by a touch of warm spice. Well integrated tannins and generous length reflects the terroir of this estate grown Pinot Noir. An excellent structured wine designed for food.

Little Engine Winery Silver Pinot Noir 2016 .A beautiful ruby colour wine that beckons with initial notes of savoury herbs, dried brush and red fruit leather. Fresh and juicy start on the palate with bing cherries and dried hibiscus with a considerably lengthy finish highlighting spicy red fruits, anise and a touch of tarragon. Approachable and silky upon release this wine will develop well through 2023 under ideal cellaring conditions.

Moon Curser Vineyards Touriga Nacional 2016 ($39.99). The 2016 Touriga Nacional is a dry, medium-bodied red wine with a nose of spice, red fruits, fennel seed and floral notes. The palate is similar to the nose but with hints of leather, tobacco and cedar. Medium weight, with a silky mouthfeel and approachable tannin and acid structure, the wine delivers an intriguing profile of savoury and fruity characters.

Nk’Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay 2016($28.99). These Chardonnay grapes were whole-bunch pressed to extract the highest quality of juice. Complete malolactic fermentation during 10 months in French oak barrels developed the unique bouquet and mouth-feel. Rich and nutty in flavour, offering lots of caramel, marzipan and pear. Enticing and aromatic with subtle layering of honey and pineapple is followed by a lingering vanilla finish.

Quails’ Gate Estate Winery Totally Botrytis Affected Optima 2017 ($28.99 for 375 ml). For more than 25 years Quails’ Gate has become known for this wonderfully unique dessert wine. Our Optima grapes are grown at the base of the Quails’ Gate Estate vineyards where the proximity to the lake encourages a micro flora known as Botrytis Cinerea or Noble Rot to grow on the ripe grapes, which concentrates the flavours and intensifies the sugars to produce a Sauterne-style wine.

Rust Wine Co. Syrah 2016 ($37). Q Block is situated on the northern edge of the Black Sage Bench in Oliver. Sandy loam soils and a western aspect produce a Syrah with ripe black fruits, cracked pepper and olive notes. Will continue to age well for 5+ years.

Wild Goose Vineyards Mystic River Pinot Blanc 2017 ($16.52) The lovely aromas and flavours of this wine make it one of the unsung heroes of BC wines. This small production wine has a nose that shows melon & minerality, while the palate tastes of pear and white pepper. The buttery mouthfeel is balanced with a long finish that goes on and on and …

Wild Goose Vineyards Riesling 2017 ($16.52). This fruit forward Riesling comes from estate grown grapes, including the 33-year-old Wild Goose Vineyards and the 11-year-old Secrest Vineyards. Sweet reserve is added to balance the refreshing racy acidity, a “classic” method of winemaking. The nose shows aromas of floral, spice and apricot, while flavours of minerality and citrus follow.

Tasting notes are those of the wineries

The big surprise here was Sperling vineyards congratulation to them!

Winning Gold another surprise was Golden Hills Winery with 3 Golds. Pipe Dream another surprise winner with 2 gold. A surprise because we have not heard about these wines prior.

Bottom line BC makes great wines. But so many award events come on!