Good Wine Gal at TopDrop Vancouver 2022!

Wine, Wine and more Wine!

Welcome to a journal of my favorite wines from TopDrop. Spring in Vancouver presented many opportunities to taste wine. Thanks to everyone involved. Great event. As of June 1 I am officially in Wine Country BC for the summer! What a great opportunity to visit local wineries and put together winery offers. Stay tuned. More to come. Hope you enjoy this post! Please leave your comments below.​

The first sip and I was hooked. You can taste the careful hand work, healthy soil and delicious grapes. Top of the heap and had not tasted for a while, this wine lives up to its reputation. Put Prichard Hill Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon on your steak night list. You'll spend some more here but its worth it.

There is never enough time to get around the room at an event like this. Here I met my friend Edit Bai, winemaker at Dereszla in the Tokaj region of Hungary. Fantastic bubbles! They are very interested in the BC market.

Elk Cove from the Willamette Valley already had my attention and then they went and did this! Riesling from the valley. Yes it was very good. Lots of minerality and character that you might expect from Riesling. Definitely go and get a bottle of this or their delicious Pinot Noir - either way you'll be delighted.

Talk about classic! I visited Hunter Valley and tasted at Tyrrell's in 1985. This never disappoints with it's spine of acidity and fresh clean green and yellow citrus flavours. Age this baby for a decade and you will be amazed. 

When in BC ... Terravista Albarino is a legend. Spanish grapes grown on the Naramata Bench. Think naked prawns with duck fat potatoes. Peel and eat works every time.

And just when you thought it couldn't get wilder here is a Pigato Vermentino on skins from Australia. This was excellent btw. 

How do I love thee...Benjamin Bridge is top of mind when it comes to excellent Canadian bubbles. This rose was delicious and what a color!

Prosecco time is all the time. The highest quality is "cartizze" and this was dry. I'll look forward to visiting in the fall when I'm roaming around Italy. 

When it comes to Italian fare, you can't go wrong with Barbera. Asti tends to be a bit finer and delicate and Alba tends towards power. This one has a beautiful nose, body and finish. Worthy.

This is a stunner from Napa and no, it's not red. This beautiful white bordeaux style - sauvignon blanc and semillon is from Oak Knoll and worthy of your attention. 

Alright, alright! You can't mention Napa without tipping the taste buds in this direction. Sadly this was just to tease you as it seems to be sold out on their website. 

Meet the amazing Alan Dickinson, powered by riesling, sharing one of his Synchromesh creations (maybe my favorite)! 2021 was a very scary season for Al & his team. Wine supplies are low. Shop and support if you can.

For the adventurous palate and world traveller, Greek wine is legendary. This was a fantastic sip and perfect for seafood summer patio season. If you are ready to travel, this will make your adventure better.

Who loves rose? Here is a tasty Rosé from Peloponnese, Greece made from an indigenous grape. I can butcher the name but sip anyway. Try this - mosh-co-fee-ler-o. 

Cinsault may be the unsung hero of southern France, and rising star of South Africa, California and Chile. Montes is an iconic producer. If you are willing to adventure into the medium body wine zone here is fruit, spice, balance and flavour. Go get it.

What did I just say! This is "good wine". Great quality at an affordable price that will impress your friends around the BBQ.

Ultra star power from Washington. Wow. Big reds from Red Mountain showcase intensity of fruit, great structure and age-ability. Washington is a premium wine state that rarely disappoints and lives in a big shadow of not only California but also Oregon. With climate change upon us, I think we will be seeing and sipping more wines like this. 

Conclusion

Thank you for a great event TopDrop team. It's a pleasure to sip and taste new and interesting wines that take us on a journey, even just for an afternoon. My only request is that I can stay longer next time.