The California Wine Experience 2022 is coming to Vancouver on April 25, 2022. It will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotell from 7 to 9:30 p.m. and the cost is $125 per ticket. It is a great chance to sample 400 wines from 92 different producers. If you are a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon fan, then this is the tasting event for you, as there will be many very high end Napa Cabs that are rarely seen in the B.C. market at the event available for sampling. Here are a few wines that I am looking forward to tasting:
Chalone Vineyards - Chalone is the oldest producing vineyard in Monterey County and one of the few wineries in the US growing that grows grapes on limestone-based soils, as they do in Burgundy, France. I am really excited to taste their 2019 Pinot Noir and 2019 Chardonnay wines.
Beaulieu Vineyards – Beaulieu Vineyards is an iconic winery in Napa. You can taste their 2018 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, which sells at liquor stores for $49.99. While you are at their table, also taste their flagship wine, their George Latour 2017 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
Louis Martini Winery – this is another California winery with a long history of winemaking excellence since 1922. Try their 2017 Gnarly Vines Zinfandel (available at liquor stores for $85.99), their 2018 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (available at liquor stores for $49.99) and their hard-to-find 2016 Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ridge Vineyards – this is one of the best producers of single vineyards wines in California. All of their wines exude quality. Try their 2019 Geyserville, which is a blended wine with Zinfandel and Carignan as the principal grape varietals used in the wine.
Robert Mondavi Winery – now owned by wine conglomerate Constellation Brands, this is probably the most famous California winery. You can taste their 2018 and 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from their most famous vineyard To Kalon. For more information about this iconic wine, please see my video review of a previous vintage of this wine.
Schramsberg – this is one of the best sparkling wine producers in the world. Their wines debunk the myth that the only quality sparkling wines come from the Champagne region in France. One taste of their 2018 Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rose, and you will be a fan.
Ovid Napa Valley – this is a small production, exclusive winery rarely seen in the B.C. market. Taste their 2018 Hexameter, produced from grapes from Pritchard Hill in the Napa Valley.
If you go to the California Wine Experience, you can download the event catalog showing all the wines that will be presented, along with a description of each winery and wine. Then you can bookmark wines that interest you and also add in your tasting notes. After the event, you can export the catalog which will show all the wines you bookmarked and your notes in PDF or excel format! For more information about this event, please see their website.
Until next time, happy drinking!
Tony Kwan is the Richmond News' new columnist. Lawyer by day, food and wine lover by night, Kwan is an epicurean who writes about wine, food and enjoying all that life has to offer.
