Spring came late this year where we live. If it even came at all. But good luck shone on us when we recently drove down to Woodinville, Washington and the sun did too! Which made for a very pleasant weekend of meeting with winemakers as well as returning to some of our old favourites to just relax and enjoy their wine. With the weather finally turning warm and the sun shining, we could think of no better place to be than sitting outside in the garden adjacent to the Lauren Ashton tasting room and tasting through their newly released wines.
Last November we took our first international trip almost 2 years to the day of our last. We chose Portugal for two main reasons: its world-leading vaccination rate at the time combined with the fact that it was very near the top of our wine region bucket list. For years we had heard of the Douro Valley with its steep, terraced vineyards that are so unique the entire region is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. But until you see it in person, no photo seems able to grasp its staggering beauty.
The very first winery we visited was Quinta do Noval, situated in the very heart of the Douro Valley, with the most breathtaking winery view we’ve witnessed yet.
For the past 2 years, Zencore, the company known for its innovative small kitchen appliances, has been developing an Electric Wine Decanter. Yes, you heard that right ‘Electric’. And yes, it’s the first time we’d seen anything like it. The idea behind its unique design is to allow you to decant your wine quickly and elegantly. We took their D119 premium version for a spin and here’s our full review:
*The Zencore Electric Decanter was received as a media sample. We received no compensation for our review and all opinions are our own.*
Two years. That’s how long it’s been since our last AdVINEture outside of North America. One of the last flights we took before the global pandemic ground international travel to a halt was a return flight from Europe on Lufthansa. As we anxiously prepared to travel outside the borders of Canada once again, navigating the myriad of requirements leading up to departure day proved the most challenging aspect: Are mixed vaccines accepted? Do we need a PCR or Antigen test and within what time frame? Is quarantine required? Where can we get our PCR test in destination? Do we need the new Federal Vaccine passport?
Almost two years to the day of our last overseas flight, we stepped aboard Lufthansa once again to find a much-needed steadiness amongst all the change swirling around us. One thing that has clearly remained steadfast since our travel hiatus is that Lufthansa hasn’t missed a beat when it comes to its five-star reputation.
Chris assessing a glass of wine at Chateau Couspaude in Bordeaux.
Wine scores are those assessments of a wine’s quality that usually appear at the end of a tasting note. The tasting note will describe the wine’s various attributes, such as aroma, flavour, body, structure, balance, etc. and the score will evaluate the wine’s relative quality. Scores are big topic for discussion among wine-lovers and the topic can attract some rather heated views. AdVINEtures wanted to give you our take on wine scores, the different types, how to make the most of them.
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