Category Archives: OTHER

Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Château La Tour du Pin Figeac, Saint Émilion, Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France, 12.5% abv., 1998, US$37 (opened October 30, 2025)

Posted on November 7, 2025 by winellama

I panicked a little while searching for something to take to a friend’s for dinner. I found this 1998 sitting at the bottom of the wine cabinet. I had honestly forgotten it was there. Initially, I was concerned I’d missed … Continue reading →

Posted in Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon / Blends, France, Merlot, OTHER, RED | Tagged Bordeaux, cab franc, cab sav, cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chateau La Tour du Pin Figeac, Chateau la Tour Figeac, Cheval Blanc, French wine, Grand Cru, merlot, red wine, st. emilion, travel, wine, wine-tasting | Leave a comment

Volunteer Wine Tastings: Enriching Lives Through Shared Experiences

Posted on November 6, 2025 by winellama

This past summer, I led a couple of tastings for residents at my mom’s long term care community. It may be long term care, but everyone who attends is interested and active and wants to learn more. It’s terribly gratifying … Continue reading →

Posted in Burgundy, Chardonnay, Croatia, France, Italy, OTHER, Pinot Noir, Posip, Verdicchio, WHITE | Tagged Burgundy, Harvest 2025, long term care, Maison Perron de Mypont, Michel Briday, volunteer, wine tasting | Leave a comment

Pinot Gris + Riesling, Alluvium, Fort Berens Estate Winery, Lillooet, BC VQA, 12.5% abv., 2023, C$20

Posted on September 21, 2025 by winellama

I’m always on the lookout for a wine I can enjoy by myself or with company that I don’t have to think too hard about. But, it has to have been made ethically and sustainably, and it’s a bonus if … Continue reading →

Posted in BC, British Columbia, OTHER, Pinot Gris, Riesling, WHITE, Winery Review | Tagged alluvium, BC wine, Canadian wine, fort berens, lillooet, microclimate wine, pinot gris, riesling, Seth Jex, travel, travel and wine, white wine, wine, wine-tasting, winery | 1 Comment

Watching the 2025 Harvest at Le Romanée-Conti – Chardonnay, Gerard Boyer, ‘Aux Gravains’, Savigny-les-Beaune, Premier Cru, Bourgogne, France, 2023, 13% abv., 35 Euros (C$58)

Posted on September 18, 2025 by winellama

Doubters of global warming will continue to rail against obvious signs, but while I was in Burgundy for Harvest 2025, it was hard to ignore the facts about the effects. This year was extremely hot, and there were vineyards being … Continue reading →

Posted in Burgundy, Chardonnay, France, OTHER, Pinot Noir, RED, WHITE | Tagged Aux Gravains, Bourgogne, Burgundy, CDN, chardonnay, Cotes de Nuit, DRC, europe, france, French wine, Gerard Boyer, Nuit saint George, red wine, Romanee Conti, travel, travel in burgundy, travel in france, white wine, wine, wine-tasting | 2 Comments

Watching the 2025 Harvest at Montrachet – Chardonnay, Domaine Joseph Pascal, Puligny-Montrachet, Premier Cru, Les Chalumaux, Bourgogne, France, 2022, 13% abv., 31 Euros/glass (C$50/glass), 90 Euros/bottle (C$147)

Posted on September 17, 2025 by winellama

If I had tried, even just a little, to make it happen and to arrive at Montrachet on the day they were harvesting, there is no hope I could have done it. But there I was, on my mauve rental … Continue reading →

Posted in Burgundy, Chardonnay, France, OTHER, WHITE | Tagged Bourgogne, Burgundy, caveau de puligny-montrachet, europe, france, French wine, joseph pascal, puligny-montrachet, travel, white wine, wine | 2 Comments

Meeting a 5th Generation Vigneron in Meursault, France – Domaine Millot-Bernard

Posted on September 16, 2025 by winellama

In August 2025, I took a ten day solo trip to Burgundy during the harvest. A year prior, I’d made a friend who connected me with his family. I returned during harvest to experience as much as was possible in … Continue reading →

Posted in Aligote, Burgundy, Chardonnay, France, Gamay, OTHER, Pinot Noir, RED, Shiraz / Syrah, WHITE | Tagged Aligote, Bourgogne, Burgundy, chardonnay, domaine mallot-bernard, emilien mallot, france, passetoutgrains, Pinot Noir, PTG, red wine, syrah, travel, white wine, wine, wine-tasting | 2 Comments

A Bevy of Tasty Bubbles

Posted on May 11, 2025 by winellama

Last week, in anticipation of Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and other summer brunchy mornings and charcuterie evenings, I presented another wine tasting at long term care in Victoria where my parents are living their best octogenarian lives. This time the … Continue reading →

Posted in OTHER | 2 Comments

9 Late Llama Wine Posts

Posted on November 12, 2024 by winellama

Back in 2013 when I started this blog (has it been that long?), I did so because I needed to get faster and better at recording WSET tasting notes in anticipation of Diploma exams. My theory at the time was … Continue reading →

Posted in BC, Burgundy, France, Italy, OTHER, RED, Red, SPIRITS, WHITE | Tagged apricot liqueur, avagnin, barolo, BC, Canada, chenin blanc, Cotes du Jura, Domain Jean Marc Roulot, Domaine fabien trosset, domaine huet, Elio Grasso, france, Gaiole in Chianti, Gewurztraminer, Italy, l'abricot du Roulot, Laura Aschero Wines, Le Mont, Les Pieds sur Terre, Liguria, loire valley, mondeuse arbin, nebbiolo, Okanagan Valley, Pigato, red wine, Ricasolii, Riseling, Sangiovese, Tantalus Winery, travel, Tuscany, Ursa Major Winery, Valentin Morel, Vin de Savoie, Vin du Jura, vouvray, white wine, wine, wine-tasting | Leave a comment

Vermentinu, Natiu, Domaine Mlle. Devichi, AOP Patrimonio, Barbaggio, Corsica, France, 13% abv.,

Posted on November 8, 2024 by winellama

When we were deciding where to go on our European adventure, I pushed hard for Corsica. I’d wanted to go there ever since taking the WSET Diploma ‘Light Wines of the World’ course. I set to it, started researching well-known … Continue reading →

Posted in Corsica, France, OTHER, Vermentino, WHITE | Tagged Barbaggio, Corsica, corsica france, Corsican wine, europe, france, French wine, history, LGBTQ2+, Mademoiselle Devichi, Mlle. Devichi, Patrimonio, travel, Vermentino, Vermentinu, Vin Blanc, white wine | 2 Comments

Bacca Nera/Red Blend, Scappatello, Cantina Diubaldo, Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo DOC, Abruzzo, Italy, 13% abv., 2022, US$17

Posted on September 17, 2024 by winellama

Azienda Agricola Diubaldo is located near Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy – just north of where we travelled in August 2022, and to the east of the Grand Sasso d’Italia, aka the Apennines (right). They produce some pretty awesome certified organic wines … Continue reading →

Posted in Italy, OTHER, RED, red wine, ROSE | Tagged Abruzzo, Cantina Diubaldo, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, DOC, Italy, red wine, rose, Rose wine, Scappatello | Leave a comment