Why Your Hard Earned Wine Deserves the Right Stemware
Riedel’s supremacy as a stemware producer is no surprise: we’ve been a convert for years, and have a not too shabby lineup of their glasses for everyday tasting at home.
BC Government House announces 2010 Lieutenant Governor’s Awards
And the winners are ... The moment of truth at Government House comes when the wraps are pulled off the winning wines. That’s the challenge of tasting blind: you just hope that the winners span an appropriate range of style, producer and price. It’s no small coincidence that the actual judging is run by Marjorie [...]
Judging at The 2010 Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in British Columbia Wines
The Hired Belly has just finished participating in one of the more interesting competitions on the Canadian judging calendar. The Lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence in British Columbia Wines were introduced by former Lieutenant Governor the Honourable Iona Campagnolo in 2003. The judging is different from many for a number of reasons, none [...]
Why it Makes Sense to Toast the World Cup with Wines of South Africa
(Besides the fact they’re just darn tasty drops...) The Paarl Valley is just one of many breathtaking spots in South Africa's scenic and varied winelands, Tim Pawsey photo By the time June is over, you’ll know two things, for sure. 1. Soccer is the world’s game—played by more [...]
Tantalus Vineyards’ Unveils BC’s First LEED Winery in Okanagan Valley
Clean and Lean, New Winery is Really ‘Very Riesling’ Tantalus Vineyards has emerged as the Okanagan’s de facto flagship Riesling producer—and rightly so. For the last few years the winery operated out of the former Pinot Reach facility—a delightful, if somewhat rustic arrangement not entirely conducive to the [...]
Curt Garland takes Hester Creek Estate Winery to new heights
New owner Curt Garland and his team have transformed Hester Creek from a winery on the brink of oblivion to one of the Okanagan Valley’s up-and-comers Curt Garland says he wasn’t really looking to buy a winery. The Prince George entrepreneur was thinking of an Okanagan Valley escape, maybe a five acre lot. [...]
Behind the Scenes at the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival
On the judging panel at Vintners Brunch: a slam dunk winner! Every year one of the first Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival events to sell out is the Vintner’s Brunch, held on the final day. Lots of folks get a group together and buy a table, to sample tastes from some of the city’s [...]
Hired Belly’s Bucket List: 30+ Kiwi Wines You Won’t Want to Spit
30+ Kiwi wines you won't want to spit Wine tastings can be a gruelling affair—especially when there are several hundred wines in the room. Spitting is a necessity—though not always easy. In November we visited almost all of the wineries who've come to Vancouver and were impressed above all by the consistency and [...]
New Zealand Comes to Vancouver for Playhouse Wine Festival
Oyster Bay's new winery is just visible - photo by Tim Pawsey Why Kiwis are closer to home than you think ... With the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival upon us, the city’s wine focus will be firmly on New Zealand (along with co-theme region Argentina). Vancouverites might ponder a few salient facts and [...]