10 Sure Bets: The 2014 Dine Out Vancouver Short List

By |2023-11-03T09:32:03-07:00January 8th, 2014|Belly's Best Bites, Belly's Budget Best, Hired Belly's Best Wines, Uncategorized|

Dine Out Vancouver: It's about food and wine UPDATED, Jan 16, 2014. The Trouble with Dine Out Lists... Is that you're guaranteed to miss not only a few worthy restos but likely many. So be it. However, here, in random order (i.e. as I think about them or hear about them from reliable sources), is [...]

Time to Sip the Slopes for The 16th Annual Sun Peaks Winter Okanagan Wine Festival

By |2019-11-19T16:44:10-08:00January 6th, 2014|Wine|

Sun Peaks Village is truly accessible, Tim Pawsey photo I’ll confess: I’m not exactly a champion of winter sports. There was a time when I used to pretend to downhill ski. That was before I “graduated” to cross-country—back in the days when mohair was big. And I’m not talking about sweaters. More recently [...]

Kamloops’ first winery, Harper’s Trail Releases Inaugural Cabernet Franc

By |2023-03-03T19:58:17-08:00November 19th, 2013|Hired Belly's Best Wines, Wine, Wine Reviews|

Harper’s Trail has released its inaugural Cab Franc—and my guess is it will get plenty of attention. Well, it should anyway. In fact, you could file this under “One more reason why Cab Franc could be BC’s defining red variety.” I do think this is a ground-breaking wine. If you had asked people a [...]

Canadian Thanksgiving: No Better Time to Celebrate the “Best of BC”

By |2022-04-16T10:08:39-07:00October 9th, 2013|Wine|

The "Best of BC", from the scenic South Okanagan Valley, Tim Pawsey photo Heads up for the "Best of BC"! There was a time not that long ago when BC Liquor Stores received a fair amount of criticism that most of BC’s “icon” wines were not available at the Peoples’ Purveyor. It [...]

The Medal Counts: 2013 BC Wine Award Results

By |2018-01-21T15:05:24-08:00October 3rd, 2013|Wine|

A tough job but ... Yes, I know, there should be a way more sexy pic here. But that’s all there is: a down and dirty get it done, direct from the action shot that exposes the gritty reality of judging the morning’s first flight. We had planned to have all kinds of [...]

Stoneboat’s Very Cool Icewine Nod to The Cape

By |2018-01-21T15:05:24-08:00September 29th, 2013|Wine|

Pinotage icewine? Yup, it's a first! I never fail to be intrigued by the connections afforded by the wine world. Call it six brix of separation.  These days it seems icewine comes in every varietal and colour. I have to admit I’m not always a fan. There are way too many ‘sugar bombs’ [...]

No Roughing it in Osoyoos: Watermark Hits the Mark and More

By |2022-04-16T10:29:13-07:00September 27th, 2013|Wine|

The view from Watermark Resort: An ever changing panorama I’ll admit it: when I’m in full-on writing mode, I’m a bit of a home-body, which can be challenging on the road. All the more reason why I’m very happy to be ensconced in the Watermark Beach Resort, in Osoyoos, in southern BC. [...]

Culmina Family Estate Hypothesis, More Than a Theoretical Winner

By |2018-01-21T15:05:24-08:00September 6th, 2013|Wine|

Culmina Hypothesis 2011 Culmina's inaugural release: Hypothesis     Here’s a wine we figured would be worth waiting for, and we weren’t disappointed, as it more than lived up to our expectations. This is the inaugural release from just opened Culmina Family Estate, the project undertaken by Don Triggs, his wife Elaine  and [...]

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