More from the “In the Footsteps of Champagne Charlie” chronicles The other day I was trying to explain to someone much younger than me our race around the world with Charles Heidsieck Champagne. Not only were we talking about the race itself but, more specifically, just what was entailed in [...]
'Tis the season … for Champagne, Cava, Sekt, Prosecco, Crémant and more. You name it—around this time of year, if it bubbles and pops we love to drink it. First, the good news about sparkling wine. Bubbles are no longer just for celebrations and glorified cork-popping. Sparkling wine has come of age as a food [...]
Cava, Proseccco, Spumante, Sekt, Cap Classique. There’s no end of monikers for effervescent efforts that mimic Champagne—even if in Canada we’ve yet to come up with our own handle beyond, truly riveting, ‘Methode Traditionelle.’ The fact is: Champagne and sparkling wine sales are booming just about everywhere. That’s good news for consumers, who are [...]
Next week’s Vancouver International Wine Festival will be one of the most well attended in the festival’s 36 years. How come it’s so popular? There are a couple of key reasons: Arguably North America’s most important combined consumer and trade wine gathering, it’s a great opportunity for wineries to meet their customers face to face—in [...]
In recent years, the array of food and wine events have become a big draw for VIWF (David Niddrie photo) The Vancouver International Wine Festival is already on the horizon (Feb 24th to March 2nd). Hard to believe! This is by way of a heads-up that tickets are going fast! As of now, a [...]
Waterford's pretty but ... Does the right glass really matter? You bet it does! Because we have a such a busy holiday season and Christmas, over the years, a restful, decidedly lazy New Year’s Day has become our tradition. Often we move little more than from the couch to the fridge—to extract more [...]
Bubbles beckon... Champagne flutes await at Cornucopia Bubbles forever! © Tim Pawsey photo Bubbles 'R' Us! Over here at HB's swank, granite and glass adorned, soaring corporate HQ, we’ve been busy popping a few corks, drafting our list of go-to holiday bubbles. Sparkling wines (and Champagne for some a few [...]
Everyone says it looks like we're getting married here but Richard Carras (left), who helped put it all together, is just showing us where to sign on the contract! Champagne Charlie was my name! ... In the Footsteps of Champagne Charlie: the challenge was to race around the world using only ground [...]
In the Footsteps ... the night before The Night They Invented Champagne! A slightly younger Tim & Heather toast the next 100 days on the roof of Hotel Vancouver - Jack Wong photo Hard to believe, but exactly 20 years ago today, on September 1, 1993, my wife, Heather, and I embarked on “In [...]
Sumac Ridge founder Harry McWatters sabers a bottle of Steller's Jay with a ski, pre 2010 Winter Games (Updated Dec 14, 2013) Last year the New York Times ran an interesting piece that explored the history of the Champagne cork. It wound up with a quick lesson on how to sabre. The only [...]
