Tasting Room Trauma? Don't worry about it! Here's how to make the most of the International Tasting Room. The centrepiece of the Vancouver International Wine Festival, it’s where everything—and everybody—comes together. It’s where the who’s who of the wine world gets to connect. And the buzz is palpable. In fact it’s so palpable that it [...]
Iberia calls! There’s both a happy and sad reality to the Vancouver International Wine Festival (Feb 24th to March 4th). It really is a case of "too many wines, too little time." Not only does it enjoy the reputation of being among the best of its kind, anywhere, this year’s festival has the added distinction of [...]
(Map: Wines of Portugal) Lisboa is 'Lisbon' in Portuguese. But it refers also to the wine region to the north and west of the city (known until recently as 'Estremadura'). Lisbon itself is 29 kms, inland from the coast, which sports a rugged landscape, with a mountain range running parallel, north to [...]
Great tastes of Tawny Port and Stilton at Vancouver's premier cheese purveyor, Les Amis du Fromage
Citrus and vineyard at Quinta da Nespereira, Dao - Tim Pawsey photo Vineyard detail, tiles at Caves Sao Joao, Beiras - Tim Pawsey photo Just back from Portugal, and we’re playing serious catch-up! After a week of tasting a wide variety of sometimes unfamiliar table wine varieties—from Siria and Encruzada (whites) [...]
Two hours after landing in Oporto, we’re hot on the trail of two essentials: sardines and octopus. Oh—and wine! Well, that’s not too hard to find around these parts. Nor are the first two. Down a narrow side street, not far from our hotel, in the centre of the old town, we discover [...]
