Blue Grouse Estate Winery, Cowichan Valley. I’ll confess I’m not a great judge of time. Even so, it still took me by surprise that a decade has flown by since the Brunner family bought Blue Grouse. To be fair, it was actually in 2015 that the team unveiled new (soon to be destination) winery, which [...]
A Zagat flashback … Heading ‘down Island’ the other day, a stop at the Malahat Chalet rewarded with its spectacular view of the Saanich Inlet, not to mention pretty tasty, well-executed Eggs Benny. We sat on the sunny deck just a few metres from the road, and marvelled at the endless ocean-mountain-islands panorama. It took [...]
appeals to casual tipplers and serious spirit hounds alike. It’s as much about the distilleries and what’s in the glass... as the people who make it happen.
A Bountiful Bouquet of BC Rosé for #NationalRoséDay … Last year we dedicated our Rosé roundup to Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC’s Provincial Health Officer. Dr. Henry became a household name overnight, as she guided us through the pandemic. Her mantra ‘Be calm, be kind and be safe’ has since been [...]
WGBC (Wine Growers of British Columbia) has updated all the topographical information for the province's growing regions and Sub-GIs. This marks the first major update in several years.
BC Sparkling wines continue to enjoy growing success and acceptance, with good reason.
From the ‘out of left field’ department comes news today that Unsworth Vineyards has been purchased by Barbara Banke and Julia Jackson of California. This is a significant development for the recently proclaimed Cowichan Valley Sub-GI. It marks the first time that a Cowichan winery has been sold to major outside owners. No doubt, it [...]
The wine world moves in mysterious ways, even more so in the grips of a global pandemic. But nature plays by her own rules. Indeed, time and vine wait for no one. Like all forms of agriculture, vineyards need to be cared for regardless, especially Pinot Noir. Grapes need to be harvested. And wine needs [...]
UPDATED February 21, 2018 Coming up fast is this year's not to be missed Parksville Uncorked—the 10th Annual—March 8th-11th. The 2018 edition features Untapped at the Beach Club Resort and Swirl at Tigh-Na-Mara, as well as a couple of superb winemakers dinners: Dirty Laundry Vineyard at Tigh-Na-Mara and Orofino Winery at the Beach Club Resort. The festival wraps [...]
The impressive, new Blue Grouse, two storey winery and tasting room enjoy a south facing aspect overlooking the Cowichan Valley It was over a couple of decades ago that I first went to Blue Grouse and met its founder, viticulturist and winemaker, Hans Kiltz. German by birth, Hans is a perfectionist, [...]
