Artisan Producers

Colour Me a Cab: Winelover Louise Wilson’s Crayons Come in Handy

September 12, 2012

When time (between wine) permits, The Hired Belly does like to dabble in the odd book review. But it’s been at least a couple of years since he pulled out his crayons for a colouring book. What have crayons and Cabernet in common—Aside from indigo? You might well ask. The Wine Lover’s Coloring Book, by […]

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The Odd Bits are Back—Especially at Gastown’s Wildebeest

September 7, 2012

As a young teenager, I was lucky enough to visit France a few times, thanks in great part to a determined French teacher, who strongly suggested I should get a pen-pal. After several letters (with not a few Johnny Halliday and Sylvie Vartan records along the way) we made arrangements for a summer exchange. The […]

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Feast of Fields: Today More Relevant Than Ever to Local Food Production

August 23, 2012
FarmFolk-CityFolk-sign-Tim-Pawsey-photo

  Food and wine celebrations come and go but one of the longest running—unquestionably because its very telling relevance continues to resonate—is Feast of Fields, the notable outdoor graze that now unfolds in three incarnations: Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan Valley. All are immensely popular and usually sell out. No surprise. They’re well […]

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Sea Cider House Rules: An Elixir Redefined on BC’s Saanich Peninsular

July 26, 2012

My first encounter with real cider happened at a relatively youg age. Not long after my 16th birthday, in a misguided attempt to beat the summer heat, I downed an ice cold pint of draught Somerset scrumpy—which was probably around 8 percent ABV, if not more. An aside – local scrumpy was also rumoured to […]

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Taste Victoria Yields no Shortage of (Good) Surprises

July 21, 2012

One thing about Taste Victoria: we never fail to be surprised by something or someone. Often the finds are wonderfully esoteric but usually worthwhile. These are tough times for growers on Vancouver Island—of grapes, or of just about anything. Two unseasonably wet, late springs and a couple of tough vintages haven’t helped matters, not to […]

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“Free My Grapes:” BC Allows Unlimited ‘Imports’ of Canadian Wine

July 12, 2012

Nova Scotia L’Acadie Brut: now you can bring it to BC by the case without paying the LDB markup, Tim Pawsey photo It’s fascinating to watch the rapidly unfolding machinations surrounding today’s announcement that BC will now allow its residents to bring in wine from other provinces free of the usual BC mark-up—as long as […]

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Where Will You Dine Out on Earth Day? Green Table Can Point the Way

April 21, 2012

Earth Day, April 22nd, arrives tomorrow. But how Green are we, really? Year round, that is. If you’ve sifted through these pages you probably know by now that we’re fully behind most things sustainable—and are committed to the notion that we all need to change our behaviour a whole lot more. Ultimately, though, that pressure […]

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Joie Springs Eternal: An Annual Highlight

April 16, 2012

Our recent nod to the BC Liquor Stores Alsace promo  just happened to coincide with the release of Joie Farm’s latest crop of whites and ever popular rosé. And, as usually seems to be the case, right out of the gate, the Joie wines are an indication of what to expect for 2011 (overall, a challenging year) […]

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Alsace Puts a Spring in Our Palate

April 14, 2012

Up in the lofty surrounds of a marble clad tower high above downtown Vancouver, HiredBelly.com’s cutting edge IT department is still grappling with the challenge of how to present our ongoing Belly’s Best wine picks in a timely and easily accessible way. We’ll let you know when they finally get it figured out. (If they […]

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Gastown’s Bitter: Sweet Destination for a Perfect Pint

March 23, 2012

If there’s one thing the Hired Belly finds hard to resist it’s a decent pint, particularly when it’s properly poured, and at the right temperature.  I’m sure it’s one of the many very sound traits inherited from my dad—who I still sorely miss. Growing up, beer was very much a church and state kind of thing—literally. […]

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