BC Wines and wineries

Quails’ Gate Welcomes Nikki Callaway as New Winemaker

July 24, 2013
New Quails Gate winemaker Nikki Callaway and her dog, Olli

Nikki Callaway and “Olli” Quails Gate has announced that Nikki Callaway will take over the reins from Grant Stanley as winemaker. (Stanley left Quails Gate this spring to join 50th Parallel.) Callaway is no stranger to Quails Gate. For the last five years she’s worked up the way at Mission Hill. This marks the the […]

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6 Helpful Hints (and more) for a Successful #Okanagan Wine Tour

July 18, 2013
Not a bad way to start the day: at Quails Gate, overlooking Lake Okanagan

Planning a wine tour? Here’s a few ground rules A couple of weeks ago I found myself on the patio at Quails Gate’s impressive, vista-kissed tasting room, at around 10 in the morning. The first wine up was Quails Gate Chenin Blanc 2012. Think hints of papaya with a burst of lemon lime and zippy […]

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Winners: 2013 Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in BC Wines

June 27, 2013
Judging for the BC Lieutenant Governor

It’s tempting to just run the list without any comment, as the wines tend to stand on their own. And that’s the point. At the outset of this competition back in 2002, more than a few thought that selecting ten or 12 wines from a field of over 100 entries was a well nigh impossible […]

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Time Estate Winery Unveiled by BC Wine Pioneer Harry McWatters (Video)

June 9, 2013
Time Estate Winery founder Harry McWatters with architect

Time Estate founder Harry McWatters   I never thought I’d use Harry McWatters’ name in the same sentence as Jim Croce’s.  But there I was, walking home from the official launch of the BC pioneer’s new winery, Time Estate Winery, quietly humming to myself Time in a Bottle! Harry and I have shared more than […]

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50th Parallel Estate Winery welcomes winemaker Grant Stanley (Video)

June 2, 2013
Grant Stanley (l) has joined 50th Parallel Estate Winery owners Sheri-Lee Turner-Krouzel and Curtis Krouzel in what promises to be a significant venture for the North Okanagan

50th Parallel Estate Winery owners welcome Grant Stanley Grant Stanley has taken Quails Gate to new levels in his decade long sojourn. He’s turned it into one of the Okanagan’s most consistent producers; and honed a solid reputation for well made wines that frequently over-deliver. The last time I’d seen Grant he’d hinted something big […]

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Howard Soon: “2012 is one of the Best Vintages We’ve Ever Had” (Video)

April 15, 2013

Last week after the BC Wine Institute Vintage Preview, we asked Peller master winemaker Howard Soon for a few comments about his Sandhill Sauvignon Blanc, and the 2012 vintage…   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S0OWF2bMiQ   Here’s our story from the North Shore News: … What was interesting this time was that the viticulturalists were invited along to offer […]

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Rosé Smackdown: Two of the Okanagan’s More Serious Wine Guys Go Toe to Toe

March 13, 2013
No fun at all ...

Rosé has a long and sometimes less than illustrious history in BC, which is one reason why, no doubt, messrs. Bartier and Scholefield (aka BS Wines) have elected to put on the proverbial boxing gloves and duke out their stylistic differences. In the Pink Corner we have “Donkin’ Dave” Scholefield, best known for introducing an […]

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Don and Elaine Triggs Pull the Wraps Off Culmina Family Estate Winery

February 4, 2013
Elaine, Sara and Don Triggs (and Barry the Corghi) on their recently sculpted and now planted high Okanagan bench, image supplied

UPDATED: (From the release, Feb 13, 2013… More good news today (that we had heard was awaiting confirmation)… Pascal Madevon joins CULMINA FAMILY ESTATE WINERY as Vineyard Manager & Winemaker Pascal Madevon, prominent Bordeaux-trained winemaker and viticulturalist joins Don, Elaine & Sara Triggs at CULMINA FAMILY ESTATE WINERY as Vineyard Manager & Winemaker With over […]

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Vinexpo Tracks the World of Wine: China Rising; Bullish on Canada (Added: All the Stats Fit to Print…)

January 27, 2013
Robert Beynat, Vinexpo co-founder and CEO, image supplied

  Looking or someone with their finger on the pulse of the world wine market? Chances are Robert Beynat is your man. Beynat is one of the co-founders of Vinexpo. Held every other year in Bordeaux since 1981, it’s now widely regarded as the world’s leading international wine and spirits exhibition. He’s also the brainchild behind […]

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Will Roaring Twenties Wines Leave Cellared in Canada in the Doldrums?

January 23, 2013
Fresh Tap kegs: pouring into popularity

As you may have noticed by now, Dine Out Vancouver is in full swing. The feeding frenzy that first took flight over a decade ago has grown somewhat, from a cluster of well-priced prix fixe menus to a region-wide food and beverage celebration that boasts foodie events and fancy hotel prices, as well as a […]

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