Pinot Noir

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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Joie and More Joie: Joie Farm Reserve Wines Bump it Up a Notch

October 1, 2012

Time to catch up on some housekeeping. Here’s our column from the North Shore News a couple of weeks ago. As you can tell, we’re a big fan of Joie Farm (and—full disclosure—a longtime friend of Heidi and Michael.) The piece speaks for itself … and we can still taste that Pinot and wild mushroom […]

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A Little Sauvignon Blanc Post-Ballot? Kiwi Wine Fair Rewards for Voting

April 23, 2011

  Time to mark the calendar for May 2nd. Yes, it’s Election Day in Canada but more to the point, it’s the day the Kiwis roll into Vancouver for the annual New Zealand Wine Fair, this year at The Roundhouse —so you can take the Canada Line to right across the street. Hard to believe, […]

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Quails Gate Winemaker Grant Stanley Brings His Wines to Sutton Place Hotel

February 16, 2011

A reality of the explosion of Okanagan wineries (now 200 plus) is that more than a few rely on consulting winemakers, which means you likely won’t find them or their winemakers putting on dinners. Not so in the case of Quails Gate, which was one of the first wineries in the valley to identify specific […]

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Hermitage on Robson Moving On: To Make Way for More Bling

January 26, 2011

We reckon Hermitage—Robson’s romantic little Burgundian backwater—should be pretty busy over the next couple of weeks… After they’ve poured the last glass of Château de Chamilly Pinot Noir, and finished serving the profiteroles and chocolate sauce on Valentine’s Day, Hervé Martin and his long-serving crew will hang up the closed sign for the last time—at least […]

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Looking Back at 20 Years with Okanagan’s Blue Mountain Vineyards

September 16, 2010

This fall sees numerous events to mark the 20th anniversary of Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA)—BC’s AOC-styled origin system. Along with the 1988 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement, it was, arguably, the turning point for an industry far too long dependent on bulk wine imports and labeling mis-truths—even if those not so little annoyances still persist in […]

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Tantalus Vineyards’ Unveils BC’s First LEED Winery in Okanagan Valley

May 21, 2010

Clean and Lean, New Winery is Really           ‘Very Riesling’ Tantalus Vineyards has emerged as the Okanagan’s de facto flagship Riesling producer—and rightly so. For the last few years the winery operated out of the former Pinot Reach facility—a delightful, if somewhat rustic arrangement not entirely conducive to the task at […]

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Hired Belly’s Bucket List: 30+ Kiwi Wines You Won’t Want to Spit

April 21, 2010

30+ Kiwi wines you won’t want to spit Wine tastings can be a gruelling affair—especially when there are several hundred wines in the room. Spitting is a necessity—though not always easy. In November we visited almost all of the wineries who’ve come to Vancouver and were impressed above all by the consistency and quality from […]

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New Zealand Comes to Vancouver for Playhouse Wine Festival

April 20, 2010

New Zealand’s sophisticated culinary scene revolves (not surprisingly) around lamb, as well as celebrating an abundance of fresh seafood, including the ubiquitous Green Lip mussel, prepared any number of ways.  Marlborough’s Allan Scott features the mollusks ‘pepperonata’ style, in a tasty tangle of chorizo, shallots, garlic, chilli and figs—which just happens to match perfectly …

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