“So, what’s a good wine?”... “What can I buy that won’t break the bank?” What they’re looking for, above all, is Bang for their Buck. Well, that’s what we’re all looking for, right? In the trade it’s referred to as QPR, or Quality / Price / Ratio. We're all in search of wines not only [...]
Amici Miei owners Marcella and Manrico CLOSED. I love it when I discover new little places with a whole lot of heart. There’s no question that’s the case at Amici Miei Cucina Italiana (1114 Denman St. 604-563-6610), in Vancouver’s West End. Owners Manrico Serpente and Marcella Gentile told me they came to [...]
Spierhead: an emerging, consistent contender ©Tim Pawsey Looking to to buy for the BC wine lover in your life? Here’s a clutch of more interesting but not that hard to find wines, which individually and collectively show just how much the bar has been raised in the last few years. These bottles, beyond [...]
Wringing more wine from your buck: good value drops under $20 ©Tim Pawsey photoAside from expanding my horizons, one of the reasons I enjoy traveling is the chance to exchange ideas with people from elsewhere. During last week’s swing through Galicia we got chatting about the retail price ‘sweet spot’ that everyone covets. Interestingly, my friend [...]
(oops) wine label documents in detail the improbable but true story of how most of what used to pass for Merlot in Chile was actually Carmenère.
Izele Van Blerk One thing about the wine biz: it’s always changing—and usually for the better. It’s been a few years since I was in South Africa. But I vividly recall a visit to KWV’s hallowed Cathedral Cellar, for so many years the heart of the ‘old’ South African wine industry. At the [...]
The View's Hail Mary white blend. More than just a wing and a prayer Yesterday’s BC Bloom spring release tasting yielded up a wealth of wines, especially in the category of decent white blends, which I’m gearing up for summer. (We also judged a whole bunch of them at the All Canadian Wine [...]
A plethora of rosés It’s always interesting to see what pops out at the end of major competitions. And this past week’s All Canadian Wine Championships proved no exception. Fourteen judges from across Canada (plus one from Michigan) were hunkered down in cosy 100-year-old Angeline's hotel, in Bloomfield, Prince Edward County. It’s the [...]
Harvesting Malbec in Argentina's Uco Valley (Supplied) No doubt you’ve already marked your calendar for Malbec World Day, which you surely must know is April 17th. And, in case you haven’t guessed, this celebratory salute to Argentina’s favourite grape was dreamed up by, well , Argentina. Wracking my brains, I can’t recall any [...]
Haywire Pink Bub sets the mood Roses are red Violets are blue But what would you think If we drank only pink? The Hired Belly has been busy checking his Valentine 's shopping list, and pondering just which wines might be best to go along. We’re tempted to throw caution to the wind [...]
