wine touring

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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Black Hills Wine Experience Centre Takes Tasting to the Next Level

June 16, 2012
Black-Hills-Wine-Experience-Poolside-Tim-Pawsey-photo

Beyond test driving our Zagat equipped Acura, the main reason for last week’s Okanagan swing was to take in the Vinos and check out Black Hills snappy new tasting room—aka Black Hills Wine Experience Centre. The Vino’s, founded by Black Hills president Glenn Fawcett, turned out to be a fun evening, with no shortage of […]

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GPS Wine Touring in Style with the 2013 Acura RDX Tech

June 14, 2012
Sleek and sporty: 2013 Acura RDX, image supplied

I started my recent wine tour of the Okanagan Valley a little early, right in Vancouver, to be precise. This time I left behind my own car in favour of a swish, spacious and sporty, titanium 2013 Acura RDX Tech, courtesy of Acura Canada—just like the one in The Avengers! Aside from just about everything else, […]

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Zagat Releases 2012 Vancouver (plus Victoria, Whistler & Okanagan) Survey

January 12, 2012

As some folks may know, in our role as the local editor for Zagat, (backed by a great team in New York) we’ve been working for the last few months on the latest Zagat Survey, that encompasses key players in Vancouver, Victoria, Vancouver Island, Whistler and the Okanagan Valley. Well, here’s an exclusive look at the […]

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Skaha Meets Sidecut: Painted Rock Rules at Four Seasons Whistler

November 15, 2011

It’s entirely possible that the impressive Sidecut / Painted Rock 4 x 5 course winemaker dinner (that’ll be four courses each of five plates or accompaniments) that we enjoyed at just concluded Cornucopia entailed the most food we’ve seen at one sitting! Much like the winery with whom they partnered, it’s apparent that Sidecut, the Four […]

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Summerhill Winery: Boxed in by Slow Moving BC VQA Regulations

August 15, 2011

Is it just a storm in a wine glass? Or is there more to this than meets the eye? Summerhill Winery (besides being infatuated with shapes Cheopic) is well known for its penchant for all things organic and environmental, so it came as no surprise to hear that the view-kissed East Kelowna winery, that greets […]

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Winners announced for the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in British Columbia Wines

July 5, 2011

VICTORIA – The winners have been chosen for the 2011 Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in British Columbia Wines. This year 309 wines were submitted from 83 wineries across the province. The winners are: • Howling Bluff Estate Winery 2009 Pinot Noir • Laughing Stock Vineyards 2010 Pinot Gris • Mt. Lehman Winery 2009 Viognier Reserve • Quinta Ferreira […]

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What’s in a Name? If You’re BC’s Principal Grape Growing Region, Plenty

April 26, 2011

We’re still sorting through our notes from this year’s South Okanagan Banée. But this was the major news… Here’s our column as it appears in this weekend’s North Shore News: Over the last six months, the South Okanagan Wineries Association (SOWA) has been on the quest for a new identity. While organizations often rebrand, SOWA’s […]

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