(Map: Wines of Portugal) Lisboa is 'Lisbon' in Portuguese. But it refers also to the wine region to the north and west of the city (known until recently as 'Estremadura'). Lisbon itself is 29 kms, inland from the coast, which sports a rugged landscape, with a mountain range running parallel, north to [...]
VIP Tours: Are they worth it? At the height of summer, wine touring in the Okanagan can get pretty busy. But as the region evolves, so does the range of tasting options. A nominal tasting fee is now the norm—almost always refunded with a purchase. Yet, at a few wineries you can escape the crowds by spending [...]
Harry McWatters is like the venerable Energizer Bunny... Every time you think he might be done, he keeps on going. And it’s usually well ahead of the curve.
Kamloops, BC: The Thompson Valley is BC's newest wine region British Columbia’s wineries continue to push the boundaries, opening up new areas previously not deemed capable of ripening grapes. A decade ago, if you'd suggested to anyone that Kamloops would be on the verge of becoming B.C.'s newest wine region, chances are you would have [...]
The impressive, new Blue Grouse, two storey winery and tasting room enjoy a south facing aspect overlooking the Cowichan Valley It was over a couple of decades ago that I first went to Blue Grouse and met its founder, viticulturist and winemaker, Hans Kiltz. German by birth, Hans is a perfectionist, [...]
Every time I taste a wine from Fort Berens I’m impressed. While it may well be the wine itself that makes its mark (their 2012 was a pop-out BC Lieutenant Governor’s Award winner), it’s also the overall story that grabs me. I’ve been watching the growth of BC’s “borderline” regions with interest. I don’t fault [...]
A restored early 1900s farmhouse is the centrepiece that serves as Unsworth's restaurant 1. It’s on Vancouver Island Even though the setting is beautiful and quite easily reached from Vancouver, I’ll confess: Over the years, I’ve had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Vancouver Island’s wine scene. I’ve always had huge admiration [...]
A rugged coastline reminiscent of Cornwall, maybe Ireland, even Galicia: I’m resigned to the fact that I’m a wee bit obsessed with the place. I’ve just returned from my second visit. It was whirlwind tour of only three days, into which we managed to pack visits to wineries in three sub-regions; enjoy a smorgasbord [...]
Wine Tourism day wraps up with dinner at Summerland's Local Lounge | Grill (image supplied) (From the release) November 8 marks North America’s 2nd annual Wine Tourism Day. Okanagan Crush Pad has gathered neighbouring wineries, restaurants and a hotel, to offer an incredible weekend getaway in BC wine county. The winery itself will [...]
South Okanagan, including the proposed Golden Mile Bench, from Anarchist Mtn., Tim Pawsey photo Updated: October 17th, 2014 ... GOLDEN MILE APPROVED AS BC's FIRST SUB G-I As per the British Columbia Grape Authority: "Golden Mile Bench" Sub-GI Application On May 20, 2014 the Authority received an application from a group of proponents [...]
