More from the “In the Footsteps of Champagne Charlie” chronicles The other day I was trying to explain to someone much younger than me our race around the world with Charles Heidsieck Champagne. Not only were we talking about the race itself but, more specifically, just what was entailed in [...]
Updated August 25th, 2021... I recently caught up with Youri Lebault, by phone. During the pandemic the owner of Bourgogne Gold Tour has been rethinking what he’s been doing since he started in 1999. In June he purchased a Mercedes Marco Polo luxury camper van, to offer a truly unique kind of tour. Youri [...]
UPDATED February 21, 2018 Coming up fast is this year's not to be missed Parksville Uncorked—the 10th Annual—March 8th-11th. The 2018 edition features Untapped at the Beach Club Resort and Swirl at Tigh-Na-Mara, as well as a couple of superb winemakers dinners: Dirty Laundry Vineyard at Tigh-Na-Mara and Orofino Winery at the Beach Club Resort. The festival wraps [...]
(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 [...]
Venice: the perfect place to wrap up any Italy trip... I’ve recently returned from Italy, courtesy of the Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella. No surprise, I’m sorting through a wealth of information on Amarone and a whole lot more. It was a trip of many discoveries and new friends in Valpolicella and beyond. Much more to come ... What [...]
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 [...]
Sun Peaks - great skiing plus plenty more ... Sun Peaks—Canada's second largest ski resort—yields a wealth of fun and activities in a pristine alpine setting. However, there's a lot more here than you might imagine once you get off the slopes and trails. 1. Sun Peaks Winter Okanagan Wine Festival The [...]
Casual tasting and wines by the glass at the market wine shop Travel, they say, broadens the mind. It also sharpens your perspective at home. A recent tasting in France found me thinking, once again, despite some progress, just how outdated BC’s liquor laws really still are, outdated—and ridiculous. We were in the Victor Hugo [...]
The Roof is back! Martinis too, Tim Pawsey photo UPDATED, March 25th, 2014... From the announcement: "…It’s official – The Roof is now open! After several unexpected delays, the doors swung open this morning. Thank you for your patience and on behalf of the team at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, we look forward [...]
