Malbec is emblematic of Argentina. Every wine region has its own, ‘signature’ wine or style, blend or variety. The Germans remain Riesling champions of the world. Italy’s Veneto lays claim to the uniqueness of apassimento and Amarone. The Chileans still care about Carmenere (though less so, perhaps, these days). And the French have a lock [...]
Mirabel makes its mark A few months ago I was sitting in a corner by the cozy fireplace at Vancouver's Bacchus Lounge. I was there to meet Doug and Dawn Reimer. They were in town to preview their (inaugural) Mirabel Vineyards Pinot Noir 2015. In many ways the couple epitomize the new wave of Okanagan [...]
Icewine was in the news this week as the cold snap had wineries springing into action for the second earliest icewine harvest on record—the earliest being Nov 5th, 2003. Judging by comments from the Okanagan, this may well prove also to be one of the largest icewine harvests on record. That begs the question, is [...]
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 A recent tasting in France found me thinking, once again, despite some progress, just how outdated BC’s liquor laws really still are, outdated—and ridiculous.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 [...]
A spectacular vista of Rias Baixas Val do Salnés coastline Bodegas Vionta (Rias Baixas) sports an impressive view (above). You can see that most of the vineyards in Val do Salnés are quite small, in fact the average size for all of Rias Baixas is .59 ha. There are 4,759 growers in this [...]
(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 [...]
Portugal's stunning Douro Valley. These days, though, there's a whole lot more to Portugal than Port. Portugal is back in the table wine game with a vengeance. No better proof of that than a recent Vancouver visit by a couple of score of key producers. Judging by the excitement in the room 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 [...]
One of my most memorable moments in New Zealand came when Peter Yealands proudly assured me there were now more vines than sheep, which seemed a good thing. Peter knows a thing or two about sheep: he brought in the first Baby Dolls—Australian miniatures that offer a truly sustainable answer to weed control in [...]
