In our glass: past and present wine picks
You have to hand it to John Clerides. He’s always been ahead of the curve. John’s the man behind Marquis Wine Cellars, which was one of the very first private wine stores anywhere in British Columbia. We were among the first through the door when he managed to wrangle a license in 1986—the [...]
Last week we spent a couple of enjoyable and informative hours with Shingleback winemaker Jahn Davey, from Australia's McLaren Vale. Wines tasted ranged from Shingleback 06 D-Block Shiraz (sequel to the celebrated 05 Jimmy Watson award winner) to value-based workhorse Red Knot Shiraz (BCLS $19.99) and Cabernet. The nicely designed Red Knot package comes [...]
Citrus and vineyard at Quinta da Nespereira, Dao - Tim Pawsey photo Vineyard detail, tiles at Caves Sao Joao, Beiras - Tim Pawsey photo Just back from Portugal, and we’re playing serious catch-up! After a week of tasting a wide variety of sometimes unfamiliar table wine varieties—from Siria and Encruzada (whites) [...]
Two hours after landing in Oporto, we’re hot on the trail of two essentials: sardines and octopus. Oh—and wine! Well, that’s not too hard to find around these parts. Nor are the first two. Down a narrow side street, not far from our hotel, in the centre of the old town, we discover [...]
Last night we went to one of the more interesting wine tastings we’ve attended in recent times. The occasion was a 75th anniversary pre-screening reception, before a Hollywood Theatre double bill featuring The American and Casablanca. When we arrived, the compact and cozy lobby was packed with people enthusiastically tasting a selection of AOC wines [...]
Around this time of year, wine tastings happen with increasing velocity, as every country-winery-region-producer-importer wants to pour their prized elixir for media—or even for real wine buyers—during the crucial pre-holiday buying period. Every now and then, one comes along that leaves a lasting impression, such as this past week’s Wine Australia extravaganza in [...]
As executive director of the BC Wine Institute (1992-2001), Coletta also introduced BC wines to the London International Wine Fair
And the winners are ... The moment of truth at Government House comes when the wraps are pulled off the winning wines. That’s the challenge of tasting blind: you just hope that the winners span an appropriate range of style, producer and price. It’s no small coincidence that the actual judging is run by Marjorie [...]
Clean and Lean, New Winery is Really ‘Very Riesling’ Tantalus Vineyards has emerged as the Okanagan’s de facto flagship Riesling producer—and rightly so. For the last few years the winery operated out of the former Pinot Reach facility—a delightful, if somewhat rustic arrangement not entirely conducive to the [...]
30+ Kiwi wines you won't want to spit Wine tastings can be a gruelling affair—especially when there are several hundred wines in the room. Spitting is a necessity—though not always easy. In November we visited almost all of the wineries who've come to Vancouver and were impressed above all by the consistency and [...]
