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 [...]
Sea Star Rising A handful of wineries has sprung up on BC’s Gulf Islands over the last few years. Yet, none have impressed as much as Sea Star Estate Farm & Vineyards. The picturesque winery is perched on a bluff on North Pender Island (between Vancouver and Victoria). Its vines seem to march right down [...]
Argentina in the spotlight Argentina is this month's focus at BC Liquor Stores. Special deals and free tastings celebrate the South American producer through September 2nd. It’s interesting how Argentina continues to broaden its appeal beyond Malbec—although, there’s no arguing with the success of the country’s favourite grape. Known for producing soft and supple [...]
In honour of Canada's 150th! My good friend Rick Van Sickle (winesinniagara.com) asked me to contribute to his #CanadaWINE150 project. I was happy to oblige ... When I first arrived in Montreal, I was amazed to see how liquor was sold. Going to the SAQ in those days was more like going to an [...]
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in BC Wine is unique among wine competitions. Nowhere else, as far as I know, does a panel of judges work so hard to whittle down 486 entries to just 12 wines. (Although, Ontario stages a similar contest, which is modeled on BC’s.) The contest has grown considerably as [...]
Howard Soon has just announced he's retiring from his job as Master Winemaker at Andrew Peller Estates, aka Calona Wines, Sandhill, Red Rooster ... and so on. I figure it’s a really good time to tell the truth about Howard. He’s one of the most sincere people you’ll ever meet in the wine industry—an industry [...]
Update: The New District 2017 Wine Advent Calendar For the wine lover in your life who thinks they have everything, consider ND’s iconic Wine Advent Calendar—the calendar that started it all! “For the third year, we are delighted to offer our highly-anticipated, exclusive wine advent calendar. The 2017 Wine Advent Calendar features 24 full-sized bottles [...]
Amovino is the name of a new agency making its mark on the BC wine scene. It’s the brainchild of Jessica Luongo and Marisa Varas. They're a couple of smart, young women who decided to pool their experience and resources. I’ve been following this new enterprise with interest. I got to know Jessica Luongo during [...]
At Garagiste North: "The Small Guys" Wine Festival, you'll find only wineries making under 2,000 cases a year.
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 [...]
