5 Wines for Valentine’s
Pink seems to be a constant theme, which I guess makes sense. Hearts are good, too. And sex should be in there somewhere, hopefully.
Alistair Veen is BC Sommelier of the Year
There was some seriously hot competition at Vancouver's Rogers Arena this week. And it wasn’t on the ice. CAPS BC (more lengthily known as the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, BC Chapter) held its annual competition to determine the best sommelier in the province. Vying for top honours were Sean Nelson of Vij’s Restaurant (Vancouver), Shane [...]
Valpolicella: a Truly Distinct Wine Region
In Valpolicella, a truly distinctive wine region, it's really all about drying, or Appassimanto
Three Old World White Wines to Broaden your Palate
This year's event—the 38th —puts Italy firmly in the spotlight. That adds up to a perfect opportunity to reacquaint yourself with the remarkable variety of Italian wines from across its 20 contrasting regions, and with no shortage of Italian food, of course.
Good Glass Makes Budget Wines Better
A few weeks ago I was having lunch at a fancy new modern bistro on top of an equally fancy new downtown department store, over which everyone’s gone ga-ga. The food was good, the service too, and the company delightful. But the stemware was downright clunky. Given the perceived cachet of the store, I was [...]
Had a Glass 2016: Ten Years On
“So, what’s a good wine?”... “What can I buy that won’t break the bank?” What they’re looking for, above all, is Bang for their Buck. Well, that’s what we’re all looking for, right? In the trade it’s referred to as QPR, or Quality / Price / Ratio. We're all in search of wines not only [...]
Britagne: The ‘Champagne’ of British Bubble
Cava, Proseccco, Spumante, Sekt, Cap Classique. There’s no end of monikers for effervescent efforts that mimic Champagne—even if in Canada we’ve yet to come up with our own handle beyond, truly riveting, ‘Methode Traditionelle.’ The fact is: Champagne and sparkling wine sales are booming just about everywhere. That’s good news for consumers, who are [...]
5+ Reasons to Hit the Kamloops Wine Trail
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 [...]
BC Craft Cider: Apples to Apples and More
Adge Cutler & the Wurzels: cider fueled comedy and a legend in their time (Courtesy Wikipedia) I’ll admit it: I have a soft spot for cider. While I wasn’t exactly weaned on it, growing up in Somerset, in England’s West Country, cider was pretty hard to ignore. And I do recall my first [...]
Blue Grouse: A Landmark Winery Reborn
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, [...]