Sea Star Estate: Gulf Islands’ Stellar New Winery
Sea Star (which has blossomed on the former Morning Bay property) has plenty going for it, starting with a strong team and a keen focus on producing what makes sense for the region.
5 Great Reasons to Visit Unsworth Vineyards
A restored early 1900s farmhouse is the centrepiece that serves as Unsworth's restaurant 1. It’s on Vancouver Island Even though the setting is beautiful and quite easily reached from Vancouver, I’ll confess: Over the years, I’ve had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Vancouver Island’s wine scene. I’ve always had huge admiration [...]
6 Winning BC Oyster Wines
Making their mark: Out Landish Oysters from BC's Quadra Island Sometimes even the very mention of the Osoyoos Oyster Festival is enough to get a raised eyebrow. But if the notion of West Coast oysters on the sandy desert shores of Osoyoos might at first sound incongruous, this little spring shuckfest that could has [...]
Mission Hill’s John Simes Picks Vineyards over Cellar
The valley's most recognized winery... Today's announcement that Mission Hill winemaker John Simes is relinquishing his position as Chief Winemaker in order to concentrate on the Von Mandl Family Estates vineyards is an indication of just how much things have changed since Simes arrived on the scene. He’s handing the winemaking reins to Darryl [...]
De-Hilling: Vital in Prince Edward County
De-hilling at Waring House Vineyard, in Picton, Ontario I’m still sifting through the voluminous results of last week’s All Canadian Wine Championships, in which BC fared very well. The competition is held in Prince Edward County (about 275 kms. northeast of Niagara), widely regarded as one of North America’s most up and [...]
Rockin’ Rioja: A Clutch of Food Friendly Reds
...Don't try this at home. It’s been a bit of whirl on the wine circuit this past week. All the more reason to get back to posting, so at least I can figure out where I’ve been. (Just kidding!) Though sometimes the best way to take stock, truly, is to sift through the [...]
#LostInhibitions Wine: No F*cking Kidding
Lost Inhibitions EFFING EPIC: irony not lost One thing about Bernie Hadley Beauregard: you never know what the guy’s going to come up with next! Hadley Beauregard, of Blasted Church, Therapy Vineyards (Freudian Sip), Dirty Laundry (and a host of other labels/brands) fame, looks set to repeat the kind of off-the-chart success registered [...]
Golden Mile Bench GI a First for BC Wine
Looking down on Golden Mile Bench from above Culmina Winery Today's announcement about the final approval of the Golden Mile Bench Geographical Indication (GI) adds up to a red letter day for the BC wine industry. In essence, you could call it a watershed moment, as it sends a firm signal that BC is [...]
Upstart Farm2Fork Wins Vintners Brunch Pairing
Vintners Winner Farm2Fork's delicious Laksa with William Hardys Sauv Blanc nailed it! Even in matters of food and wine pairing, sometimes the planets align. One of the most challenging / enjoyable / filling parts of last week’s Vancouver International Wine Festival, was judging at the Vintners Brunch. (If you’re not aware of Vintners [...]
Australia Excels at Vancouver International Wine Festival
Wine Australia and Savour Australia theme region at VIWF The wine world always makes for an exciting place. It’s perpetually in flux—no matter where you look. Barely a decade ago, you might have been excused for thinking that Australia was all about two things: Yellowtail and Shiraz. In fact, sometimes it seemed it [...]