It's a very Canadian trait that we rarely confer praise on our own until validity is confirmed from the outside. But the fact that British wine expert Steven Spurrier is taking time to visit the Okanagan and Vancouver does mark another major milestone in the still young history of the industry. I'm reminded of the first time [...]
Climb the tower at Tree to Me to enjoy this Similkameen view Who knew that rain in BC would ever be so welcome? Last week’s Similkameen BBQ King took place against a backdrop of six weeks of scorching temperatures and a weekend of lightning strikes. The rain held off for a while. [...]
Orofino sourced its Syrah from nearby Scout Vineyard: classic Similkameen The ingenuity of winemakers never ceases to amaze me. Case in point: the recently released and impressive, concrete aged Orofino Wild Ferment Syrah 2014 (Similkameen Valley). Orofino owners John and Virginia Weber are known for their forward thinking ways: when they moved to [...]
Potential (almost) Lieutenant Governor's award winners, worth a look Sometimes with wine competitions it's well worth checking the list of wines that didn't quite win but came pretty close. Not to take away the glory from the 14 stellar winners of the 2015 BC lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence in BC Wine, however, [...]
BC Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards judging The winners are announced by Government House for this year's Lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence in BC Wine. This year there were more wineries awarded than in any previous year. It's a sure sign of the excellent conditions of the last two vintages. And also a measure [...]
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
