Siena: braised lamb filled ravioli, Tim Pawsey photo One of the hazards of writing “Best of” / “Year End” lists is that you’re guaranteed to miss one (or more)—even more likely if you’ve been waging a kleenex demolition derby against the lurgy sweeping through Vancouver these days. That said, here’s a greatly expanded [...]
Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut Thinking of buying some bubbles in the next few days? You’re not alone. By far the majority of Champagne quaffed during the year is consumed during the holidays—and the same goes for sparkling wine. Here in the swank surroundings of Hired Belly corporate HQ, while we relish the taste [...]
Pastis pot au feu—one of many reasons to lunch here... The Hired Belly is a push-over for hearty, winter dishes, such as the pot au feu at Bistro Pastis, (2153 West 4th Ave., 604-731-5020) which we more than did justice to last week, when the winter rains were sluicing through Vancouver; and flu was [...]
Buying wine by the case has its benefits, Tim Pawsey photo© Changes are happening at a rapid pace to the ways in which Canadians have traditionally been able to purchase and consume their wine. In Manitoba it's only a matter of days before the first Manitoba Liquor Mart will open in Pembina Safeway. [...]
TFP mussels and clams – the perfect wet weather foil One spot that’s an easy lure for lunch—particularly when it’s raining cats and dogs—is Yaletown’s The Flying Pig (1168 Hamilton St, 604-568-1344). There’s just something about this place, from its easy going ways and cosy room with a great buzz to the quality [...]
A quick roundup of under $20 great Portuguese table wine deals
Single malts: seeing the light, Tim Pawsey image I’ll be the first to admit it: I’m no single malt expert. But I do have an appreciation for them, thanks to a relatively early introduction to Scotch whisky as a young (almost legal) adult. Before leaving London I worked for my late uncle [...]
Happier times ... But unquestionably a corrupting influence ... I’ll admit it. I’m only a lukewarm fan of Beaujolais Nouveau, which is maybe why I barely noticed this past week’s celebration. Don't get me wrong— It’s nothing personal! I just don’t think it’s that big a deal any more. Sure, Nouveau [...]
A comprehensive organic-biodynamic program from vineyard to bottle, Tim Pawsey photo Last week’s column for the North Shore News was a quick recap of our visit to Emiliana Los Robles Organic Biodynamic Vineyards. It was one of the more impressive but—more to the point— profound experiences of my week in Chile. A [...]
Cipes Arial beside Krug Grande Cuvée: More of a love-in than a smackdown, TP photo Champagne and sparkling wine producers enjoy a well earned rep for coming up with some pretty clever promos. We can certainly attest to that ... However, we were still intrigued, a few weeks back, when Summerhill’s Ezra Cipes [...]