Back Yard Vineyards: a fun, eye-catching label, plus plenty to please in the glass, Tim Pawsey photo Looking for a special bottle for that hard to please wine geek in your life? Yesterday we sipped a glass of the first vintage sparkling wine to (officially) come out of the Fraser [...]
Citrus and vineyard at Quinta da Nespereira, Dao - Tim Pawsey photo Vineyard detail, tiles at Caves Sao Joao, Beiras - Tim Pawsey photo Just back from Portugal, and we’re playing serious catch-up! After a week of tasting a wide variety of sometimes unfamiliar table wine varieties—from Siria and Encruzada (whites) [...]
Two hours after landing in Oporto, we’re hot on the trail of two essentials: sardines and octopus. Oh—and wine! Well, that’s not too hard to find around these parts. Nor are the first two. Down a narrow side street, not far from our hotel, in the centre of the old town, we discover [...]
A few tastings come around each year which we consider ‘don’t miss’ dates. Some are pretty obvious, such as when Penfolds senior winemaker Peter Gago comes to town, or Yalumba’s irrepressible ambassador Jane Ferrari. However, it might surprise you learn that another worthwhile event on our calendar has turned out to be the [...]
This last week saw one of the highlights of our tasting year: judging for the Annual Vancouver Magazine International Wine Awards. Three panels worked their way through 850 wines over three days to come up with the top 100 Best Values and, ultimately, one in each of the tasting categories for a top [...]
Even though Vancouver prides itself on being a forward thinking dining scene (and has no end of choice and variety to prove that point), introducing new tastes and ingredients can still be a challenge. Just ask Mark Hills. He’s the founder of Hills Foods, which has been single-handedly elevating The Game Game in Vancouver since [...]
Last night we went to one of the more interesting wine tastings we’ve attended in recent times. The occasion was a 75th anniversary pre-screening reception, before a Hollywood Theatre double bill featuring The American and Casablanca. When we arrived, the compact and cozy lobby was packed with people enthusiastically tasting a selection of AOC wines [...]
Followers of BC's burgeoning wine industry will be interested in the results of the 2010 Okanagan Fall Wine Festival judging. The Hired Belly participated in the newly named BC Wine Awards, on one of the best panels we’ve judged with to date, run by Master of Wine Rhys Pender, and including: Benoit Beaudet, [...]
We know of no more fervent advocate for the advancement of sake than Masa Shiroki. The dynamo behind Granville Island’s Artisan Sake never rests in his efforts to convert more people to the idea of matching sake with food. His latest undertaking involved a six course dinner at ShuRaku Sake Bar and Bistro [...]
Around this time of year, wine tastings happen with increasing velocity, as every country-winery-region-producer-importer wants to pour their prized elixir for media—or even for real wine buyers—during the crucial pre-holiday buying period. Every now and then, one comes along that leaves a lasting impression, such as this past week’s Wine Australia extravaganza in [...]
