BC Bubbles on the Rise: A Sparkling Selection
BC Sparkling wines continue to enjoy growing success and acceptance, with good reason.
Malbec and More: Argentina Shines in BCLS Spotlight
Argentina has been in the spotlight this month at BC Liquor Stores, with a special promo through until early September. That means several good value Argentine wines—including not a few Malbecs ;-) —are still on offer (for even better value) until Sept 5th. Argentine Malbec has turned out to be one of the most enduring [...]
District Wine Village: Gateway to the South Okanagan
Updated, April 20th, 2021. As District Wine Village nears its first phase completion several wineries and breweries have confirmed their partnerships. To date they include: JoiRyde Winery One Faith Vineyards Trading Post Brewing & Trading Post Eatery Wapiti Cellars Vintners Cove Gneiss Wines Winemaker’s Cut Eau Vivre Winery Stay tuned for more! Oliver’s claim as [...]
Sea Star and Saturna Move On to the Next Chapter
I’ve written at length about the success of Sea Star Vineyards, in part, because I enjoy a personal connection with the Gulf Islands (Northern and Southern) that spans several decades. But also because, since Sea Star emerged in the place of its struggling Pender Island predecessor, I’ve been consistently impressed by the wines every vintage. [...]
Lightning Rock: Tasting the Stars in Summerland
The late Harry McWatters used to say “There’s no place like the Okanagan to make sparkling wine!” McWatters was convinced that grapes coming from a triangle within the central Okanagan (between Summerland, Naramata and Okanagan Falls) consistently had the right amount of acidity to make good bubble. Harry once told me “One thing we’ve never [...]
Unsworth Vineyards Sells to Banke Jackson Family Members
From the ‘out of left field’ department comes news today that Unsworth Vineyards has been purchased by Barbara Banke and Julia Jackson of California. This is a significant development for the recently proclaimed Cowichan Valley Sub-GI. It marks the first time that a Cowichan winery has been sold to major outside owners. No doubt, it [...]
South Africa in the Spotlight: Chenin Blanc and more
This month is South Africa’s time to shine at BC Liquor Stores. The pandemic has shut down the array of events and in-store tastings that usually go along with these thematics. But never mind. There’s still no shortage of decent drops to be found. One of the oldest ‘new world’ producers, South Africa’s industry dates [...]
8 Ways to Go GaGa for Gamay
Last time I checked there were well over 75 different varieties of vinifera grown in BC. That’s not surprising. Compared to the rest of the wine world, this corner of the Pacific Northwest is still a youngster. In other words, we’ve only recently begun to ‘drill down’ on what does best in a specific area. [...]
Blasted Church Raiseth the Cup & Lowereth the Price
Few people outside of friends and family know about the Hired Belly’s somewhat devout—nay, near angelic—upbringing. It will come as a surprise to some that today’s brash, hard-nosed swirler and spitter was raised as a pure and innocent, dulcet-toned boy-chorister at England’s Chichester Cathedral. […]
Blue Grouse: Island Pinot in the Time of COVID19
The wine world moves in mysterious ways, even more so in the grips of a global pandemic. But nature plays by her own rules. Indeed, time and vine wait for no one. Like all forms of agriculture, vineyards need to be cared for regardless, especially Pinot Noir. Grapes need to be harvested. And wine needs [...]