Okanagan College and the Chefs’ Table Society of British Columbia are honouring the late Harry McWatters with a major scholarship, awarded to qualifying Okanagan College students who identify specific opportunities to pursue food and wine studies overseas. The Harry McWatters Scholarship will be adjudicated by Okanagan College. Chefs’ Table is launching the fund with an initial contribution of $2,000 [...]
Recently I opened a bottle of Golden Mile Cellars 5th Element Red Blend 2005. It was sent to me by the BC Wine Institute as part of the BC VQA 30th. anniversary. I thought this bottle was noteworthy for any number of reasons, not the least of which was its age. There was a time [...]
If I could save time in a bottle The first thing that I’d like to do Is to save every day ’til eternity passes away Just to spend them with you… (Jim Croce) It’s a part of wine tasting that’s easy to take for granted. But when you think about it, every bottle is a [...]
Pet Matt Landrusco 2019 If wine is first and foremost about having fun (it should be) then Pet Matt is just the ticket. Pet Matt is the latest in Okanagan Crush Pad’s Wine Campus series, in which BC’s Sommelier of the Year gets to make the wine of their choice. And a worthy cause—this year [...]
Vancouver’s food and wine year always kicks off with a bang. Make that a small salvo. First up is Dine Out Vancouver Festival, followed quickly by the lead up to Vancouver International Wine Festival (Feb. 22nd to March 1st). Each of these events have had a profound impact on Vancouver in their different ways. Looking [...]
The passing of legendary negoçiant Georges Duboeuf (1933-2020), who died on January 4th, leaves a large hole in the world wine community. There’s no doubt in my mind that Mr. Duboeuf single handedly changed the way in which we think about wine today. Those of a certain age ;-) will recall the days (years before [...]
(Sponsored post) If you’re a fan of sparkling wine, you’ll want to check out Prosecco Superiore. Compared to ‘regular’ Prosecco, Prosecco Superiore DOCG is distinctly different. It appeals to a sophisticated drinker who’s looking for something more distinguished—and with a very definite sense of place. So, just what is it that sets Prosecco Superiore DOCG [...]
(Sponsored post) I’m always intrigued by what people consider to be ‘food friendly’ wines. Often their choice is guided by little more than personal preference or regular buying habits. All well and good. But, as a rule, there’s no better guide than to turn to the wines of a given country or region from which [...]
I'm pretty sure that Judgment of BC 2019 was one of the largest tastings of its kind ever held in Canada. On October 29th 34 judges sat down at the Penticton Lakeside Resort. We concluded what’s been a worthy exercise for BC wines since the first ‘Judgment’ took place in 2015. It was an impressive [...]
BC Bubble is on a roll. There's nothing really surprising about that in itself. But what is curious is why it's taken so long. I've been thinking about (and tasting) a lot of BC sparklers recently. Often as not with a toast to Harry McWatters—the godfather of BC Bubble. The 21 bottle ‘sabre salute’ at Harry's [...]
