Kristof Gillese 
There was a time, not so long ago, when brandy was a drink that was enjoyed en-mass as an after-meal drink, as part of a cocktail, or warmed gently to take the chill off. Cognac was slightly more expensive but not egregiously so and one might, as well, find a bottle of Armagnac on a … Read more
Every year around this time I have friends come up to me or text me in a panic asking for help choosing a sparkling wine: “I’m going to a party – don’t know what to bring!” Quite often the statement is followed by expletives and/or frantic emojis… and this is when I … Read more
It’s one of our favorite times of the week; the Sunday roast. This past weekend we were fortunate enough to enjoy a delicious local free-range chicken with two superlative wines from the McWatters family of wines: the McWatters 2016 Chardonnay ($25) and the Evolve Cellars “Pink Effervescence” ($20). It’s a luxury in this busy life … Read more
Fort Berens Estate Winery meets Coquilles St Jacques Here in British Columbia we are blessed with, depending on the year, an abundance of two things: Chardonnay and scallops. Cue my colleagues at Fort Berens; producing an absolutely world-class Chardonnay at under $20. But let me give the wine some context… I recently had … Read more
Domaine Lafage and roast lamb As a young man Jean Marc Lafage (co-proprietor of Domaine Lafage) always knew what he was going to be when he grew up; he came from a family of 6 generations of grape-growers… there was never a question in his mind. But when the young Jean met his future … Read more
the wines of Il Feuduccio & classic risotto The leaves have turned, the wind blows a bit harder down the mountainside and by 6 pm the street is getting dark; Autumn in here. And with the turning of the seasons comes the turning of our appetites; from the salads and barbeques of summer to the … Read more
I’ve had the great pleasure of knowing Jak Meyer, and subsequently his world-class wines at Meyer Family Vineyards, for years. It would be difficult for me to speak about how much Jak’s work and the work of Chris Carson winemaker – the entire team – has meant to me and other BC wine-lovers without … Read more
The California Wine Legacy Signorello, Stags’ Leap, White Rock… some of the most iconic names in the California/American wine industry. Now these wineries and many more are smouldering ruins and in the wake of these fires a piece of our collective history, our living history, has gone too. We in British Columbia understand too well … Read more
Pot roast The lowliest cut of beef turned into the most succulent comfort food. I mean what says comfort more than pot-roast? Immediately thoughts turn to Sunday evening meals; family is near, there’s good conversation amidst the bickering (it is family after all) and always a decent bottle of wine or two … Read more