Sam The Wine Teacher 
2025 Pinot Gris SpearHead Kelowna, BC$24.00 Pale lemon yellow with medium-light intensity. A pronounced nose showing aromas of apple, lime zest, honeysuckle, ambrosia apple, pear, and wild honey. Very good balance with good body. Very flavourful on the palate, followed by a medium-long finish. Impressive. 93 Points 2021 Chardonnay (Triomphe) Southbrook Niagara-on-the-lake, Ontario … Read more
One of our favourite places to take friends and out-of-town visitors is SpearHead Winery. Perched on a quiet rise in southeast Kelowna, the winery offers an inviting patio, sweeping views of the Okanagan Valley, and a relaxed atmosphere that encourages guests to slow down and enjoy a tasting. Owned by Bill and Marina Knutson, SpearHead … Read more
More than 30 guests gathered at Bar Norcino inside Curious Café for an intimate Italian wine lunch hosted by Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits. The featured guest was Alessandro Lunardi, Director for North America for Ornellaia, Masseto, Tenuta Luce, and Attems, who travelled from Florence to guide guests through six wines from two renowned Frescobaldi … Read more
At the foot of Anarchist Mountain in Osoyoos, just minutes from the Canada–U.S. border, sits Adega on 45th. Adega is the Portuguese word for a wine cellar or winery, an appropriate name for a winery that proudly celebrates its heritage while producing distinctly Okanagan wines. Many visitors drive past Adega on their way to Nk’Mip … Read more
Montalcino is one of Tuscany’s great wine regions, yet its story is surprisingly simple. Every serious wine made here comes from a single grape: 100% Sangiovese. Locally, the historic clone is known as Brunello, or “the little dark one,” prized for its thicker skins, deeper colour, firmer tannins, and remarkable ageing potential. What makes Montalcino … Read more
I have always enjoyed visiting Osoyoos’ Moon Curser Winery. The labels alone are worth a closer look, each telling its own story, but it’s the wines that keep drawing me back. Moon Curser has built its reputation on producing distinctive varieties that are still uncommon in British Columbia, including Arneis, Carménère, Dolcetto, Marsanne, Roussanne, Tannat, … Read more
Wine lovers are always looking for something new, and one white wine that’s gaining attention is Austria’s signature grape, Grüner Veltliner. While Austria is still its undisputed home, the grape is also grown in countries including Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Romania, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Canada. Here in BC, a small … Read more
In addition to the weekly wine review and the various other, usually wine-related, articles I write for My Van City, I am going to include a new one that will appear from time to time. I’m calling it, ‘From the Cellar’. It will be similar to the wine reviews, except that it will feature wines … Read more
For years I’d been reading about the growing popularity of Greek wines in New York. The unfamiliar grape names and descriptions of their distinctive flavours intrigued me, so when Franco’s Liquor Store advertised a Saturday tasting of Greek wines, I booked us in immediately. When we arrived, Luigi was outside grilling fragrant lamb kebabs to … Read more
In addition to the weekly wine review and the various other, usually wine-related, articles I write for My Van City, I am going to include a new one that will appear from time to time. I’m calling it, ‘From the Cellar’. It will be similar to the wine reviews, except that it will feature wines … Read more