Sam The Wine Teacher 
For well over a decade, the Montréal based APVSA, the Association for the promotion of Wines (Vins) and Spirits in North America, has served as a bridge between European wine and spirit producers and a wide range of North American markets. The most recent APVSA trip to Vancouver, titled The Soul of Wine, featured … Read more
The wines that Val Tait, viticulturalist and winemaker at Bench 1775, makes all have their own character and are enjoyable in their own right, yet there is a common thread running through them that speaks to her style and commitment to quality. Look for these wines at the Vancouver International Wine Festival – February … Read more
2015 Chardonnay (Crofters) Houghton Margaret River, Australia $16.99 This Aussie chardonnay is delicate and elegant. Lemon yellow with medium-light intensity. The nose shows aromas of citrus, ripe apple, vanilla and butter. Well balanced. The oak is well integrated with the fruit followed by a medium-plus finish. This is a good value wine. 2013 Cabernet … Read more
2012 Serious Syrah Pacific Breeze New Westminster, BC $22.99 This is Pacific Breeze’s first foray into Syrah. The grapes were sourced from Washington and California. Garnet red with medium-deep intensity. Black pepper, blackberries, earthy, sweet spice and vanilla notes on the nose. Very well balanced. The flavours follow the nose. The finish is medium-long … Read more
Living in the burbs, one often doesn’t often think about heading into Vancouver for brunch, but every neighbourhood has its own unique collection of funky and trendy little eateries. This is one reason why Vancouver Foodster’s Brunch Crawls are such great events. They get you out into new areas so you can discover some … Read more
Over the holidays I was lucky enough to be invited to taste some Italian wines, not currently available in BC. Mireille Sauvé, of The Wine Umbrella, hosted the event where we sampled ten wines all from the Veneto region in northern Italy. We were greeted with an impressive Prosecco and after a bit of … Read more
My wine background began as a home winemaker, some thirty odd years ago. Years later I trained to be a judge and eventually became the guild master for the BC Guild of Wine Judges. After retiring from teaching, I’ve devoted my time to writing and educating about wine, primarily with My Van City. Sometimes … Read more
Wine and War Don & Petie Kladstrup 2002 Broadway Books 290 pages I received this book as a gift some time ago and only recently picked it up. I have some friends who are history buffs and would certainly have a deeper appreciation of the events in this book, but even with my somewhat adequate … Read more
2014 Voulez View Rouge The View Kelowna, BC $19.90 Voulez View uses a touch (15%) of Merlot to add some elegance to the Pinotage base. Sweet spice, cherries, plum, dark berries and a hint of chocolate on the nose. Well balanced with silky smooth ripe tannins. Velvety on the palate with flavours that echo the … Read more
2013 Pinot Noir (Optimum) Gehringer Brothers Oliver, BC $20.99 I wasn’t impressed when I first opened this wine. I was quite surprised that I purchased it, if it hadn’t been very good at least. Then after it had some time to breathe and open up, wow. Garnet red with medium-deep intensity. The nose is layered … Read more