Sam The Wine Teacher 
A few of us were lined up at the registration desk in Lonsdale Quay early on Saturday morning, waiting for the 9:30 countdown so we could get our Tasting Maps for the North Vancouver Brunch Crawl. After a quick look at the menu sheet, we headed off. We started this North Van adventure up the … Read more
The theme for the night was Carménère Once again I was fortunate to be invited to fill in a spot with a tasting group that has been running for thirty-eight years. The theme for the night was Carménère. Carménère is a very interesting varietal. It all but disappeared in France after the Phylloxera outbreak in … Read more
A while ago, I was invited to join a media group for a preview of the Donnelly Group’s Dine Out menu. This was planned as a ‘progressive dinner’ with each course at a different venue. What it turned into was more of a magical mystery tour with more than a couple of surprises. We began … Read more
“Hey, you’ve been good for three whole weeks now – why not reward yourself with a fun evening with wine, cheese, and a bunch of other like-minded BC wine lovers? For food, we’ll be providing a selection of platters of cheeses, meats, crackers and breads from our friends at Les Amis du Fromage.” When … Read more
Hopcott Meats, a third generation, family run and operated farm and farm-to-table store It is fair to say that unless you live in the Tri Cities, Pitt Meadows or Maple Ridge, you’ve probably never heard of Hopcott Meats, a third generation, family run and operated farm and farm-to-table store on Old Dewdney Trunk … Read more
This week it’s all winter warming BC reds including a trio of Cabernet Franc. 2012 Syrah C.C. Jentsch Cellars Summerland, BC $29.90 Garnet black in colour with deep intensity. Aromas of earth, dark fruit, spice and cocoa on the nose. Good balance. Bright fruit dominated the palate followed by a medium-long finish. A good wine … Read more
2011 Quattro (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah) Cassini Cellars Oliver, BC $19.87 2011 was a challenging year in the Okanagan, but good growers knew to reduce their crops to concentrate flavours. This wine is a good example of how to not let quality suffer when Mother Nature deals you a bad hand. Garnet red … Read more
At the invitation of Mireille Sauvé (The Wine Umbrella consulting) I joined a small group of industry people at the Cactus Club Coal Harbour to sample their exclusive line of Italian wines. We met in a glass-walled private room that overlooked the sunny snow-draped North Shore mountains. Mireille greeted us with a refreshing Montelvini Prosecco … Read more
BC Wine Appreciation Society Celebrates with Van Westen The BC Wine Appreciation Society is an organization that was formed over 10 years ago and now numbers 175 members. Their events tend to sell quickly, whether it is a library tasting, a garden party, or a bus tour. December’s wine event was held in the … Read more
The Italian Trade Commission wine events are always top-notch affairs. They vet the wineries well, the registration is smooth, the food and venue first class and the tasting booklet informative and well laid out. At this event there were over 40 producers from 16 regions and 600 wines to sample. Piedmonte, Puglia, Sicilia, Toscana and … Read more