Sam The Wine Teacher 
At the invitation of Liam Peyton, Beer Ambassador for the Donnelly Group, I headed down to the Butcher and Bullock on West Pender, just east of Burrard, for their ‘Smoregasboard’ beer event. The crew from Parallel 49 was on hand to tap their cask of a special brew. The background here is that a Knob … Read more
The 126-year-old Yale Hotel, a long time staple on the Vancouver blues circuit, closed its doors in 2011. This Vancouver icon, at the corner of Granville and Drake has seen it’s fair share of legendary blues musicians over the years, including Jim Burns, BB King, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, James Cotton, Johnny Winter and … Read more
I am a night owl and there are not many things that would tempt me to roll out of bed early on a rainy Saturday morning and head into Gastown, but that is exactly what a friend and I did in order to take in the Gastown Brunch Crawl. After checking in at Prado Café … Read more
Taste BC is an annual event to showcase the best of BC beer, wine and spirits as well as tasty bites from local suppliers and restaurants. There are also prizes and a silent auction with items such as luxury items, local experiences, destination packages and much more. This event marked the 22nd anniversary of Liberty … Read more
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