Sam The Wine Teacher 
Each year at the Vancouver International Wine Festival, the Sommelier of the Year is announced. Past winners have included, Kurtis Kolt (2010) Kurtis Kolt Semillon, Owen Knowlton (2011), Terry Threlfall (2012), Samantha Rahn (2013) Samantha Syrah, Mike Bernardo (2014) and Jason Yamasaki (2015). A part of this award includes participating in the Okanagan Crush Pad’s … Read more
2012 Pinot Gris Reserve Gustave Lorentz Alsace, France $30.00 Silver Medal Straw coloured with medium-light intensity. Aromas of white flowers, peach and minerality on the nose. Well balanced. The flavours follow the nose with a medium-long finish. 2012 Nebbiolo Paolo Conterno Langhe, Italy $35.00 Bronze Medal Garnet red in colour with medium intensity. Simple … Read more
Hmmm . . . . banana bread. Moist, tasty banana bread. This is good, very good. Hmmm . . . no, this is even better than that, this banana bread is to die for. OK, your mouth is probably watering by now imagining a yummy slice of banana bread with a cup of tea … Read more
Have you been to the Hart House before? Do you even know where it is? Whatever your answers to those questions, you need to seek it out, or plan for a return visit. The Hart House is a heritage house on the shore of Deer Lake in Burnaby. It is an idyllic setting … Read more
2013 Moscato d’ Osoyoos La Stella Osoyoos, BC $20 Silver Medal A blend of Moscatto Bianco and Muscat Ottonel. Very pale straw in colour with a medium-light intensity. The nose is intense with orange blossoms, peach and apricot. Well balanced with just the right amount of acid to balance the sugar. The palate is rich … Read more
Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake I did. I can’t believe I have lived in Vancouver my whole life and this is the first time I have been to Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS), now in its seventy-fifth year. This is one of those experiences that really makes Vancouver shine. Malkin Bowl in Stanley … Read more
I just got back from a quick trip to the south Okanagan where I had the chance to stop in to one of my favourite wineries, La Stella. This Tuscan inspired winery is beautifully situated along the northern shore of Osoyoos Lake. With four hundred feet of apricot tree-lined shoreline, it is not uncommon … Read more
Taste Washington is the largest single region wine fest in the US, with 230 wineries taking part with more than 800-featured wines. Now in its 18th year, it is four days of wine and food tastings and seminars, which culminates with a Grand Tasting at CenturyLink Field Event Center, near Safeco Stadium, on the last … Read more
Who are the ‘small guys’ of the BC wine world? They are several small, wineries, both physical and virtual, which are very specialized and thus produce what’s called ‘small lots’ or under 2000 cases of wine per year. These small artisan producers are modeled on the ‘garagiste’ winemakers of France, who gained attention producing … Read more
Quini is a free wine tasting and rating app developed in Vancouver. While it is designed primarily for the average consumer, it is useful for neophytes and geeks as well. The language is simple, but useful. The whole idea behind Quini is to help consumers discover their wine palates quickly, and wine pros to … Read more