Sam The Wine Teacher 
2013 Sauvignon Blanc Santa Rita 120 Valle Central, Chile $10.99 Bronze medal Tasted 2014 07 Very pale straw in colour with light intensity. The nose shows varietal character – grass and gooseberries with a hint of peach. Good balance, crisp and refreshing. Citrus and mineral on the palate with peach flavours lingering on the finish. … Read more
Nestled along the northeastern coast of Italy is the region of Veneto, famous for many things other than its scenic capital of Venice. In the hills 50 km north of the capital are the best wine growing areas. This is land of gently sloping vineyard covered hills, mountains and valleys. While each valley has … Read more
2010 VIP (Port Style) Saxon Estate Winery Summerland. BC $17.32 Bronze medal Tasted 2014 05 This Port style Pinot Noir is garnet red in colour with deep intensity. The nose shows aromas of prunes, black cherries and dark chocolate. The balance is good and the flavours follow the nose with a medium finish. … Read more
Perched atop Burnaby Mountain is Horizon’s Restaurant surrounded by scenic gardens and stunning views of Vancouver, the inlet and the North Shore mountains. I was there recently to celebrate my son and daughter-in-law’s seventh wedding anniversary. It was a beautiful warm summer evening and as we arrived a half hour early, we spent some … Read more
2012 Chardonnay Cedar Creek Kelowna, BC $17.95 Silver medal Tasted 2014 06 This Chardonnay has a small amount of Pinot Gris added to it. Lemon yellow in colour with medium-light intensity. The nose shows aromas of tropical fruit, pineapple and a hint of banana. Good structure. Eleven months of sur lees aging give it … Read more
This is the 25th season for Bard on the Beach. Anyone who has attended a play there knows what a marvelous venue it is. This year’s offerings, which include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Equivocation and Cymbeline, run from June 11 until September 20th. The back of the main stage is … Read more
If you are fan of Pinot Noir (and if you’re not, you should be) you should try Gamay Noir wines. It is safe to say that Gamay has not gotten the recognition it deserves. Wines labeled PTG (Passe-Tout-Grains) are a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. Gamay Noir is the smooth, fruity, juicy grape … Read more
What will you find at 905 Hornby Street in Vancouver? Earls Test Kitchen, which just opened in June. It is the culinary inspiration centre for all of Earl’s sixty-five restaurants throughout North America. Here, they bring together a collection of world-class chefs to develop new menu items. If you look at the menus … Read more
The Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) invited me to an Zintimate trade tasting at Hawksworth Restaurant’s York Room in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia in Vancouver. They limited the event to 75 guests per hour for two sessions, one at 1:30 and the other at 2:30; a wine version of speed dating. There were … Read more
If you are in Coquitlam this next week, stop by Westwood Wines for a tasting of wines featured in the “Swirl, Sip and Savour” flyer. You can also enter to win a trip to the Okanagan wine country. Flyer wines include: 2013 Baillie-Grohman Recolte Blanc The rich textural palate with a long finish … Read more