BC Syrah Recommendations

A friend recently mentioned he was going to be opening a special bottle he had been saving: a 2010 Grange.  When I asked him to tell me more about how he came across this wine, he said, “We have a lifelong friend of my wife’s who lives in Sydney.  She bought the bottle quite a … Read more

The prestige apex of Cava grows with five new Guarda Superior Paraje Calificado Cavas

The prestige apex of Cava grows with five new Guarda Superior Paraje Calificado Cavas • The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) endorses and certifies five new Guarda Superior Paraje Calificado Cavas. • The D.O. CAVA Guarda Superior Paraje Calificado category now totals 15 select products. The select club of Guarda Superior Paraje Calificado … Read more

Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country pairs with Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions for a night of Excellence

Usually I like to dine twice at any restaurant before I write a review, but often this is not possible. This time it was my second time reviewing Ugly Duckling. The first time I had the honour of reviewing the exclusive L’Abattoir x | Ugly Duckling | Gastown Meets Chinatown last November. Two champions of … Read more

Private Wine Tasting with Blue Grouse Estate Winery

Earlier this week I conducted a wine tasting of four lovely wines from Blue Grouse. This was a private wine tasting with friends. All totalled there were about twenty wine loving friends gathered in our condo building’s lounge. It was the ideal spot to sit, enjoy the wines and socialize. Our lounge was just big … Read more

From the Cellar with @Sam_WineTeacher

In addition to the weekly wine review and the various other, usually wine-related, articles I write for My Van City, I am going to include a new one that will appear from time to time.  I’m calling it, ‘From the Cellar’. It will be similar to the wine reviews, except that it will feature wines … Read more

Kim Uncorked: Welcome to my weekly wine recommendation

Kim Uncorked: Welcome to my weekly wine recommendation. Hi, I’m Kim, a passionate lover of wine, food, and any experience that brings the two together! In this weekly blog post, I share my thoughts on a wine that I’ve recently purchased from one of our local independent wine merchants. If you’d like to know more … Read more

German Wine 101 with @Sam_WineTeacher

Germany is a cool-climate wine country built on freshness, high acidity, and aromatic clarity. Vineyards often cling to steep river slopes along the Mosel and Rhine, where reflected sunlight aids ripening and cool nights preserve acidity. While Germany sits far north by wine-growing standards, its varied soils and exposures produce wines prized for precision and … Read more

Domaines Ott* Featured in Next Cellar Series Dinner at Provence Marinaside

Domaines Ott* Featured in Next Cellar Series Dinner at Provence Marinaside Join Provence Marinaside on Sunday April 5th for a rare opportunity to explore the exceptional wines of France’s Domaines Ott* in the restaurant’s second Cellar Series Dinner of 2026 featuring special guest Global Brand Ambassador Christophe Coppola Renard. Since 1896, four generations of the … Read more

From the Cellar with Sam_WineTeacher

In addition to the weekly wine review and the various other, usually wine-related, articles I write for My Van City, I am going to include a new one that will appear from time to time.  I’m calling it, ‘From the Cellar’. It will be similar to the wine reviews, except that it will feature wines … Read more

Victoria Australia | Home of Diversity | Masterclass

Earlier this week I was fortunate to attend the first-ever Canadian seminar and trade tasting of wines from Victoria, Australia. All of these wines were new to me and I was really looking forward to the experience. Wine Victoria brought its leading wineries to Canada, offering an exclusive look at one of the world’s most … Read more