Time to check out my cellar to see what bubbly I’ll open to ring in the New Year. I always try to keep a few on hand and at least some of them in my cellar’s mini fridge. I have a magnum of Sumac Ridge’s Stellar Jay Brut, always a favourite and two from … Read more
When you stand in front of the shelves at a wine shop does your eye automatically search out your favourite varietals? Merlot? Cab Sauv? Chardonnay? Or one of the Pinots—Noir or Gris? Or perhaps you prefer, as so many do, Bordeaux blends. It’s easy to fall into purchasing patterns, searching out the safe and certain … Read more
2011 Naughty Chardonnay Dirty Laundry Summerland, BC $24.99 Silver Medal Tasted 2014 11 This is Dirty Laundry’s oaked chardonnay. They also make an un-oaked one (Not So Knotty Chardonnay). Straw coloured with medium-light intensity. Aromas of apple, pear, citrus and mineral on the nose. Good balance with medium body. Citrus and mineral on the … Read more
It’s Friday and I have the original no-brainer wine pick for the weekend. Blasted Church Hatfield’s Fuse has been a favorite of mine for years. I just tasted the 2012 vintage and it delivers the goods once again. This is a complex blend of almost every white varietal grown in B.C. From pinot gris … Read more
The first season of selling local wine, beer and spirits at farmers’ markets in British Columbia was good for consumers, vendors and the markets. Starting in June, BC Farmers’ Markets offered sales of locally-made wine, beer and spirits, following the provincial government’s move to modernize liquor laws. These changes came as the result of Parliamentary … Read more
Every fall, winemakers from BC travel to the Vancouver Convention Centre at Canada Place to pour their latest wines. From 2:00 until 5:00 people who work in the industry, in wine stores, liquor stores, restaurants, hotels and pubs come to sample wine and find out about the new offerings. This year marked the … Read more
With Wine Tourism Day coming up on November 8 it seems timely to complete my list of places to visit in the Okanagan. I actually travelled to the Okanagan on two occasions this past September. Neither trip was planned in advance yet we managed to pack in a lot in just a few days. I … Read more
Join Us for Swirl Wine Store White Rock Winemakers Dinner Series! Wine and dine with our Chief Winemaker, Matt Dumayne, at Swirl Wine Store in White Rock for a winemakers dinner on November 6th! Date: Thursday, November 6, 2014 Time: 7pm to 9pm Place: Swirl Wine Store White Rock – 15222 North Bluff Road, White Rock, BC Tickets: … Read more
2012 Pinot Gris (Switchback Vineyard) Haywire Summerland, BC $22.90 Silver Medal Tasted 2014 08 This wine was fermented with wild ambient yeasts and was aged in concrete eggs. Pale straw in colour and a hint of green with medium-light intensity. Stone fruit, ripe mango and citrus on the nose. Well balanced with good mouth feel. … Read more
I’ve often thought Halloween was wasted on the young. Adults should reclaim this day and rather then consume bags full of candy I’d suggest a bottle of this B.C. red. The Moon Curser Cabernet Merlot blend is the perfect wine for the fall. The vineyard is in the southern Okanagan where summer heat means ideal conditions for … Read more