A while ago I was invited to a Zinfandel tasting at the home of a fellow wine writer. She had solicited wines from eight BC wineries (betcha didn’t know that there were so many BC zins) to compare to a California one. California zinfandels typically show the following characteristics – jammy ripe fruit, dark berries, … Read more
Freezing Temperatures in the Okanagan Brings an Early Start to BC’s Icewine Harvest This year, 20 wineries expressed interest in producing Icewine for a potential harvest of 722 tons from approximately 169 acres, last year there was a total of 844 tons picked. The first 2015 Icewine grapes were brought in by Volcanic Hills … Read more
Backyard Vineyards Winemaker James Cambridge took us on a tour of Backyard Vineyards. He greeted us with a glass of Blanc de Noir – a refreshing Pinot Noir sparkling wine – very nice with delicate fruit on the nose and palate and good mousse. This winery, which opened as Glenugie, has been around since 2002 … Read more
DISCOVER THE WONDER OF WINTER IN BC WINE COUNTRY Nov. 27 – Dec. 6, 2015 Get into the holiday spirit early with a visit to some of BC’s best wineries. Between November 27th and December 6th you can find a great selection of open houses, events, light ups, tastings, gift ideas and more at … Read more
Makes Global Impression Coolshanagh Suggested as top 15% of all winery sites in the world A small vineyard on the north Naramata Bench is creating buzz in the wine world, and the latest vintage is now available. Coolshanagh Vineyard is being noted for its exceptional terroir. Planted in 2004 and 2009 to select … Read more
Chaberton Estate Winery Chaberton General Manager, Brian Ensor, greeted us as we stepped off the bus and then took us on a our of the vineyard and winery. Claude and Inge Violet started this winery, the first in the region, in the 1980’s. At the time, no one believed it was possible to grow wine … Read more
Chef Ron Shaw of Grapes & Soda #TasteofThursday Vegetable Okonomiyaki recipe wine pairing suggestion – Hao-Yang Wang, Sommelier. Pairing Notes: Paired with Soahc Riesling 2014 from BC, Canada General Manager and Sommelier, Hao-Yang Wang suggests pairing the Vegetable Okonomiyaki with Soahc Riesling 2014 from BC, Canada, noting: “The Soahc is off-dry, zesty and playful, with … Read more
The team at Fort Berens Estate Winery has won a variety of prestigious awards for their winemaking in recent years. After the recent Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association’s annual gala, they now have two additional awards to add to their honour wall. Fort Berens received two of the three prestigious awards handed out at the … Read more
It’s always great when you can mix business with pleasure, and that is exactly what I, and a small group of wine writers, got to do a while ago. The event was an opportunity to meet and have dinner with BC wine legend Harry McWatters and to meet his new winemaker Lawrence Buhler (more on … Read more
Vista D’ Oro Owner Patrick Murphy greeted us as our bus pulled in to their quaint farm on 4th Avenue in Langley. The vineyard here is in its seventh year. Patrick takes care of the wine making while his wife Lee, is in charge of the preserves. Three years ago, Patrick made the decision to … Read more