Grouse House now open for reservations Blue Grouse Estate Winery announces the much-anticipated opening of its Grouse House, an exclusive ‘Bed & Bottle’ retreat for wine lovers, exquisitely set within the heart of the historic estate vineyard. Located within minutes from the quaint seaside community of Cowichan Bay, and less than an hour from downtown Victoria, … Read more
L’Abattoir’s Signature Modern French Cuisine Earns Restaurant Gold in ‘Best Gastown/Railtown’, Silver In ‘Best French’ Categories, and Sommelier of the Year for Lisa Haley at Prestigious Annual Awards The L’Abattoir team has plenty of reasons to celebrate today after the Gastown hotspot won gold for Best Gastown/Railtown, silver for Best French, and Wine Director/Assistant General Manager Lisa Haley … Read more
Pop the Cork on New Bubbly Program What do Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label (France), La Marca Prosecco (Italy), Mas Fi Cava (Spain), LINI 910 ‘Lambrusca’ Lambrusco Rosso (Italy), Benjamin Bridge Method Traditional Brut (Nova Scotia) Zanatta ‘Fantasia’ Brut (Cowichan Valley BC) Louis Roederer Cristal 2009 (France) and all have in common? Well yes, … Read more
Singletree Releases First Wines of 2016 Vintage What: Singletree Spring Release Where: Singletree Winery (5782 Mt. Lehman Road, Abbotsford) When: Saturday, April 8 (12-5:30pm) Cost: FREE and open to all. This will be the very first chance to sample and purchase the 2016 ‘Siggy’ (aka: the winery’s flagship Siegerrebe wine: floral, rich, flavourful), the 2016 Rosé (enticing, fresh, … Read more
40 Knots Vineyard & Estate Winery is in a David and Goliath battle with Loblaws Companies Limited. Ziggy, their Vineyard whippet, is nicknamed after their estate grape Siegerrebe (zee-geh-RAY-buh), and owners Brenda Hetman-Craig and Layne Robert Craig named this wine in Ziggy’s honor. Their Ziggy wine was first introduced by 40 Knots in spring of … Read more
The Wines of British Columbia and Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise have partnered to bring an exciting Canadian West Coast wine and culinary celebration to the James Beard House in New York on Wednesday, April 5, 2017. Six wineries from two of British Columbia’s wine regions, the Okanagan Valley and Similkameen Valley, and acclaimed Executive Chef Ned Bell … Read more
A month or so after having the opportunity to sample CheckMate’s Chardonnay wines, I was invited to a Gastown restaurant for the launch of their 2013 Merlot. A group of invited guests gathered in a private room at L’ Abattoir. After a bit of socializing and a brief audiovisual presentation, where (former) principal Ingo Grady … Read more
2015 Cliffhanger Red Moraine Penticton, BC $17.50 This is a blend of Merlot and Malbec. Garnet red with medium-deep intensity. Bright red berries, red currants, strawberry jam, brambles along with hints of earth and spice. Good balance. The bright fruit carries through onto the palate followed by a medium finish. Serve with a T-bone steak, … Read more
Taking advantage of the fact that Vancouver was teeming with winery owners and winemakers, the BC Wine Appreciation Society held it’s own mini wine festival. It was scheduled to coincide with the weekly Wednesday night #BCWineChat that takes place on Twitter. BC Wine Chat is the brainchild of Tinhorn Creek owner Sandra Oldfield. Each week, … Read more
Doug and Dawn Reimer are pleased to launch their inaugural Mirabel Vineyards wine with the release of the 2015 Pinot Noir, sourced exclusively from their South East Kelowna hilltop estate and vineyard overlooking the Okanagan Valley. Mirabel, meaning “of wondrous beauty”, perfectly represents the Reimer family’s stunning South East Kelowna hilltop estate and vineyard overlooking … Read more