The theme for the night was Carménère Once again I was fortunate to be invited to fill in a spot with a tasting group that has been running for thirty-eight years. The theme for the night was Carménère. Carménère is a very interesting varietal. It all but disappeared in France after the Phylloxera outbreak in … Read more
The Champagne Tour 2016! Yesterday was an opportunity to taste exceptional wines selected by APVSA. Champagne was the featured wine but there were many more varietals to taste and savour. France Champagne Loire Valley Provence South West Languedoc-Roussillon Rhône Valley Bordeaux Auvergne Spain Tierra De Castilla Priorat, Cava, Conca de Barberà Italy Piedmont Trentino … Read more
Haywire offers limited-release wines for Year of the Monkey Okanagan Crush Pad’s Haywire Winery returns for the third annual release of Lunar New Year Red and White wines, this time in celebration of the Year of the Monkey. The 2016 Lunar New Year Red ($19.90) and 2016 Lunar New Year White ($18.90) are available in … Read more
“Hey, you’ve been good for three whole weeks now – why not reward yourself with a fun evening with wine, cheese, and a bunch of other like-minded BC wine lovers? For food, we’ll be providing a selection of platters of cheeses, meats, crackers and breads from our friends at Les Amis du Fromage.” When … Read more
This week it’s all winter warming BC reds including a trio of Cabernet Franc. 2012 Syrah C.C. Jentsch Cellars Summerland, BC $29.90 Garnet black in colour with deep intensity. Aromas of earth, dark fruit, spice and cocoa on the nose. Good balance. Bright fruit dominated the palate followed by a medium-long finish. A good wine … Read more
Changes to Okanagan Wine Campus program Jill Spoor chosen for 2016 Okanagan Crush Pad winery announces a change to its popular Okanagan Wine Campus program. The program was launched in 2011 to provide an opportunity to Vancouver’s Sommelier of the Year to learn the fine art of winemaking with the goal of creating 100 … Read more
2011 Quattro (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah) Cassini Cellars Oliver, BC $19.87 2011 was a challenging year in the Okanagan, but good growers knew to reduce their crops to concentrate flavours. This wine is a good example of how to not let quality suffer when Mother Nature deals you a bad hand. Garnet red … Read more
At the invitation of Mireille Sauvé (The Wine Umbrella consulting) I joined a small group of industry people at the Cactus Club Coal Harbour to sample their exclusive line of Italian wines. We met in a glass-walled private room that overlooked the sunny snow-draped North Shore mountains. Mireille greeted us with a refreshing Montelvini Prosecco … Read more
BC Wine Appreciation Society Celebrates with Van Westen The BC Wine Appreciation Society is an organization that was formed over 10 years ago and now numbers 175 members. Their events tend to sell quickly, whether it is a library tasting, a garden party, or a bus tour. December’s wine event was held in the … Read more
The Italian Trade Commission wine events are always top-notch affairs. They vet the wineries well, the registration is smooth, the food and venue first class and the tasting booklet informative and well laid out. At this event there were over 40 producers from 16 regions and 600 wines to sample. Piedmonte, Puglia, Sicilia, Toscana and … Read more