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During “normal” times, Chef Meets BC Grape is the largest tasting of BC wine and food in Western Canada. Last year hundreds of wine lovers converged on the Vancouver Convention Centre to taste BC wines paired with small plates prepared by top BC chefs. Attendees could vote, alongside celebrity judges, for their favourite food and…
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This past weekend we picked the apples from our apple tree and I was quick to turn some of them into an apple pie. I have heard that Gewürztraminer is a great pairing for apple pie, and I was anxious to try it out with the 2019 Mystic River Gewürztraminer from Wild Goose. 2019 Wild…
Continue reading 2019 Wild Goose Mystic River Gewürztraminer
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Lone Tree Cellars, founded in 2005, is an importer and distributor, sourcing wine and spirits from around the world and bringing the best ones to Western Canada. In 2019 they moved their offices to North Vancouver where they acquired a brewery. They named the brewery La Cerveceria Astilleros and when it opens it will offer…
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When I last wrote about TIME Winery, Harry McWatters was celebrating his 50th vintage in the BC wine industry (Harry McWatters and the Beginning of TIME). He had recently sold his acclaimed Sundial Vineyards, to what is now Phantom Creek Vineyards, and he was in the midst of building an urban winery for TIME in an old…
Continue reading TIME Winery & Kitchen: Blueberry Bison Burgers and Syrah
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With summer winding-down, has your palate begun to turn towards bigger reds, or are you still trying to squeeze every last drop out of summer? I have to confess that I am looking forward to the changing colour of the leaves, crisp autumn days and heartier reds, like the 2014 Culmina Hypothesis. Culmina Family Estate…
Continue reading Culmina Family Estate Winery: 2014 Hypothesis
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Liquidity just released a new non-vintage (N/V) sparkling wine. It is classified as “non-vintage” because the grapes used to make this wine were harvested in two different years. In 2018, the Pinot Noir for this wine was harvested, whole cluster pressed and fermented in stainless steel barrels; it aged on its lees for 16 months.…
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I find the best way to expand my aroma and tasting vocabulary for wine is to really pay attention to what I smell and taste when I eat. This weekend I focussed on peaches, exploring the scent and flavour of peach skin, peach flesh, peach pits, grilled peach and even baked peaches with baking spice.…
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This spring, the Okanagan Crush Pad released a trio of fun wines under the Bizou + Yukon label. There is the Savvy Gris, the Pinkie Rosé and the Savvy Franc, all that was missing was the bubbles. Now, here they are! 2018 BEE-zoo Bubbles $24.90 After a hard days work, make sure to paws for…
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On Saturday I had the chance to make Florence’s Tarragon Chicken; a recipe from Jennifer Schell’s The BC Wine Lover’s Cookbook. This recipe comes from Phil McGahan, the winemaker at CheckMate Artisanal Winery. “Phil McGahan grew up in Western Queensland, Australia, as the youngest of 10 children. His parents, Jack and Florence, supported their large…
Continue reading CheckMate Artisanal Winery: Little Pawn and Tarragon
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There is some really beautiful Sauvignon Blanc coming from the Okanagan these days, including this one from Play Estate Winery in Penticton. I had fun pairing this wine with my favorite fish cake recipe from Donna Hay, served with garlic and caper mayonnaise. This wine would also pair very well with sushi. Play Estate 2019…