Posted on
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
Posted on
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.…
Posted on
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.…
Posted on
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…
Posted on
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
Posted on
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…
Posted on
August 18th is Pinot Noir Day and there are plenty of ways to enjoy this heartbreak grape. Pinot Noir comes in several forms: red wine, Champagne and even Rosé. The 2018 Leyda Rosé is made from 100% Pinot Noir grown in the coastal valley of Leyda, Chile. It is the perfect wine to open after…
Posted on
One of the things that I love about exploring wine, is learning about the people behind it. Recently I had the opportunity to taste Stoneboat’s Piano Brut while learning about Stoneboat’s proprietors, Julie and Lanny Martiniuk. Their story begins in Vancouver, where Julie worked as a pharmacist while her husband, Lanny, was working in nuclear…
Posted on
Recently I asked people to tell me about their favourite wine and food pairings, and a number of people said Riesling and Thai food. For me, an off-dry Riesling pairs well with Thai food because the residual sugars soften the spice, while the citrus and orchard fruit flavours compliment the cuisine very well. The inherent,…
Posted on
Have you visited CedarCreek’s stunning new Home Block Restaurant? It opened just last year to great acclaim, including being awarded one of Air Canada / enRoute Canada’s Best New Restaurants in 2019. I have not had the opportunity to visit Home Block myself yet, but I have been inspired in the kitchen by their Executive…