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This week’s wines are from Gérard Bertrand, well known for their wines from the south of France. A professional rugby player, Gérard Bertrand participated in his first harvest when he was just ten years old and this is not surprising given that winemaking has been a part of his family for over a century. In…
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Did you know that last Sunday was Stir-up Sunday? Stir-up Sunday is the last Sunday before Advent. Traditionally it is the day when the Christmas pudding would be made in advance of Christmas. Even if you’re not making Christmas pudding though, it’s still a good day to start your holiday baking. I made my very…
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Looking back at 2023 (yes, I am going there, we are more than halfway through November for heaven’s sake) one of my favourite wine discoveries has been Blasted Church (and yes, I am a little late to the party, about twenty years late to be exact). In April I had the good fortune of being…
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I am always intrigued by the changing landscape of wine country in the Okanagan Valley. Some wineries have been around for decades, standing the test of time, while other wineries change hands and are transformed. New plots of land are planted to vine for the very first time, while other vineyards are replanted with more…
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April is BC Wine Month, and it’s a great time to celebrate as wineries are announcing their spring releases. I recently had the pleasure of tasting through the spring wine club shipment from JoieFarm, which has recently come under new ownership. JoieFarm Winery is located along the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan Valley. It was…
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Yesterday I tried my first wine from Blasted Church and, having tried one, I know it won’t be my last. The name of the winery is rooted in local history, dating back to 1929. It was in this year that a group of parishioners from Okanagan Falls descended upon an old mining camp, about 16…
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In 1847 a brewer named Samuel Smith moved from England to South Australia with his wife and five children. Smith and his family settled in the small town of Angaston, which is located in the Eden Valley, in Barossa. It was here that Smith purchased 30 acres of land and in 1849 he planted their…
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What’s your favourite brunch menu item? On the weekend we had fun pairing the Road 13 Spring “Early Bird” Bundle with all things brunch. The Early Bird Bundle consists of the 2018 Marsanne, the 2018 Riesling and the 2018 Viognier. I have to admit that I did not make my own fried chicken, instead we…
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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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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.…