Next time you hear the sound of a cork popping out of a wine bottle, savour it and commit it to memory. A decade from now recreating that sound may only be an answer to a trivia question about pre-21st century wine stoppers. If you think the end of the
Of all the grape varieties grown on this planet few rival well-made, fully ripe pinot noir for its sheer drinking pleasure. Locating the perfect pinot is no easy undertaking. Often it takes more effort than the casual drinker is willingly to expend,
By the time you read this a restaurant named Cru will have opened at 1459 West Broadway just east of Granville. I haven't eaten at Cru; for the moment what attracts me is the wine list. They don't come any simpler than the list you will find at Cru. It's
Mixing Chile and France in a wine column may seem odd, but there is a meaningful wine connection between the countries and it dates back to the mid-1800s, just after independence had arrived in Chile. With sovereignty came the need for Chile to set up
les amis du FROMAGE has moved. Vancouver's finest cheese shop has up and moved closer to the city centre. Alice and Allison Spurrell invite everyone to drop by the new premises at 1752 West 2nd (1/4 block east of Burrard street or less than two
BEST VALUE IMPORTS SPARKLING 85/100 Banrock Station Sparkling Chardonnay N/VSouth Eastern Australia, AustraliaFrom the Hardys group comes this pleasant floral peach/apple scented sparkler. The flavours are fresh and ripe but with a creamy smooth finish
Summer and sauvignon blanc is a match wine drinkers are beginning to embrace with enthusiasm and if the weather ever decides to co-operate and get warmer this cool, refreshing varietal could become a hot trend. Much of the new interest in sauvignon stems
The pulse of New World wines was checked and found robust this past fortnight at two rather auspicious events. The first in San Francisco was the West Coast launch of the 1998 Penfolds Grange Shiraz; the second was a celebration of Robert Mondavi's 90th
It's back to red wine this week and some affordable barbecue picks. The selection is global and in some cases takes you to lesser-known regions where even the best-rated wines are priced at sensible levels. We begin in Italy but not in the trendy north,
With summer officially here this weekend we continue the search for British Columbia white wines that refresh and satisfy. Last week we looked at some early releases from the 2002 vintage and discovered most producers were more than pleased with the
Wineries and marketers would have you believe that every year is a quality year but the vagaries of climate suggest it just isn't so. Vintage variation is a fact of life, especially in marginal northern climates such as the Okanagan Valley. When I think
Wine Spectator columnist Matt Kramer turned the South African wine industry upside down in March when he dared to ask the question, "Why isn't South African wine better?" Kramer suggested the South Africans have failed to calibrate their palates (by
Vancouver, B.C., After too many months, owner Manuel Ferreira, has reopened Le Gavroche to the dining public. Le Gavroche was closed July 19, 2002 to due to fire damage and after ten months of wrangling with city inspectors Ferreira has
Several bits and pieces today, beginning with a tale of two wine companies. Less than three weeks ago I was extolling the virtues of New Zealand owned and operated Kim Crawford Wines, a producer known world- wide for its use of screwcaps and more to the
Two highly respected B.C. producers are the focus of this week's column: Tinhorn Creek and Mission Hill are each planning to entertain visitors with more than wine this summer if they make the trek to the Okanagan. Tinhorn Creek Estate Winery, the yellow
As I tasted today's summer sippers hail and snow were falling in parts of the province and overnight temperatures were plunging near zero. Let's hope last weekend was an aberration because it's time for everyone to start thinking about lighter, more carefree
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