When the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival starts its big 25th anniversary celebration next March, the spotlight will be on Chile, the 2003 theme country. Next Tuesday, the Festival will announce the long list of Chilean wine producers
North America's first aboriginal-owned and operated winery officially opened for business this past weekend, and it's a worthy addition to any wine buff's south Okanagan touring map. Its name is Nk'Mip (pronounced "inkameep") Cellars, a joint venture
"Who's making the best red wines in B.C.? And where can I buy them?" are the two most frequent questions consumers ask me. The answer is not always obvious. Pointing them to merlot was the solution just a few years ago, because it was the only red grape
It used to be that no one made pinot noir better than the French or, more specifically, the vignerons of Burgundy. While in some cases that statement remains true today it must be used for specific wines, hailing from specific sites, made by specific
In Seattle just over a year ago, the wide-ranging membership of the Washington Wine Quality Alliance, or WWQA, marked its first anniversary by doing something audacious: they doubled the levy applied to each gallon of wine they sell to give the commission
There's never enough well-made, inexpensive red wine available as far as I'm concerned, and with the government's impending move toward privatization, via the five and dime "beer and wine" retail store model, you can say goodbye to any interesting wines
The longest running opening of a Canadian winery finally comes to an end next month when Mission Hill Family Estate officially opens its doors with a black-tie, gala dinner and ceremony. The renovations and expansions at Mission Hill are breathtaking
In an era of corporate takeovers and mergers Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates (KJWE) remains one of the largest family owned wine companies in North America. Earlier this year we caught up with winemaster Randy Ullom who is responsible for the overall direction
Italian winemaker Sandro Boscaini is a Veneto legend, and the modern-day father of Valpolicella. Energy, excitement, passion and courage are just a few terms that describe the dynamo behind Masi wines. Boscaini is perhaps best known for changing the
Creating bilingual puns can be fun, and one wonders whether that was what a group of Chilean business types were up to in 1993 when when they came up with the name "Viña Cono Sur" for a line of mostly inexpensive varietals. The Oxford dictionary defines
At the southern end of the Rhone River, to its west just before it flows into the Mediterranean, lies a large wine-producing region called the Costières de Nîmes. It's one of a handful of appellations spearheading resurgent consumer interest in good-value
Down on his luck and near broke, Australian prospector Samuel Smith struck gold at Bendigo, Victoria, with his 17th and final mineshaft yielding £300 worth of gold. The year was 1851. The horticulturalist immediately turned wine grower, and
There's no substitute for serious winemaking, which is why in little over a decade a middle-of-the-pack Sonoma producer has jumped into the upper echelon of Northern California wineries. Geyser Peak began the journey back in 1989 when Australian and
"Red Hot and New" is the catch phrase for an innovative BCLDB buying program featuring quality wine under $10 and it's paying big dividends for consumers and government coffers. The brainchild of long-time government wine buyer David Scholefield, "Red
Big is seldom better in the wine business, but there are exceptions. Some months ago I sang the praises of Chilean wine giant Concha y Toro, which despite its massive size continues to deliver high quality over a wide price range. Today, a
It used to be that after a long day of sunbathing, water skiing and generally doing nothing in the desert heat of the Okanagan Valley, vacationers would head back to their cabin to toss a few hot dogs on the barbecue and drink beer. Today if they are
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