Like most of you I'm hoping summer isn't over yet, especially since I am unable to recall when it began. I do remember a brief spell of warm weather in July and a couple of warm evenings in August but what about the ongoing concept of three months of
It's been a couple of years since we last looked at the B.C. pinot gris/pinot grigio category. With temperatures soaring this weekend, it seemed like a good chance to get you thinking about province's reluctant signature grape. I say reluctant
Europe or the Old World is our playing field today. For some of you it may well offer some respite from the oak, coffee, cola and frankly sweet, residual sugar flavours that tend to punctuate so many New World wines. I know coming to understand
It's been well over a century since the noble white grape they call riesling was the toast of the wine world. The darling of European royalty has long since been out of favour with commoners who, according to people in the know, remain confused about
Whatever happened to decent wine under $10? The hamburger/spaghetti red that was once the mainstay of wine stores has all but vacated the premises. In truth I don't get as many requests for wine under $10 as I once did, mostly because consumers have given
After a few warm days in Vancouver, restaurants are getting nervous. What will they do with all those big alcoholic reds they have been selling us all winter or those tannic, oaky, overpriced, self-proclaimed icon reds that are particularly hideous when
Last week a reader commented to me that a recent column about the myriad methods available to produce chardonnay not only surprised him but got him wondering about the whole winemaking process and how it impacts the wine he drinks. The challenge
Robert Mondavi was a big proponent of varietal wine because he firmly believed that American drinkers would embrace wine if they knew which grapes were in the bottle and, even more important, what they may taste like. This has certainly been the story
Sitting in the middle of a room full of 1052 wines under $25, I can only marvel at the state of the modern-day wine business. It would appear that there truly is something for everyone if you are willingly to taste from morning until night. This week
If it's true that a region's wine develops a certain synergy or simpatico with its food, it must make sense to consider some country's wine and perhaps exclude others when you are looking for the classic barbecue red. Think about it. Italy and
It's official: British Columbians love their wine. The latest numbers from Statistics Canada point to a phenomenal jump in wine consumption over the previous decade. Year-over-year since 1998, the average gain has been close to eight per cent with 2007
Ever since we met would-be novelist and pinot noir drinker Miles Raymond in the film Sideways, the race to produce even more of the finicky, hard-to-grow pinot noir was on. "It's thin-skinned, temperamental and ripens early," says Miles played
Summer is the time to lighten up when it comes to wine. But for those us in the business of wine and planning for the fall season, one can't help but wonder what's in store for the future. An impending economic turndown appears closer each day (2010 Olympics
The death of Robert Mondavi last week effectively marks the end of the modern era of wine as I see it. Mondavi was one of four children born to Cesare and Rosa Mondavi in Virginia, Minn., in 1913 but his California connection began soon after in 1919. His
One of the more remarkable qualities human beings possess is the ability to adjust to change. In fact, we adapt faster than ever these days and nowhere is it more obvious than in the wine business. Remember all the fuss about screwcaps and how
When I think of modern South African wine I usually occupy my white wine thoughts with chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc, simply the freshest and most interesting examples coming out of the Cape. When it comes to reds, it's the shiraz/syrah as
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