They say one should never judge a book by its cover, but what about a wine by its label? If the answer seems obvious, the reaction of wine buyers, or book buyers for that matter, is not as clear-cut. Even if a label can't make a wine taste better, it
All across Germany wine drinkers flocked to wine country last weekend to sample the first releases of the 2003 vintage. The yearly May Day holiday weekend ritual is used by both buyers and sellers to gauge interest in the previous fall's harvest. It's
Selling Chilean wine in North America continues to be a challenge for many reasons, most of which have little to do with the wines. The competition is stiff and the marketing is ferocious for New World varietal wine and clearly, for the moment, Australia
Not all that long ago, ABC tastings, as in 'anything but chardonnay,' were all the rage. Sauvignon blanc, riesling, viognier and lately gruner veltliner have all made substantial inroads especially with consumers looking for something different. But throughout
The three-year on-again, off-again liquor privatization debacle may be over, but its effect on the government-run monopoly's wine portfolio, now among the most boring and common in the country, could live on for months if not years. The "we are back
The most difficult part of making and selling fine wine in the 00s is getting the rest of the world to sit up and take notice. Where to go, who to talk with and what to say sound easy until you find yourself actually having to do it. You only need to
The Playhouse festival has come and gone for another year but not before several California wineries (part of the festival's 2004 theme region contingent) put their best foot forward, showing off a wealth of new regions and new wines. It's safe to say
It's amazing how a couple of warm days and a few extra hours of daylight can transform a lightweight, fruity wine into a delicious, thirst-quenching, patio favourite almost overnight. Often as you sip these wines the fruit is so bright and, well, fruity
Not all that long ago, the merlot grape was the darling of red wine drinkers, but it has taken a serious hit in popularity as the red-wine market matures. Some of its lost lustre can be attributed to indifferent juice created to take advantage of the
With just over two weeks to go, organizers are reporting brisk ticket sales for the 26th Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, scheduled at venues throughout the city from March 15 to 21. To date, many events are very nearly or already sold
The 26th Playhouse International Wine Festival is just around the corner and since nearly a quarter of the events have already sold out, I thought it might be helpful to delve into some of the top tasting opportunities still available throughout festival
According to history buffs, Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. So, why the celebration and why the inevitable link to love? The strongest story thread leads to a third-century Roman named Valentinus or Valentine and Emperor
North America's love affair with varietal wines has proven beneficial for some Old World wines whose appellation or regional names, while famous, never indicate to the uninformed what's in the bottle. A case in point is today's topic, Bordeaux Blanc.
Wine prices are going up Sunday in British Columbia when the already obscene ad valorem liquor tax jumps from 110 per cent to an astounding 117 per cent as it is applied to the landed value of any wine. It's been suggested that the new tax will raise
Two wineries, three wines, two countries and two hemispheres are the mix for today's tasting that brings together unrelated producers -- Delas Freres from the Rhone Valley, France and Fairview Wines from the Paarl region of South Africa -- both of which
After three decades of unprecedented growth and development, it is safe to say California wine producers, big and small, are reeling from the financial after-effects of the collapse of the dot-com market, the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the Two-Buck
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