Portugal gets the heat. This beautiful, friendly and genuine country, wedged between continental Spain and the vast Atlantic ocean can easily reach 45+ Celsius, so indigenous grapes (there are more authchthonous grapes per hectare in Portugal than anywhere
The folks at New District asked us to put together a quarterly wine pack to offer to their customers. Our second selection, now on offer, is a choice of six wines made under the direction of Italian winemaker/consultant Alberto Antonini. Alberto's work
There are so many ‘Canada 150’ lists, so please forgive us for yet another one. In our defence, we review wine every single day so we believe our list is as rigourous as it can be based on the thousands of Canadian wines we tasted over the
There's something about summer that makes us drink pink. Don't get me wrong - I love drinking rosé wines year round, though there is little better than sitting in the warm summer sunlight enjoying a refreshing glass of crisp, dry rosé. Think
Earlier this week we wrapped the seventeeth National Wine Awards of Canada in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Alongside 21 of Canada’s top wine judges (my wine family) we tasted some 1700 wines over five days, rolling through 2400 Zwilling Prédicat
At the risk of stereotyping the masculine gender, it's a dad’s kind of Top Ten this week : red wines in honour of Father’s Day. If you are grilling beef or pork or even venison or root vegetables, this is the list for you. Happy Father’s
I can tell that summer has arrived, even if the weather isn’t entirely cooperating. It’s not because Vancouverites have bravely been wearing shorts for weeks now, or that there has been a flood of visitors standing around the steam clock every
Unsure what to do with gewürztraminer? Let's start with the pronounciation: both {geh VAIRTZ trah mee ner} and {geh vertz STRAW min ner} are acceptable versions, though most often folks will just shorten it to Gew. The name itself quite
Last month I guided 30 of Vancouver’s wine trade through a tour and tasting of South Africa. Over the course of two hours, and 18 wines, we chatted about what’s driving South Africa’s wine revolution, and why I find the country to be
The Mark Anthony Group of Companies today announced an agreement to purchase The Bacchus Group, a fine wine and spirits import and distribution company operating in Western Canada with a history of building premium brands such as Château de la Gardine,
The sun is here, and summer is just around the corner. Earlier this spring we posted our Top 10 Italian Reds under $25. With the Italians knowing a thing or two about enjoying the heat, here is the companion piece, our Top 10 (and ties) Italian whites
Low yields due to moderate frosts in the Uco Valley, an early harvest, and perfect balance. Laura Catena’s favorite vintage since 1995. Prepared by Dr. Laura Catena, Chief Winemaker Alejandro Vigil and Viticulturist Luis Reginato. After Harvest
This week was the first spring edition of Top Drop Vancouver. The popular, purposefully-small, independent, annual wine festival has previously taken place in the autumn. Now in its forth vintage, the two-day fete combines the collective brainpower
Prosecco scoffer, yeah? Too sweet, too simple, too commercial? You’re just drinking from the wrong bottles, friend. Prosecco may be the most successful sparkling wine tale in the world, and it’s no secret why. Basic prosecco is cheap, cheerful,
Victoria Day long weekend is the unofficial kick off to camping, patios, boating and - importantly - BBQ season. Of course with everything from pizza to prawns to steaks to smores cooked on the 'cue, there is no one single style of BBQ wine to match.