What is natural wine? As we found out talking to a number of winemakers, growers, consultants and experts at last month's Vancouver International Wine Festival, it's as unclassifiable as Mother Nature herself. The exact definition of natural wine
Mention tannat to seasoned wine drinkers and you will get a mix of responses. Some think France, others are reminded of a highly tannic red wine, while some think Uruguay where the grape is part of the national heritage. The original tannat material came
Though sémillon changes dramatically from youth through old age, it always carries itself with an air of nobility. With berries of golden rose, young sémillon shows bright, sometimes racy acidity, citrus and hay/herb notes. With bottle age,
We survived another busy VIWF week. Between moderating seminars and panel contributions, minglers, dinners, lunches, brunches - not to mention the International Tasting Room floor - we tasted hundreds of wines this week, most of them Canadian. In addition
Not long after the province of South Australia was proclaimed in 1836, the colony’s first Surveyor General, Colonel William Light, came upon a fertile valley just northeast of Adelaide. Light gave the Barossa Ranges its name in memory of the British
There are more than 180 wineries at this year’s Vancouver International Wine Festival. While theme region Canada is strong with 76 wineries representing, there are 15 other countries participating. With each producer pourig four wines for the public,
It’s always great to discover new Canadian cheeses. A few months ago I stumbled on a terrific cheese from Ontario that I hadn’t tried before. That’s not to say that it has only been available for a short time; it’s more a case
Few grapes incite as much emotion, or admiration, world wide as pinot noir. Last week a small group of Vancouver sommeliers to taste through a dozen Mornington Peninsula pinot noirs. The wines aren't available in the Canadian market (yet) but were selected
Yes, Valentine's Day is coming. We're all about treating yourself or your special someone to a lovely bottle of wine. Please! But you don't need an excuse to drink pink fizz. However, Valentine's Day may just provide you with a reason to stock up on a
Last fall I spent a week in Portugal’s Douro Valley with The Douro Boys during harvest. Though they don’t quite qualify as ‘boys’, the five men (and their wives, daughters, and sons) behind the innovative collective all possess
This week the GOW Top Ten takes a look at New World pinot noir, or should we say Next World pinot noir. First time pinot noir drinkers usually succumb to its silky, juicy fruit while veteran swillers simply admire the concentration and depth of flavour
Chinese New Year 2017 begins January 28, kicking off two weeks of celebrations honouring the Rooster. Befitting such an important celebration, there will be much feasting, prompting the familiar question, “Which wine to pair with Chinese food?” That’s
Sideways, Bottle Shock, Mondovino, SOMM 1 and 2, A Year In Burgundy, and now Sour Grapes - wine movies have clearly moved into the mainstream. Never has there been so much interest in the machinations of the wine world, and especially the seemingly cloaked
Next week the wine world will gather in Wellington, New Zealand to focus on Pinot Noir NZ 2017. Pinot Noir NZ 2017, held every four years, is a must-do event for pinot-philes, uniting 115 wineries and more than 600 wines to showcase to some 600 industry
It wasn't so long ago that Aussie and Shiraz were inseparable, at least on our local wine shelves. And while shiraz still led the 2016 red crush by tonnage at 46%, it was down slightly from 2015, while the second place cabernet sauvignon was up by 20%,
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