The quote of the year in the wine business, at least so far, appeared in an online Decanter magazine story earlier this week covering the 2011 harvest in Bordeaux. An unnamed Bordeaux producer of a renowned left bank château was quoted as saying, '"We
The Chenin Blanc Association of South Africa traces the history of its prized grape as far back as the ninth century to the Anjou, Loire Valley region in France. It was likely referred to as Chenere before it was renamed Chenin Blanc, after Mont Chenin
Earlier this summer, I was one of two dozen judges at the 6th Wine Access International Value Wine Awards (IVWA) competition in Calgary. The blind tasting event is run by Wine Access Magazine out of Calgary, where I have been the Vancouver-based editor-in
Roquefort is probably the best known and the possibly the most misunderstood of blue cheeses from France. We all know the name, but do we know to what precise specifications this AOC gem is made? Roquefort is made from fresh sheep's milk, taken from
Local wine is in the news this week, and surprise, surprise, the story isn't all that positive. It seems consumers are balking at the price of B.C. wine in general and high-priced "trophy" wines are not moving at all. Local wine has had a good run for
From Johannes Selbach... With sadness I have to report that our 2011 vintage took a beating, just before the finishing line. We were looking forward to a very good and finally plentiful crop. Take a look at youtube and type in Hagel
As the last days of carefree summer living slip into the longer cooler days of autumn, I wanted to be sure we covered off the ultimate summer sipper, the noble Riesling. You might be surprised to know that only a century ago Riesling was the
It was not all that long ago, 2004 to be exact, when Merlot had become the whipping boy of the wine industry. Overproduced and under-flavoured, it was infamously damned in the movie Sideways during a pre-dinner scene when would-be novelist and Pinot Noir
Earlier this spring I was contemplating a lineup of summer columns that would more or less match the weather. The annual arrival of at least some moderate heat would have allowed for an orderly transition from big reds to fresher, lighter summer wines.
So many things we might take for granted when we choose a drink to begin the evening, came from the apothecarial exigencies of the ecclesiastical orders in France, as in other parts of Europe. Herbs, roots, flowers, moss, almost any kind of vegetation
It is finally summer in British Columbia and stories about wine are beginning to lighten up to match the style of wine we enjoy most during warm, sunny weather. My favourite wine news of the week comes from The Body Odd on msnbc.com. It seems researchers
I'm turning to some personal favourites this weekend that really over-deliver for the price. The wine world is full of high scores for high-priced wine, but it is a lot more difficult to source medium-to high-quality wines at moderate prices. By that
I find it ironic when Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago says, "it's important not to fall into the trap of drinking only your own wines. You must have benchmarks against which to measure your own achievements," if only because many of his wines set
Pecorino is the Italian word for sheep's milk cheese. As you can imagine the style varies greatly depending on terrain and feed for the sheep, cheese making techniques and aging. There are hundreds of pecorinos made in Italy and it is truly amazing how
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