Cat's pee on a gooseberry bush. That was my initial introduction to Kiwi sauvignon blanc. For a budding wine enthusiast this was at once terrifying (you want me to drink what?) and relieving (finally wine descriptors that make sense!) Of course, Sauvignon
There are few things more satisfying than a casual French bistro meal and a bottle of juicy red. Unpretentious, honest, satisfying sums up both the food and the wine. And, critically, the price; these are not expensive, fine dining experiences, but they're
It seems like every humble grape has its own international day of celebration now. Malbec, however, was one of the first to be singled out and highlighted, fittingly, from Wines of Argentina, the black grape's ex-pat homeland. Approximately 75 percent
It finally feels like spring. Popping along with the cherry blossoms is the thoughts of sunny days, fresh halibut, early asparagus and Easter ham. These are all flavours that welcome sunshine in a glass, hence this week's Top 10: Spanish whites for spring. These
It's been said that no one knows all of the indigenous Italian grapes. No one - not even when their Latin winegrowing, vine tending, wine producing genes date back 20+ centuries (and countless before) in Italy. The Etruscans and Greek settlers
You say grigio, I say gris. You think thin and crisp and I think full and rich. And that's just within BC. Poor BCPG. If any grape can claim identity crisis, it’s pinot gris. A white mutation clone of the black pinot noir, gris' skin colour
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
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
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,
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
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
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%,