Category: Vancouver Island

Although this press release from 40 Knots Vineyard & Estate Winery (with a few edits by me) came out in November, a deadline is coming up in January about their court case with Loblaws Companies Ltd.  Below is information about their dispute about their wine named Ziggy. Since February 2016, 40 Knots Vineyard & Estate Winery on Vancouver Island began their…

Whatever you are celebrating this December, it’s probably with family and/or friends for a meal at some point.  Food loves wine, so here are a few of my recommended wines that should go with many dishes, or to enjoy on their own before or after your meal.  Enjoy these BC wines! My Holiday BC Wine Suggestions Backyard Vineyards Blanc de…

2017 was a terrible harvest in France due to poor weather conditions through the growing season, producing the smallest grape harvest since 1945. In the United States, Napa and Sonoma Valleys were hit by forest fires which although was late in the harvest, still affected later ripening grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. The Valleys were also suffering from a heat wave, causing…

Cool climate wines are where the vibrant acidity and tart fruit flavours. Citrus trending to stone fruits for white wines, and red fruits like strawberries, raspberries and red cherries.  A cool climate region to consider for wines is Vancouver Island.  There are a few wineries there, and one in particular, Blue Grouse Estate Winery in Duncan, has been producing some…

BC is a large province, with a varied climate from maritime to alpine.  Our grape growing regions for wine production vary from the coast, to slightly inland (think the Fraser Valley), to our hot interior (the Okanagan or Kamloops for example).  With all this variability in climate, you would think that grape harvests would all vary and the wines that…

The first modern winery on Vancouver Island is Vigneti Zanatta which is located 10 minutes by car southwest of downtown Duncan.  I think what sets them apart from the other wineries on Vancouver Island is their specialization on making sparkling wines. The winery was named Vigneti Zanatta after the Italian family who owned the farm since the 1950s, and still do through…

You may not have heard of Blue Grouse Estate Winery from Duncan before, but the winery has quite a history.  In 2012 the Brunner family took over the winery but it was owned for many years by Dr. Hans Kiltz and his wife Evangeline in the late 1980s, where they discovered several grape vines planted on their land.  The grapes…

Starting a restaurant is hard.  Running a restaurant is hard. Whether you are the owner, chef, wait staff, or any combination of these, you are dedicated, you love food, and what you do.  This week was the Vancouver Magazine 24th Annual Restaurant Awards in Vancouver, celebrating our restaurants, chefs, and staff who have been tantalizing our tastebuds over the past…

Have you ever attended ChefmeetsBCGrape before?  It is a great event where you get to try BC VQA wines, and wonderful food produced by top BC chefs.  The dishes prepared are from Ocean Wise partner restaurants, which is good IMHO as I want to support ocean-friendly seafood choices. This event is held in Vancouver. When you check the list of…

This past week was very busy with wine events, but one event that I made sure to attend was the Bloom Vancouver, BC VQA Spring Release Tasting.  This was a Trade only event, so people like media, restaurant owners, sommeliers, and other wine buyers for consumers were only in attendance.  With spring you get the current release of the white…