Category: VQA

Do you know what a Geographical Indication (GI) means in the BC wine industry? According to a BC Ministry of Agriculture press release, a GI is “…a standard element of appellation systems used around the world that help people identify wines in the marketplace, provide assurance as to the origin and quality of the wine, and promote agri-tourism. British Columbia…

It was truly a sad day in the BC wine community yesterday, July 23, 2019, when we were all shocked by the sudden passing of Harry McWatters.  A pioneer who helped lead the wine for quality BC wine.  I met with Harry casually during the Vancouver International Wine Festivals, where he was always busy, but always smiling.  I had a…

Riesling, Pinot Gris and Viognier were prominent in this BC VQA Spring wine release tasting.  It is not surprising as white wine releases are more common in the Spring while more red wines are released in the Fall.  Viognier though I think made a bigger showing this year than in past years, and showed well.  Lots of fruit flavour and…

As BC is large with a cooler coastal climate and a hotter, drier interior, our yearly vintages can cover a range from marginal to exceptional.  Luckily we have been closer to the exceptional end of the vintage spectrum these last years.  How was the 2018 vintage?  I attended a media preview of the 2018 vintage and had 4 winemakers from…

It is the Easter weekend for many people around the world, and besides the religious celebrations, enjoying meals with family and friends is also a big part.  The BC VQA Spring wine release kicked off this week, but the wines may not yet be at your local bottle shop or BC Liquor Store.  Here are 5 BC VQA wines that…

If you have never been to the Hart House Restaurant in Burnaby, you are missing a treat; excellent food, wine, and beautiful scenery.  But here is your chance to come to Hart House and celebrate dinner with icon Harry McWatters for his 50th anniversary in the wine industry in BC.  I had a chance to interview Harry in 2016.  Here…

Dine Out Vancouver is well underway.  I went to a restaurant to enjoy their special Dine Out meal, paired with a red BC VQA wine.  The food was very good, but the wine was served warm to me.  Not the right temperature at all for this wine.  The fruit flavours did not come through.  And this dampened my enthusiasm for the…

Finally, the sunny, warm weather is with us here in BC. Winter was dreadful, but now we can get out on the patio and enjoy some freshly vinified BC white wine. The 2016 harvest was very good in BC and produced wines with good flavour character and acidity. Recently I attended the Bloom BC VQA Spring Release Tasting and tasted…

Winemakers, just like butchers, bakers, and astrophysicists, have to go to school, in order to learn how things work, why they work that way, and best practices.  In Canada there are colleges that offer wine making training; one such place is Niagara College, located by Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario.  I was fortunate to visit the college to review one of their…

I will be volunteering at the 4th Annual Shine a Light Kidney Gala which takes place on March 3rd, 2016 at The Fairmont Vancouver Hotel.  This event raises awareness of kidney disease for the work and mission of The Kidney Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Society of Nephrology. Last year’s Gala, hosted and covered by CTV, was successful thanks…