Tag: chenin blanc

Cooking with local, healthy, sustainable ingredients should be a goal we all aspire.  Knowing where our food comes from and how it was harvested can help us make sustainable food choices.  For Chef Ned Bell, it has been a journey to learn about sustainability, first from the land to the plate, and now from what is in our oceans to…

It’s wine quiz time!  Name a region in the world that is known for their restrained wines made from Chardonnay.  Now name a region that besides making Chardonnay, also makes Pinot Noir?  Final question; does this region have more than 300 years of wine making history? Putting all 3 answers together you may have guessed Chablis in France, or Burgundy…

Canada is a big country, with our wine grape growing areas on the limit of possibility, but at the edges of possibility is where you can make exciting wines, I’ve been told.  In the Festival Tasting Room I spent many hours tasting wines from BC, Ontario, and Nova Scotia, and speaking with the winery principals in attendance.  Below are the…

I love to support our BC wineries.  I watched over the many years as the number of wineries has grown as well as the quality improved.  Wine critics from here as well as around the world, have tasted our wines, celebrated the quality, and told others.  Now you can find BC wines around the world, from Hong Kong to London….

Buying French wine can be daunting.  The name of the grape is not seen on the bottle.  There could be the name of the village or vineyard on the bottle.  None of which probably helps many people here in Canada.  But with perseverance and a bit of knowledge you can learn a bit about a wine region, such as the…

Icon Fine Wines & Spirits is a wine and spirit agency located in Yaletown that features predominantly family-owned boutique wine produced from major wine regions of the world, as well as niche spirits and imported craft beer.  I was invited recently to try the latest wines, and vintages, in their portfolio.  Following are some of my favourite wines from the…

At the Import Vintners & Spirits Association (IVSA) tastings, held most months, gives the Trade a chance to try the latest wines and spirits coming to Vancouver.  There are always a few gems that people come across and spread the word, so that you have to find that table and try that wine.  At this tasting, the whispers were to…

Cornucopia weekends are chock full of activities; tasting room events, like Cellar Door Grand Tasting, and seminars like “Stars of South Africa“.  I was able to attend these two events, and would like to share my experience with you, and maybe get you interested to sign up for this upcoming weekend at Cornucopia in Whistler. Cellar Door Grand Tasting What…

Do you switch the types of wines you drink throughout the year?  Lighter, brighter White, Sparkling, and Rosé wines for the longer spring and summer, and fuller bodied reds for the cold, rainy (or snowy) winter days?  Of course the fuller bodied reds also go with BBQ in the summer, but in general I think most of us like a…

It’s Spring!  I have at least 5 tulips blooming in my front yard, the sun is out, and I’m looking to find some new and exciting white wines for the patio for me and for you.  Last week was the latest Import Vintners & Spirits Association (IVSA) Trade tasting to introduce the wine & spirits trade to the new libations…