Posts Tagged ‘Wine Tasting’

California Wine Fair March 11

February 21st, 2011 admin

Whether you are a casual wine enthusiast or a serious wine connoisseur, don’t miss this exciting opportunity to sample the finest wine from over 100 wineries from the Napa, Sonoma and Central Coast regions. Now in its 31st year of touring across Canada the 2011 CALIFORNIA WINE FAIR BALLROOM TASTING includes products currently available in the market, as well as new vintage and varietals that have yet to be released to the Canadian Market.

You will also enjoy our diverse & exciting silent auction featuring hard to find private cellar wines, dinner-theatre packages, travel getaways and more.

Captivate your palate and intensify your knowledge and love of wine. See the list of participating wineries this year.

Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, 999 Canada Place. 7PM

Tickets: $65 regular price, $55 each for groups of six or more (must be booked at one time).

For Ticket and Info, call box office at 604.687.1644 or buy online.

Posted in All About Wine, Latest Tags: , , , , 1 Comment »

Taste BC 2011

February 1st, 2011 admin

Jonah & Andrew from Bentons Cheese

I recently attended Taste BC 2011, a fundraiser put on by Liberty Wine Merchants with proceeds going to BC Children’s Hospital – Oak Tree Clinic. The event held at the Hyatt gave my friends and I a chance to walk about the large room and taste wines, ciders and beers from fine producers from around BC. I was able to chat with many of the producers to find out which products were new or how they were made and where they were available.

Rustic Roots Fruit Wines

Kettle Valley "Starboard" Wine

For Wine, loved the Rustic Roots fruit wines, Painted Rock wines, Laughing Stock wines, and the Kettle Valley ‘Starboard’ dessert wine. The best food booth was Bentons Cheese who offered up samples of many different cheeses that paired well with the wines.

By: Richard Wolak

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Taste of Blue Mountain

January 27th, 2011 admin

Chef Lee Humphries of C Restaurant

On Monday, January 17 I attended an evening celebrating the premium wines of BC’s Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars at the Four Seasons Hotel.  The event was grazing style which allowed guests to wander the room sampling wines paired with cuisine from twelve of British Columbia’s top restaurants.

Cured Duck Confit Steam Bun by Chef Sean Cousins at The Vancouver Club

My favourite dish was the Cured Duck Confit Steam Bun by Chef Sean Cousins at The Vancouver Club –this dish was served on a clear plastic business card (clever and memorable presentation) paired with the Blue Mountain Gamay Noir 2009.

Spot Prawn Canneloni with leek fondue by Chef Chris Whittaker of O’Doul’s Restaurant

Belizian Prawns Provencale by Chef Jean-Francis Quaglia of Provence

Other favourite dishes were the Organic Oceans Salmon by Chef Robert Clark of C Restaurant –paired with Blue Mountain 2009 Pinot Blanc; Spot Prawn Canneloni with leek fondue by Chef Chris Whittaker of O’Doul’s Restaurant – paired with the Blue Mountain Reserve Pinot Gris 2008; and Belizian Prawns Provencale by Chef Jean-Francis Quaglia of Provence – paired with Blue Mountain Chardonnay 2009.

The other restaurants that participated in this stellar evening included: Cin Cin, DB Bistro Moderne, Hart House Restaurant, Lift Bar & Grill, Raincity Grill, The Shore Club, The Pointe Restaurant at Wickaninnish Inn and Yew Restaurant+ Bar.

Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars is a family-owned winery in BC’s Okanagan Valley and is distinctive among Canadian wineries in that all its wines are produced exclusively from grapes grown on the estate’s vineyards.  Ian Mavety purchased the land which is now Blue Mountain Vineyard in 1971.

By: Richard Wolak

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Blue Mountain Wines at Seasons

August 19th, 2010 admin

Christine Fawcett of Keystone Fine Wines


On August 17th, I attended a tasting of Blue Mountain Wines paired along with bites from Seasons in the Park!

Blue Mountain Vineyard is located in Okanagan Falls, BC; Christine Fawcett of Keystone Fine Wines was the speaker and she talked about each of the wines and pairing with these three wines Gold Label Brut Sparkling, 2008 Pinot Blanc, and 2008 Pinot Noir.

Halibut Cakes

My favourite pairing was the Blue Mountain 2008 Pinot Noir with the Australian Lamb Chop, cabernet demi-glace.

Australian Lamb Chop, cabernet demi-glace

This tasting event was held in Seasons Wine Bar and our table gave way to a spectacular backdrop of the Vancouver skyline on a clear warm summer night.

By: Richard Wolak
Photo credit: Ariane Colenbrander


Posted in Latest, Tastings Tags: , , , , 1 Comment »

Painted Rock Wines Summer Toast

August 12th, 2010 admin

Yesterday I attended a tasting of Painted Rock Wines alongside with tasty bites from Monk McQueens.

Tasty bites Sliders, Prawns and Spring Rolls

Painted Rock Estate Winery is located in Penticton, BC and it was great to have them participate in this tasting in the city.

John Skinner - Proprietor of Painted Rock Estate Winery

It was a pleasure to hear John Skinner speak about his wines and the progress they have made to date.

Painted Rock Wines

My favourite bites from Monk McQueen’s kitchen were the Beef Sliders, Philo Wrapped Prawns and the Smoked and Candied Salmon which paired well with the Painted Rock Chardonnay and Syrah.

By: Richard Wolak



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Desert Hills Wine Pairing at The Edge

July 30th, 2010 admin

Last night I attended a tasting of Desert Hills Wines alongside with tasty bites from The Edge Social Grille and Lounge on Granville.

Desert Hills Wines

Desert Hills Winery is located in Oliver, BC and it was great to have them participate in this tasting in the city.

Pemberton Meadows Beef Sliders

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Handmade Ricotta Tortellini

My favourite bites from Chef Chris Dignan’s kitchen were the Beef Sliders, Buttermilk Fried Chicken and the Ricotta Tortellini with roasted summer squash, truffle oil and parmesan which paired well with the Desert Hills Gamay and Syrah.

By: Richard Wolak

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Wine Tasting with a Social Twist at CBC May 26

May 4th, 2010 admin

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards has always been a leader in the BC Wine industry and embracing the age of social media has proven no different. The Tinhorn Creek team are avid tweeters, Facebook followers and are very LinkedIn. So, to meet their fellow social types, Winemaker Sandra Oldfield and the crew from Tinhorn Creek Vineyard are hosting a Staggered Tasting, Wednesday, May 26th from 6 – 9pm in the Audience Lounge at CBC, 700 Hamilton Street, Vancouver. This event is structured as “brown bag meets speed dating”, with a fast paced tasting followed by light canapés, and guided unveiling of wines by Sandra Oldfield and live tweeting galore. Tickets are an incredibly reasonable $20 and can be purchased at www.staggeredtasting.eventbrite.com or by calling the winery at 1-888-484-6467.

This irreverent look at Speed Dating has nothing to do with dating, but more about the fast paced times we live in and making wine tasting fun. Guests have five minutes per brown bag, then move to the next table, taste and move on. Upon completion, winemaker Sandra Oldfield will guide tasters through the nuances of each varietal, with the chance to win great prizes if you choose to enter the game and guess the wine. Enjoy the cool space of CBC, taste and re-taste wines, nibble on canapés and leave with a souvenir Riedel wine glass. BUT, no staggering allowed!!!

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Afterglow 2010 Naramata Bench Wine Tasting

April 14th, 2010 admin

Goldfish Pacific Kitchen's Humbolt Squid

On April 12th, I attended a wine tasting that featured a large selection of wineries from all over the Naramata Bench area.  This ballroom tasting along with a silent auction held at the Westin Bayshore Hotel paired two wineries with food bites from a selection of local and Naramata region restaurants.

Westin Bayshore Chefs

These were my favourite bites as I was eating more than I was drinking at this event.

Friukno Salami, Guiness Mustard on Croistini

Salt Tasting Room rocked it with their Friukno Salami, Guiness Mustard on Croistini which was best paired with the Van Western Vinyards 2006 Voluptious.

Scallop Ceviche Taco

Naramata Heritage Inn and their tasty Scallop Ceviche Taco with Quince and Blood Orange Marmalade which was best paired with the Township 7 Vineyards 2008 7 Blanc.

Pacific Angels Qualicum Scallops

The Westin Bayshore with their Tempura Seaweed topped Pacific Angels Qualicum Scallops which was best paired with the Howling Bluff Estate Winery 2007 Sin Cera.

Chocolate Truffle Cake

For dessert, the best one in the house was the Chocolate Truffle Cake from the Westin Bayshore which was best paired with the D’Angelo Estate Winery 2006 Pinot Noir.

If you are planning a visit to the Naramata Bench region and want to check out some of the wineries, you may want to visit them online at www.naramatabench.com

By: Richard Wolak

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