wine touring

No Roughing it in Osoyoos: Watermark Hits the Mark and More

September 27, 2013
The view from Watermark: An ever changing panorama

I’ll admit it: when I’m in full-on writing mode, I’m a bit of a home-body, which can be challenging on the road. All the more reason why I’m very happy to be ensconced in the Watermark Beach Resort, in Osoyoos, in southern BC. Yes, I’m being hosted here. Thank you, friendly Watermark people. But this […]

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What’s in a Blend? Don’t Ask Kevin Grant!

September 22, 2013
Ataraxia, on a ridge in The Cape

What’s in a blend? Why worry? One of the many interesting people I met at Beautiful South in London last week was winemaker Kevin Grant. He and his wife Hanli own Ataraxia in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, on a ridge overlooking the stunningly beautiful, cooler coastal region—whose name (which means “Heaven on Earth”) kept popping up during […]

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A Clutch of Wines for BC Day from Across the Province

August 4, 2013
The elaborately carved coat of arms details the history of European settlement and early industries—grape growing not among them...

Centennial BC Coat of Arms at Government House There’s no time like the B.C. Day long weekend to celebrate the diversity of B.C. wines, no matter where in the province your holiday takes you. Back when the pre-NAFTA group of pioneers amounted to barely a dozen or so believers, a few figured the Okanagan might […]

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La Source des Fées: a Little Corner of Paradise in Fuissé, Burgundy

July 19, 2013
La Souce des Fées is tucked away in picturesque Fuissé

 La Source des Fées: in the heart of the Burgundian countryside When I was in my early teens my parents arranged a summer exchange with my French pen-pal. I’d already crossed the Channel once (to sing at Chartres Cathedral), a trip that marked the beginning of a life-long love affair with France. What I didn’t […]

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6 Helpful Hints (and more) for a Successful #Okanagan Wine Tour

July 18, 2013
Not a bad way to start the day: at Quails Gate, overlooking Lake Okanagan

Planning a wine tour? Here’s a few ground rules A couple of weeks ago I found myself on the patio at Quails Gate’s impressive, vista-kissed tasting room, at around 10 in the morning. The first wine up was Quails Gate Chenin Blanc 2012. Think hints of papaya with a burst of lemon lime and zippy […]

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In Burgundy’s Pouilly-Fuissé, it’s All About the Rocks

May 5, 2013
La Roche de Vergisson, in southern Burgundy, presides over vineyards with names such as Les Crays (Chalks), Tim Pawsey photo

Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy. One day into a whirlwind tour of Burgundy, my very obliging guide, Youri Lebault (Bourgogne Gold Tour), is anxious to make sure I understand the importance of “The Rocks”. (More about Youri’s superb service shortly…) Named Solutré and Vergisson, these twins (though by no means identical) are just two km. apart. They tower […]

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Sun Peaks Winter Wine Festival: The Skiing Senator, Snowshoes and Syrah

January 4, 2013
Sun-Peaks-Sundance-Lodge-Tim-Pawsey-photo-300x199

UPDATE: There are still a few tix to be had for this year’s Sun Peaks Winter Festival of Wine (January 12-20, 2013). Take a look at last year’s post and you’ll see it’s a lot of fun—particularly if you’re a skier or into any other winter sports. Sun Peaks is one of those ‘just right’ […]

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Looking to Pamper Your Palate? Maybe it’s Time to Join a Wine Club

December 4, 2012

Changes are happening at a rapid pace to the ways in which Canadians have traditionally been able to purchase and consume their wine. In Manitoba it’s only a matter of days before the first  Manitoba Liquor Mart will open in Pembina Safeway. And, as of this year, in scrambling to catch up BC,  caterers are […]

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“The Lake”: When History, Music and Wine Combine

October 29, 2012

  UPDATED: The Lake opens tonight—and is sold out. The good news is there are still tix for tomorrow night (November 15). And the better news is that all audience members  have a chance to enter a draw to win a superb weekend at Quails Gate’s guest cottage, The Nest, with dinner at Old Vines […]

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Sea Cider House Rules: An Elixir Redefined on BC’s Saanich Peninsular

July 26, 2012

My first encounter with real cider happened at a relatively youg age. Not long after my 16th birthday, in a misguided attempt to beat the summer heat, I downed an ice cold pint of draught Somerset scrumpy—which was probably around 8 percent ABV, if not more. An aside – local scrumpy was also rumoured to […]

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