Monday, March 29, 2010

Wine Country B.C.

Closeup on Gamay and Desert Hills Gamay 2008

Posted by winecountrybc on March 23, 2010

This is the second in our Close Up series on wine varieties in the Okanagan valley and this time we’re featuring Gamay. Gamay is sometimes denied its dues as a serious wine grape and sometimes can get ignored altogether. But here in the Okanagan, there are some high quality producers that are making great wines that are extremely easy to sip and savour. In this case, the reputation of the product precedes it and you can hear Amber and AJ smiling just before the wine gets poured.

Wine Country B.C. podcast Desert Hills Gamay 2008

Click on Photo for Wine Country B.C.'s Podcast

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BC’s 5 DVA’s and a Mystery Wine

Posted by winecountrybc on February 23, 2010

There is more to BC wine that the Okanagan Valley. Although the Okanagan is the largest producer of grapes in BC, there are other regions that are putting themselves on the map for quality viticulture. What grapes are being grown in these viticulural areas? Can they all grow similar varieties? Do all the wines that a winery produces have to be from within their own DVA or can they buy grapes from elsewhere? We’ll blind taste a wine from a newer DVA (hint: it isn’t from the Okanagan) and compare notes on all the regions.

B.C.'s 5 Designated Viticultural Areas Click Here or on Image for Podcast >>


UBC's Osoyoos, Okanagan Grape Vines

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Wine and Mood Pairings and Little Straw Tapestry ‘08

Posted by winecountrybc on January 26, 2010

Sometimes pairing wine with food just isn’t enough. If our mood or the atmosphere of our surroundings can influence how we perceive wine, then why not be selective of which wine we enjoy in whatever state we find ourselves in? Do our wine choices change with the seasons? So light some candles, pour a glass of your favorite comfort wine and join us in our zaniest podcast to date.

Wine And Mood Pairings Click Here or on Image Below for Podcast.

Little Straw Tapestry Winery, B.C.

By Luke Whittall

...This topic has been buzzing in my head for a while and was one of the reasons that I started Wine Country BC. I’ve been reading Vines and Wine Access and Wine Spectator and Decanter and Northwest Palate and Vancouver Magazine’s Wine Awards issue and all of their online versions and review sites and all that stuff and I can’t really ever find anything truly negative or positive about wines from Canada. Some blogs can have great and brutally honest critiques (http://tv.winelibrary.com or http://www.vinifico.com for a more local example) but most of the time the passion for the subject (or maybe for the act of blogging itself) propels people into posting things about wines that are most interesting only to themselves. That’s why I stayed away from blogging for so long – who cares what I think? Who the hell am I to write about this stuff? What brought me into the new wave of blogging was the idea that maybe I can contribute constructively to the industry within which I literally live.

The wine industry in BC has been growing at a bizarre rate compared with the rest of the world, where oversupply has created excess product. Wineries here can’t make enough wine and some sell out well before the next vintage is even ready. (Good luck finding any La Frenz product after the fall wine festival. Find More by Luke Whittall on...WineCountry B.C. >>>

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Posted via web from Local Food And Wine

Friday, March 26, 2010

Vancouver Sampler Wines, Chefs, Restaurants



Vancouver is a FOODIE town. 9 Reasons why!

Video 1: Introduction by Gold Medal Olympian, Alex Bilodeau

Video 2: Tojo invented the California Roll in 1974. See him show you how to make step by step.

Video 3: Iron Chef Rob Feenie shows you how to make his Sable Fish dish in his Test Kitchen.

Video 4: Lesley Stowe introduces a new product soon to be in your pantry - Raincoast Crisps

Video 5: Vij's is a unique place for the Lady Cooks.

Video 6: Jean-Georges samples a local wine.

Video 7: Johnny Lyall introduces Japadog

Video 8: Kirin's Gold Medal Meal

Video 9: Food & Wine at Coast

Video 10: Apples & Champagne at Boneta

CNN producer note

ChrisMorrow covered the Winter Games in Vancouver this year. While she was there, she took time to scope out the best food in the city and interviewed the best chefs.
- zdan, CNN iReport producer


Sunday, March 21, 2010

California Wine Fair In Vancouver

CALIFORNIA  WINEMAKER'S DINNER

April 6, 6:30 PM Seasons in the Park Restaurant

Queen Elizabeth Park

Join us for a special California Winemaker’s Reception and Dinner featuring wines from Robert Mondavi Winery.

Nicole Meacham, an International Wines Associate based in California, and Leslie Gadoury, Brand Manager for Robert, will be here to provide insight about each of the wines which will then be masterfully paired with a four-course dinner prepared by Executive Chef at Seasons in the Park, Buddy Wolfe. Seasons features a stunning panoramic view of the city, and is the perfect setting to enjoy this exciting wine selection.

CALIFORNIA WINE FAIR BALLROOM TASTING

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2010
Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, 999 Canada Place. 7PM

Now in its 30th year of touring across Canada, the 2010 CALIFORNIA WINE FAIR BALLROOM TASTING boasts 350 wines from 100 wineries throughout the Golden State. Under one roof, the range of wines include products currently available in the market to new vintages and varietals that have yet to be released in the Canadian market. Six hundred guests sample wines, and bid on silent auction items including many of the hard-to-find wines featured at the tasting.

WINE 101

Thursday, April 15, 7:00 PM
Buschlen Mowatt Galleries Main Floor – 1445 W Georgia St

What is the difference between merlot and cabernet?

What wines pair best with what foods?

How should I store my wine?

Returning from its SOLD OUT launch in 2008 and again in 2009, Wine 101 is a lively interactive tasting hosted by Sommelier,
Benjamin Howard, from the Beach House Restaurant. It is a “no experience necessary” event designed to enhance yourknowledge and enjoyment of wine. Taste a range of wines from Chardonnay to Zinfandel, from Merlot to Riesling (and many more), and have all your questions answered by knowledgeable professionals!

Tickets: $40  Includes the tasting, and all the questions you can ask.
To purchase tickets

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Posted via web from Vancouver Food And Wine

Friday, March 19, 2010

Eat Vancouver!



Friday, May 28th, 2010
Saturday, May 29th, 2010
Sunday, May 30th, 2010
2 PM - 9 PM
11 AM - 9 PM
11 AM - 5 PM
@ the new Vancouver Convention Centre

New location for 2010! @ the new Vancouver Convention Centre

This Year's New Location!

The New Vancouver Convention Center

The Eighth Annual EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival will launch on May 28 - 30, 2010 at its brand new home: the recently opened Vancouver Convention Centre - West,at Canada Place in the heart of Vancouver.


Bite of Vancouver
Come for lunch and stay for dinner! Eat in numerous Vancouver restaurants at the same time! When you visit, you'll discover the The Bite of Vancouver, where Vancouver restaurants will be tantalizing your taste buds with appy-size offerings of their regular menu selections.

Liquor Tasting

Enjoy some of the best wines, beers and spirits from British Columbia and around the world, offered for tasting by the vintners and producers themselves. Sample, compare and ask questions directly from those who know.




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Tofino Food And Wine Festival

The mission of the Tofino Food and Wine Festival is to promote BC Culinary Tourism while enjoying the company of friends and family of the culinary community. Culinary tourism is an economic driver that helps showcase local restaurants as dining destinations and generates demand for locally grown/raised/caught or processed food and beverage products.


Tofino Food And Wine Festival June 2010
The Tofino Food and Wine Festival began in 2003. It was an idea formed between two foodies who worked in the food and wine industry, at a restaurant set amidst the beautiful Tofino Botanical Gardens.
8th Annual Grazing In The Gardens
Spend a the afternoon wandering the Tofino Botanical Gardens while tasting canapes and wines, all local to beautiful British Columbia! Live music with Dinah D Swingclub from Gabriola Island, DJ Kevin West, silent auction fundraiser, artists in action and more. Outdoor event, rain or shine! Car free event. Shuttle Service provided by Tofino Bus in partnership with the Wickaninnish Inn. Schedule will be posted here, one week before the event. For More INFO >>>
This festival provides cultural and educational experiences for food and wine lovers from all over, as well as an opportunity to discover sustainable British Columbia food sources. With a showcase of local culinary talent, the festival also provides networking opportunities for cuisine and tourism establishments to form new business relationships and alliances.

The idea for a festival celebrating the marriage of food and wine in the unique setting of a temperate coastal rainforest was, and still is, strongly supported by the community of Tofino, as well as Vancouver Island purveyors and British Columbia wineries.

Most of all the festival fosters a wonderful weekend for friends and family,  creating a memorable experience in the heart of Tofino.

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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival


CANADA [participating wineries]
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Artisan SakeMaker at Granville Island
Averill Creek Vineyard
CedarCreek Estate Winery
Church & State Wines
Ex Nihilo / Celebrity Cellars
Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery
Gray Monk Estate Winery
Herder Winery & Vineyards
Mission Hill Family Estate
Osoyoos Larose
Peller Estates
Poplar Grove Winery
Quails' Gate Winery
Sandhill
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards

CANADA
ONTARIO
Mike Weir Wine

"The true decision-makers of wineries and the wine industry from around the world are all together, so the side meetings and boardroom discussions are more fruitful than any other festival in Canada, which of course, is incredibly valuable." 
 The 32nd annual Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival being held April 19th - 25th, 2010 will feature Argentina and New Zealand as the Theme Regions.  Rosé is the Global Focus.

The 2010 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is "all about altitude, latitude and attitude," says Festival Executive Director Harry Hertscheg. The combination of these two very distinct cultures and countries will provide both strength and sex appeal to this year's festival, while the newfound confidence of Rose' wine in the global market will add a counterpoint to the Pinot Noirs, Torrontes, Malbecs and Sauvignon Blancs that will be poured.
 
Each winery that has been selected to participate will showcase products at each of the five sessions in the International Festival Tasting Room. Two afternoon sessions are dedicated to members of the trade including buyers, retailers and chefs. 


The three evening sessions expose consumers to the outstanding wineries and wines featured at the Festival. Participating wineries will showcase their products in a range of events over the week – including winery dinners, regional lunches, Sunday brunches, seminars and boardroom tastings, as well as a comprehensive trade program. The 2009 Festival featured 183 wineries from 15 countries participating in 61 events over the course of the week.

The Playhouse Wine Festival, Canada's "Premier Wine Fest," is one of the biggest and oldest wine
events in the world.



Number of Wines to be poured: 1700
Total Wines in the Festival Tasting Room: 941
Total Number of Participating Wineries:  197
Countries Participating: 14
Number of Events: 61
Projected Attendance: 25,000

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Vancouver Restaurants Own The Gold For Culinary Class

Barely after catching its collective breath from the Olympics, Take One, Olympics Take Two, the Paralympics, are upon the city of Vancouver and its residents. Lucky for all the people traveling here to participate or observe, the world's food and restaurant critics seem to have agreed on one thing...that Vancouver is second to none when it comes to dining out in Olympic cities. High, low, North, south, Local, ethnic, Fast or slow, Vancouver has the food that you crave right now.

We won't, however, even attempt to say it better than NY Times food critic, Sam Sifton, did at the beginning of the games. We just urge you to click on over>>>
“The most ravenous visitors to this marvelous, temperate city will begin their culinary touring almost from the moment they land at Vancouver International Airport on Sea Island in suburban Richmond, where a vast Asian enclave is growing.” The complete article can be found at http://nytimes.com/2010/02/03/dining/03note.html?ref=dining.

Market at Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver
For  a New York take on Vancouver Restaurants, be sure to click HERE. It will take you to a sort of cheat-sheet of excellent Vancouver Restaurants. Such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Market at the Shangri-La Hotel...

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How To Get On A Restaurant's Hit List

By Anne Kingston

[re-posted with permission]

The owner of a popular Toronto gastropub who asks to remain nameless is showing off what he calls his 'nightly journal,' dull details of restaurant life - nightly sales, tables turned, supplier snafus. Where reading turns interesting, even salacious, is in its dutiful recording of customer misbehaviour collected via staff and fellow customer complaints. Names are used when they're known. Otherwise, physical descriptions suffice.

READ MORE HERE on MacLeans.ca

http://images.travelpod.com/users/buenostiempos/10.1261873281.restaurant-dining-staff-dewa-and-webawa.jpg
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