Swirl Around BC

Swirl Around BCWe continue to increase our knowledge and excitement about BC wines. Last week, we drove to my hometown Vancouver to attend a Wines of BC tasting, Swirl Around BC. Coming on the heels of our recent, successful Okanagan trip, we looked forward to more BC wines to experience. We were not disappointed. More than 50 wineries poured new releases that showcased the diverse terroir in BC. Our favorite wine of the day: Black Hills 2020 Ipso Facto. Two sparklers also caught our attention: Tinhorn Creek Blanc de Blanc 2018 and Tantalus Blanc de Blanc 2019. Read on for more about these and other BC wines we appreciated.

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Luxury Brand

CheckMate Luxury Brand WineCheckMate Artisanal Winery, a luxury brand in British Columbia, crafts gorgeous, super-premium Chardonnay and Merlot in the Okanagan Valley. Regular readers know that neither of those two grapes is our first choice of wine. But wow, CheckMate had us hooked from the minute we walked into their beautiful Oliver tasting room last month. Their wines can proudly stand side-by-side with any world-class Chardonnay and Merlot. Read on for details of the spectacular wines, the winery, winemaker Phil McGahan, and our excellent visit. Continue reading

BC Wine

BC Wine glassesMost people know I’m from Vancouver. And when I moved to the United States 26 years ago – I have to be frank – BC wine was not awesome. Sure, some brands, varieties and vintages had their moments. But would I go out of my way to buy a bottle? No. Fast-forward to today, and that’s exactly what I’m doing: crossing the border to buy some awesome BC wine. Read on for details.

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