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Reading Time: 4 minutes River Stone Estate Winery in Oliver, BC, is a small, family-owned boutique winery known for its hand-tended 7-acre vineyard on rocky, gravelly soils, producing premium Bordeaux varietals (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot) and whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer). Its unique features include a full-bodied Malbec Rosé, a…

Photo: Blue Grouse winery in the Cowichan Valley With 13 wineries, the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island has emerged as a serious viticultural area and a destination for wine tourism. It is hardly an overnight success. I recounted the history in my 2011 book, John Schreiner’s BC Coastal Wine Tour Guide, long since out of…

Tonight’s white wine review is a lovely white made with the Jacquère varietal that was grown in the Savoie Cru of Chignin. It is a brand-new arrival at the LCBO, landing on shelves across Ontario in last weekend’s May 10 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. It is produced by Jean Perrier & Fils, an historic,…

Winemakers are nothing if not resilient.  Being farmers at heart, they understand that every year brings its own challenges and the brutal winter of 2024 was a stark reminder.  Vine damage and even vine death became a harsh reality that many in the Okanagan had to grapple with.  But growers are optimists by necessity: always…

Offering wine lovers a new perspective on a storied region. The post Beyond Red: A Fresh Look at the White and Rosé Wines of Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages first appeared on My VanCity. Read Beyond Red: A Fresh Look at the White and Rosé Wines of Côtes du Rhône and Côtes…

There is no better time than now to celebrate and support the Ontario wine and food scene as the 2025 edition of the Cuvée Grand Tasting returns to the Holiday Inn & Suites Conference Centre in St. Catharines on Saturday, May 24th. The Grand Tasting is the largest celebration of its kind, featuring over 100…

Photo: Winemaker Kathy Malone The good news from Kathy Malone, the winemaker at Hillside Winery, is that Hillside’s vines, for the most part, survived the 2024 freeze and should produce a crop in the 2025 season. This is consistent with the experience of most Naramata Bench vineyards. The nearby Okanagan Lake moderated that cold spell…

Ed Madronich leading the tasting Tuesday, May 4th: Invited to Flat Rock Cellars’ 2025 Annual Release, featuring the latest vintage with two previous vintages. Flat Rock Gravity Pinot Noir 2024 Ruby colour; lightly floral, raspberry nose with oak spice; medium-bodied, dry, elegant, firmly structured, with a lick of tannin on the finish. (90–91) Flat Rock…

Tonight’s white wine review is a lovely, slightly off-dry, single vineyard, sustainably crafted, and vegan-friendly Pinot Gris from New Zealand. It is a brand-new arrival that landed on LCBO shelves across Ontario as part of the recent April 26 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. It is produced by Spy Valley Wines, a renowned, family-owned winery…

By Rick VanSickle You could say that Southbrook’s Casey Hogan took a crooked path on his way to becoming the estate’s winemaker — just read his bio. “Never one to say ‘no’ to pizza and pints, I am a baker-turned-engineering-physicist-dropout-turned-butcher-turned-sommelier-turned-winemaker,” he proclaims on LinkedIn. And it doesn’t end there. “Since taking a couple of sharp…