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2024 Splash (white blend) River Stone Oliver, BC $22.90 The 2024 wines are part of the Good Neighbours Series, made from Washington State grapes.  This vintage is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.  Pale lemon yellow with medium-minus intensity.  The nose shows aromas of lemon, grapefruit, tropical fruit, apricot, grass, white flowers,…

The 2022 Soren ‘Boundary Spring’ captures the rugged intensity of the southern Similkameen, earning its place as VineRoutes’ Wine of the Year for 2025 Every year, VineRoutes editors blind-taste numerous wines in search of those that rise above category, region, and expectation. In 2025, one red wine stood out not just for its polish and…

Reading Time: 2 minutes A Major Milestone for BC’s Northernmost Winery and a Canadian Fruit Wine Success Story Prince George, British Columbia. Northern Lights Estate Winery One Millionth Bottle Event FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 3, 2026 – Northern Lights Estate Winery today celebrated a historic milestone with the bottling of its one millionth bottle, marking…

Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country Partners with Victoria’s Ugly Duckling for a Special Collaboration Dinner Wednesday, February 25 at 6pm Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country brings the warmth and flavours of the South Okanagan to Vancouver Island with Savour the Sun Victoria, an intimate wine dinner in partnership with Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions on Wednesday, February…

Reading Time: 2 minutes Noble Ridge “The One” 2019 is a benchmark BC sparkling wine that shows just how far traditional-method bubbles have come in the Okanagan. Under the leadership of General Manager and Winemaker Benoit Gauthier, Noble Ridge has refined its focus on premium, estate-grown wines that balance elegance with expressive terroir. While their…

As tariffs and retaliation collide, Canada’s spirits industry faces unexpected winners, quiet losers, and governments slow to act Whether the world is indeed teetering on the precipice of a New Global Order remains to be seen. However, there can be no denying that a very real upheaval is starting to shake up the beverage alcohol…

By Rick VanSickle It’s sage advice, in health as it is in wine, to always get a second opinion. Note, also in this Ontario Wine Report: Our picks from the Saturday release at Vintages stores, including two wines from Wending Home, a Divergence sparkling wine, a Pinot Noir from Cloudsley, a red blend from the…

Sunday, January 25th: A dinner party for our friends Shannon and Craig. Deborah made Bœuf Bourguignon and I served the following wines: Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2016 (with salmon poke on baby lettuce) Dagon Clearstone Feteasca Alba Reserve 2020 (that I brought back from Bucharest) Vieux Télégraphe La Grau Châteauneuf du Pape 2009…

Tonight’s red wine review is a delicious, certified sustainable and vegan Merlot from Niagara that arrived at the LCBO as a Smart Buy in the January 10 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. Like the 2023 Featherstone Canadian Oak Chardonnay I enjoyed a few months ago, this red wine is produced by Featherstone Estate Winery, an…

This past week I had the pleasure and opportunity to taste the wines from both Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Unsworth Vineyards. The event was billed as Pizza | Pinot | Pinball  and held at Pinhalla (a pinball pizzeria) located in downtown Victoria’s Chinatown. It was indeed a rather intriguing approach and an interesting invitation for…