Category: Uncategorized


  • Evolve Still Wines – Rosé, Grenache & Pinot Noir from the Okanagan

    Reading Time: 4 minutes Known for its award-winning sparkling wines, Evolve Sparkling House also crafts a small but exceptional range of still wines—expressions that capture the heart of the Okanagan in every sip. This collection features three distinctive expressions: the 2023 Small Lot Rosé, 2022 Grenache, and 2022 Pinot Noir. Each wine is made with…

  • Merlot Tasting With Friends

    The world of wine can be overwhelming—and rightly so. There are countless grape varieties to explore: whites like Chardonnay, Pinot Gris (a.k.a. Pinot Grigio), Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and Viognier, just to name a few. On the red side, many wine lovers are familiar with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot…

  • Why You Won’t Find a BC Pinot Noir Under $20 Anymore

    Reading Time: 3 minutes And where to look for value bottles, Rosés, and innovative alternatives under $30 Looking for a BC Pinot Noir under $20? We hate to break it to you — those days are gone. Pinot Noir is one of the most challenging (and costly) grapes to grow in the Okanagan, and rising…

  • Mega Spileo Assyrtiko 2023 (Greece) – Wine Review

    Tonight’s white wine review is the latest vintage of a perennially lovely Assyrtiko from Greece. It arrived at the LCBO last month as part of the feature on BBQ Wines in the July 19, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. It is produced by the historic and significant winery and monastery – Mega Spileo Estate.…

  • Elevated offerings across the 2025 PNE Fair

    Culinary Innovations & “Guilty Pleasures” Wine Pairing The Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) 2025 Fair promises to be a vibrant celebration of entertainment, food, and community, running for 15 action-packed days starting August 16. With over 3,000 performers, the PNE positions itself as “the best part of summer” and an opportunity for visitors to experience 115…

  • Invivo Taylor’s Rosé 2023

    This wine was on sale at the LCBO so grabbed it … Pale salmon in color with a mild nose. on the mid palate the wine is quite tart, almost bitter, with hints of cranberry, and some effervescence on the mouth. On the medium length finish the bitter and tart notes hang around. If I…

  • Pentâge Winery reaches into a deep inventory

    Photo: Paul Gardner and Julie Rennie At Penticton’s Pentâge Winery, Paul Gardner and Julie Rennie grow 19 varietals in the 15 acres of their two vineyards on a bench overlooking Skaha Lake. It enables them to offer quite interesting blends alongside distinctive single varietal wines. Over the years, the winery, which opened in 2003, has…

  • Game changer: Niagara’s Mason Vineyard takes it to the next level

    By Rick VanSickle We’re sitting at a table under a giant canopy, birds are chirping and the view looking out to the gently sloped, perfectly manicured Mason Vineyard is breath-taking. We’re smack dab in the middle of this summer’s punishing heat dome, yet a cooling breeze is cascading down the escarpment making it quite comfortable…

  • Evolve Sparkling House: Award-Winning BC Bubbles

    Reading Time: 4 minutes Summer in the Okanagan just got a little more effervescent. Time Family of Wines has officially opened the Evolve Sparkling House on the Naramata Bench near Penticton—an inviting space dedicated to sparkling wine. Visitors can taste five carefully crafted BC sparklers, each made to capture life’s celebratory moments. Evolve Rosé Brut…

  • Altitude and terroir: Exploring the wine styles of Argentina and Ontario

    How elevation shapes flavour, style, and identity in two distinct wine regions As a wine educator who’s tasted and taught with bottles from across the globe, I can confidently say that altitude plays a more important role in wine than many realize. Whether leading a tasting in Toronto or El Salvador, one of my favourite…