I think it’s fair to say if I could hit the replay button on life, I’d come back as a winemaker (….working at a winery with gently rolling hills, south and southwestern exposures, limestone soil, a long growing season, warm climate – where you don’t have to bury the vines, 36 inches of annual rainfall,…
My Bucket List Visit to Napa Valley’s Chateau Montelena: After the Fires
A visit to legendary Chateau Montelena has been on my bucket list since I learned about The Judgement of Paris – the seminal 1976 blind tasting event that pitted new-kid-on-the block California wine against the great wines of France. If it sounds like an epic battle, that’s because it was. At the time, it was…
Taste Canada Awards Gala: My Wine Pairing Challenge with Canada’s Top Chefs (part 2)
I’m at the 20th annual Taste Canada Awards Gala/Les Laureats des Saveurs du Canada at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Toronto. We’re here celebrating Canada’s top culinary chops and I’m at the chef-led food stations on a wine-pairing mission. The hallway is scented with the aromas of fall as some of Canada’s best chefs prepare their…
Taste Canada Awards Gala: Wine Pairing with Canada’s Top Chefs
There was a cornucopia of culinary royalty at the 20th annual Taste Canada Awards Gala/Les Laureats des Saveurs du Canada held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Toronto last month. The red carpet was rolled out to honour Canada’s finest cookbook authors, publishers and food bloggers with 24 Gold and Silver awards given out. Categories ranged from…
Tasting Notes: Rangeland Wines and the Wines of Paso Robles
Rangeland is one of the best-kept secrets in Paso and Paso is one of the best-kept secrets in the wine-world. It didn’t take me long to figure that out. The awareness challenge that I talked about in my first Paso post, is changing….slowly. The community is banding together to help get Paso the recognition it…
Risk and Reward: Wine Business Straight Talk from Rangeland’s Chief Wine Officer (CWO)
The Canadian ex-pat in the cowboy hat running Rangeland Wines in Paso Robles is Laird Foshay. An early investor in Silicon Valley who built and sold two startups in the digital publishing arena, Laird knows something about risk, reward and bridge financing. He jokes he and his wife Lisa are 17 years into a 25-year…
From Vine to Wine: Harvest Curriculum @ Rangeland Winery
Harvest is a feverish, high-energy time in the vineyard and winery. There’s nothing more exciting than seeing seven months of nature’s miracle growth transition from vine to wine. Our* 10 days of working harvest with Paul Hinschberger and vineyard manager Patrick Hamilton were not only rich in curriculum, but they were fun. SO. MUCH. FUN….
Part 2 – Working the #2017 Paso Robles Vintage @ Rangeland Wines
I decided earlier this spring it was time for another harvest experience. I can drink wine till the cows come home (see exhibit A) but as an educator, I know the best learning happens when students are given hands on, real-world experience and – most importantly – responsibility for making real-world decisions. In the wine…
Harvest 2017 – Toronto to Paso Robles: Adventures of a 60 year old Intern
I’m not your usual winery intern. At 60 years young, I’m a little late to the “learn by doing” game. But my passion for understanding the inner workings of a destemmer and the precise positioning of cordons in a Vertical Shoot Position trellising system is real. My friends wonder why I can’t be happy just…
Part 2: Charme de L’Ile. The Sparkling Jewel in Vancouver Island’s Wine Crown
If you read my last blog post, you’ll know the Cowichan Valley, is gearing up to be British Columbia’s next powerhouse wine district. This southern Vancouver Island community is as rich in wine passion as they are grape-growing potential. Vancouver Island is already widely respected for its restaurants and ‘locally sourced’ culinary philosophy. With Mother…
Cowichan Valley: The Coolest Wine Destination You’ve Likely Never Heard Of
The Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is probably best know for its prized, all-weather, Cowichan sweaters. The iconic images of whales, eagles, bear and snowflakes woven into a First Nation’s cultural motif make these wooly sweaters recognizable around the world. These days, the Cowichan Valley is building a reputation beyond its island knitters…
Orange Wine is a Must Try – Skin Contact Whites
Portugal has green, France begat pink, and Georgia gave us Orange. Whether that orange spectrum is closer to deep cognac amber, rich pomegranate red or honey blonde straw, multi-hued “skin-contact wine” – AKA Orange wine – is definitely grabbing its share of headlines. Orange wines may be all the rage but they can also be…
