aggregated from: Blanc de Noir

Bloom BC is always one of our favourite BC wine events because it's a quick opportunity to sample what's new and fresh in the province. And this year was no exception with some old friends as well as new faces 50 wineries in all participating.For...

topics: bc-wine, seafood, vines, vineyard, vqa

aggregated from: Blanc de Noir

Do we really need a celebration to have Champagne? Why is it that typically there has to be a wedding, birthday, or New Years to pop open a bottle of bubbly? Champagne pairs well with food, so why not open a bottle simply while prepping dinner? Someh...

topics: grapes, liquor, oysters, seafood, wine

aggregated from: Blanc de Noir

April 16th had finally arrived, and my sister and I were winging our way off on our annual vacation. These tropical jaunts are strictly a girls only event and typically involve some really tough, daily decisions whether to suntan on the beach or ...

aggregated from: Blanc de Noir

Frank and I often talk about how sometimes a wine just tastes better because of where you are and who you're with. It's one of those marvelous, magical qualities of wine that continue to defy description. You won't see it in a tasting note, because i...

topics: cheese, fruit, grapes, wine

aggregated from: Blanc de Noir

Old wines are always something of a mystery. Case in point, the bottle of 1982 Vignaveja we're about to uncork. What is going to happen when I open this vintage? Will it be dead, oxidized, or will it be a wonderful old bottle full of life still? This...

topics: fruit, wine

aggregated from: Blanc de Noir

Where on earth has almost a year gone. We've both been away and busier than ever. But thought we'd start getting back in touch with everyone by passing along something fun to get your day going. Hot off the wire!The French use it to seduce, the Engl...

topics: grapes, vines, wine

aggregated from: Blanc de Noir

I think Frank is having an affair. He mutters her name constantly sometimes lovingly, sometimes not so much so. Her picture appears in books on the coffee table, on the dashboard in the truck, even pinned on the bathroom mirror with some unintell...

topics: coffee, wine

aggregated from: Blanc de Noir

Anyone who's read Blanc de Noir for long knows we're both huge fans of Italian wines. There's just something about the diversity, quality, and sheer fun factor of Italian wines whether it's a casual summer patio sipper or a robust vintage to acc...

topics: bc wine, fruit, wine, wine festival

aggregated from: Blanc de Noir

I keep bumping into the guy. First in the Bordeaux section, a couple of minutes later we're both cruising through the Sauvignon Blancs of New Zealand. I head for Piedmont, and there he is again. We smile at each other over Cognac, one of those ...

topics: coffee, wine

aggregated from: Blanc de Noir

After four decades in the wine industry, Harry McWatters, the spirited, fun-loving, and sometimes outspoken president of Sumac Ridge Estate Winery in Summerland, British Columbia, is stepping down. Harry's accomplishments are legendary. He helped fou...

topics: bc wine, cooking, okanagan, recipes, vineyard