British Columbia Magazine

Did you know that there are more than 25 island wineries to visit and discover? A new book, Island Wineries of British Columbia, explores the unique flavours, grape varieties, and terroir of this emerging wine region.

Covering Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, the book delves into the history of the region’s wine production and provides up-close profiles of individual wine producers, from Alderlea Vineyards to Vigneti Zanatta. The 230-plus pages are enhanced with colour photos, maps, and info boxes.

The guide was edited by Gary Hynes of EAT Magazine and written by contributors. Not surprisingly, one section provides tempting recipes from local restaurants, such as Cafe Brio’s Braised Pacific Halibut with Spring Vegetable Ragout in a White Wine and Golden Beet Sauce–a mouthful in more ways than one. Each recipe is paired with a recommended wine varietal, such as Ortega–”the premier white grape for the islands.” (Who knew?)

Expect to discover some new wineries and even novel groups of wines to enjoy. As Hynes writes, “Blattner, anyone?”

To say that Whistler is a place that knows how to have fun is an understatement. It could grant PhDs in it. And there’s no better time to take a few lessons than during their annual Cornucopia. 

This is the 14th year of the food and wine celebration, which takes place November 11 to 14. Highlights include “wine flights,” which are intended as affordable introductions to wine tasting, or for those who want to sample offerings from different regions. For example, a Regional Walkabout, at $35 per person, allows tasters to meet vintners and to try wines and appetizers from South Africa, Australia, and the Okanagan’s own Golden Mile. Sommelier Kurtis Kolt returns this year to host a Mini Tasting Series featuring B.C. wines from the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys ($30 per person).

And if you like a good food fight, check out the Whistler Chef’s Challenge. The free event will see the area’s culinary magicians vie  for the King of Cooks title. See the Whistler Cornucopia website for full details on all the events.

I had a chance to chat recently with the always-entertaining Nick Bantock at his Saltspring studio/gallery, The Forgetting Room. The creator of the best-selling Griffin & Sabine series of books, whom I profiled in our Spring 2009 “Nick Bantock’s Saltspring” article, was hosting an opening reception for an exhibition of his drawings for a new Penguin edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. 

While talking to Bantock about our Summer 2009 50th-anniversary editorial, “50 things to do before you die,” I couldn’t resist asking him to share one of his own top B.C. experiences. Here’s his colourful reply:

“I love the island I live on, so it’s hard to choose a favourite B.C. place outside of Saltspring, but I’m going to try. A few years ago, I had my birthday dinner on the restaurant balcony overlooking the Burrowing Owl Estate Winery in Oliver, B.C. At sunset, the shadows chased across the landscape like blue-clad Cossack horsemen. The sky glowed orange and the honeysuckle released its evening scent. With a belly full of fine food, a glass of great wine in hand, and kind love by my side, I knew I had been made Tsar.”

Click here to view the 10 drawings and cover artwork Bantock created for the re-release of The Canterbury Tales.

Visit ShareYourBC.com and tell us your favourite thing to do in B.C. for a chance to win–more than $23,000 in travel adventure prizes! Entry deadline: Sept. 8, 2009.

If you love dogs and you love British Columbia wineries—and, more specifically, dogs AT wineries—finally, there is a wall calendar just for you.

The 2009 Winery Dogs of BC calendar, compiled by CBC Radio wine columnist Troy Townsin, features pooches of all varieties. There’s Filbert the dachshund from Oliver’s Golden Mile Cellars, Maggie the Labradoodle from Naramata’s Lake Breeze Vineyards, and Bruno, a rottweiler-Labrador cross at Silkscarf Winery in Summerland.

“[W]hen you are out visiting these world class wineries a big part of the experience is the interaction with the people and, of course, the dogs who live and work at each winery,” says Townsin in a release. “In fact because the calendar features dogs who actually live at the wineries it is possible to plan a whole wine tour based solely around the dogs you would like to meet!”

The calendars may be purchased online or at participating wineries. Partial proceeds will be donated to the BCSPCA.

(Or, British Columbia Magazine subscribers can wait for their free 13-month 2009 wall calendars to arrive. While we won’t have any dogs or wineries in the mix, readers can expect wild owls, cougars, and stunning B.C. landscapes among the images we’ve selected to knock your socks off.)