Good Wine Gal: Wine Adventures Ahead?

Can you believe it's Canada Day already? We are at the halfway point of 2023. That begs the question: what's next winelover? Are you planning a trip to wine country, stocking a cellar or plannign a party? Please don't hestitate to reach out for support. That's why I'm here doing what I do. I love wine and I like to help.

This Week?

cWhat am I doing? This week I'm off to the BC Seafood Festival held in Comox Valley. It's a one of a kind foodie experience and I'm looking forward to the exploration of the region and the event. Following this it's back to the now annual Noir Fest 2023 hosted by Averill Creek in Cowichan Valley. Featured wines are Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and now Chardonnay. Masterclasses are not included but an excellent addition to the event. I'll be there Sunday.

The bigger question though is real. What am I working on? I received an email from a favourite professor who taught at Ryerson (alma mater) back in the day. I'm delighted that we are having a conversation. For me, it shows the dedication of educators. It never stops. He's finding a way to contribute to my dreams still. It is profound. Mr. B, as we affectionately called him, taught "Purchasing & Wine Education". We learned about LIFO and FIFO, process and business ethics. We also tasted wine and whisky. Looking back, it was a time when the global wine industry was in transition from rustic to elegant with technology playing a key role. New appellations were emerging bringing standards and regulations but still long before the EU and funding. At the time, the wines we tasted were not memorable and had many of us questioning why drink this "stuff". We could count on single malt scotch but could we count on Chianti? We usually left the class with a bit of a buzz. Sangiovese stuck out as the worst wine offender for being thin, watery, and tart. 

Return to Italy?

But back to Mr. B and his email. I must have suggested that I wanted to take people to wine country. His follow up was "where to, what dates and how much?"  So wine lovers, I'm going to organize a trip to Alba for the White Truffle Festival (and a truffle hunt) plus wine tasting and touring. The dates will be mid-October 2023 and hopefully will become an annual adventure. In typical fashion, the trip will be characterized by "slow" with time spent sitting with some lovely Italian friends, sipping wine and eating pasta. If you would like to join me this fall, please reach out directly by email ([email protected]) and we can discuss further. Don't wait however as flights are already limited. This trip will be perfect for those who like to walk everywhere, taste wine and travel by train. Someone said "slow travel" and I am 100% down for it. So thank you Mr. B for the questions and inspiration. More to come.

Storytelling continues!

If you like wine musings and recommendations, and haven't yet discovered Vitis Magazine, here's the opportunity. Vitis Magazine is the first BC Wine focused magazine and the rapidly evolving wine region. lt features local writers from Charlene Rooke, Tim Pawsey, Christine Campbell and me.