​On June 25, 2022, the first annual Noir Fest was hosted at Averill Creek Winery in the heart of Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. With the easing of Covid 19 restrictions, wine events are back. Two years is a long suffering period – from missed tastings to missed social interaction so it’s no wonder the energy and excitement behind Noir Fest 2022 hosted at Averill Creek winery in Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island the last weekend in June. Not only was the event well attended by Pinot Noir producers – internationally, locally and regionally –but consumers found their way to this off the beaten path location in an up and coming wine destination.

June 30th is behind us. They say the Supermoon will arrive soon and I'm still searching for wine. That's why British Columbia is such a gift - wine country is not just in the Okanagan Valley - it's on the island, in the Kootenays, the Fraser Valley and along the Thompson to Kamloops and Lillooet. This is my summer of wine and while it is cooler than last year, I'm happy that fire season is below the radar and air quality is good. Covid is still in our midst so please be vigilant. 

May was a wine month. TopDrop was a highlight although the follow up by Wines of Portugal presenting "vinho verde" was exceptional because it was a sit down tasting, accompanied by a three course meal (loved) and Treve Ring was bright and precise which made for a quick trip through northern Portugal. It did bring back memories of my trip to Lisbon in June of 2018. 

Welcome to a journal of my favorite wines from TopDrop. Spring in Vancouver presented many opportunities to taste wine. Thanks to everyone involved. Great event. As of June 1 I am officially in Wine Country BC for the summer! What a great opportunity to visit local wineries and put together winery offers. Stay tuned. More to come. Hope you enjoy this post! Please leave your comments below.​

The first sip and I was hooked. You can taste the careful hand work, healthy soil and delicious grapes. Top of the heap and had not tasted for a while, this wine lives up to its reputation. Put Prichard Hill Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon on your steak night list. You'll spend some more here but its worth it.

Wine dreams from the wild one! If you love wine then read on. Tastings from Vancouver Island and Portugal are below. It's a lot of info. Any questions - message me. Don't forget to leave a comment or share with your network. Life is short. Drink good wine. MUAH!

Savvy Wine Consulting + Good Wine Gal (SWC + GWG)

When my wine friend Si Man Lee left the Vintages Room at Everything Wine - Morgan Crossing, where he had worked for four years he had an big idea. He had honed his craft of wine curation and story telling so let's keep it going? Hence Savvy Wine Consulting and the Savvy Wine Club.

When he asked me to host Zoom sessions as part of the wine club I was like - hell yes! This is how we learn best. Tasting and engaging in the story of wine.

Starting this May SWC has a 4-pack of wine with Zoom sessions  included. Taste & Learn. Sip & Chat. You can find Savvy & Si Man on social. Like, share and hey I'll send the offer your way.

Are you celebrating? Here are some things you might not know about Malbec and wines that you may want to consider after reading this. Cheers!

Life is short. Drink good wine. That's my email signature. OK maybe I took license ... but it's true. And while I don't drink wine every day, I make time to search for, find and enjoy good wine.

How are you? I hope you are surviving 2022 - it was supposed to be the best year yet.  Let's hope things turn around.

​In the last few weeks I've covered some ground. Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna and a thousand kilometers later I'm no worse for wear. I love the open road. Between my playlists on Spotify and the scenery, road trips never fails to inspire me. Not only that but seeing friends and family as things start to open up is a great feeling. I'm staying with that positive feeling for the time being. That and pondering the idea of buying an RV and taking it on the road. As you know, my journey includes celebratory meals and good bottles of wine. Here are some bottles tasted and meals enjoyed.  

This blog post offers three things:
1. thoughts about the experiences in 2021 hopes for 2022;
2. top wines for 2021;
3. a link to building community in 2022 with the World Wine Days.
Download a copy of the World Wine Days calendar. Link at the end of this post. 

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These are extraordinary times. It's the global pandemic. Our days are filled with data, action and reaction. There is a climate crisis to boot. Flash - the province on fire. Then - the province drowning. How does one maintain personal balance when all seems to be upside down? I keep pivoting, pondering and reacting. Looking back over 2021, its been a rollercoaster. It went from great to good to wtf? From elation to trembling, soul-sucking shock with many layers in between. I'm so glad that wine has been consistent as have my amazing wine community. In this year of crazy, here are a few take-aways that I'd like to share with you.  I'd also like to share a few bottles of wine worth sipping.