Monday, October 29, 2012


We Get Letters

actually we get e-mails, twitters, and Facebook messages..
The majority of which ask questions about Canada’s wine industry.
The most popular question is can I buy Icewine?  Can I buy it from you?  Can I import icewine?
Is Icewine sold in my town?

Yes you can buy icewine – Yes. Can I buy it from you –NO Can I import icewine- that depends where you live. Is icewine sold in my town.. for that answer we use to say check the yellow pages.. We cannot keep track of who sells what where..

The second most popular question comes from people who find old London or Brights wine bottles.
Can we drink the wine are the bottles valuable.  That answer can be found on the website under various subjects. We do have a page on Vincor (now Constellation Brands who both these labels) and Brights.
However “no” is the main answer. Although we try to provide a better response than just saying no.

We also get e-mails from people wanting to buy grape juice, icewine, vines or sell us a wine related product. This of course is not what we do. There are also students doing a report on wine seeking information. These are the e-mails that take longer to respond to. We try to help without doing the work for them.

Now we also have people looking for work. Today we received a letter from a man in China  who works harvesting apples; but wants to come to Canada to pick grapes over the winter. Sadly, in this case we could not help.

We like getting e-mails.. It tells that people are finding the website and we play a little role in promoting the wines of Canada.
Yes we have a 
FAQ page

Friday, October 12, 2012


Last Wednesday evening on twitter I took part in the weekly BC Wine Chat #BcWineChat . The topic was a celebration of A Cabernet Franc Celebration. I checked my page Roberts Selections and realized I had tasted very few CabFranc wines.

 
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varities worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone. In 2011 it accounted for 10% of the red grapes grown in the province. Winemaker Sandra Oldfield tweeted Best reason #16 for being Canadian: We have great respect for Cabernet Franc. It is so well suited for the South Okanagan. It has a great tolerance for cold winters  John Skinner of  Painted rock refers to it as one of the top 3 grapes for its potential in the Okanagan


Popular Grove Cabfranc was the first wine to be mentioned; followed by Tinhorn Creek. One of the wines I enjoyed was Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery 2008 !

Another fine Cabernet Franc is been produced by Cerelia in the Similkameen. Jeanette Montgomery @OkanaganWriting suggested her favourite from Seven Stones also in the Similkameen

Hester Creek from the Golden mile also received a strong recommendation.


Black Sage a new Brand from Constellation Brands was also mention was were a few other. It seems that the Cabernet Franc movement is under way both of BC’s winemakers and
consumers. In my future I see more Cabernet Franc