Forest Fires

 

It is real, it is dangerous it is a continuous threat to the wineries of the Okanagan and the people who live there. (We can not write this blog without praying for those in California who have suffered greatly from forest fires.)

Hubertus Estate Winery which was built in the 1930's, is the Okanagan's most resilient winery.   The Okanagan Mountain forest fire ripped through the property on August 22  2003, destroying the winery and a 1932 house that was the home of Leo Gebert and wife Barbara, one of the families that own St Hubertus. The winery recovered with the help of neighbours, nearby wineries and friends.

17 years the threat of fire still exists for the Okanagan wineries. Today, Aug 21, 2020, as I write this blog a fire rages along the east side of Lake Shaka between Penticton and Okanagan Falls.

Numerous homes are endangered, one already lost, evacuations necessary in an already troubled time. Wineries such as Painted Rock and Blasted Church are closed taking a safety-first approach. Owner John Skinner says he will stay closed for a few more days as the road leading to the winery is used by emergency vehicles and fire truck fighting the fires.

Sadly 68% of all fires in the region are reported to be started by humans. 

The wine region under threat at Skaha Lake is the Skaha Sub Gi

Currently, the winds are not blowing the smoke towards the vineyards.

A tip of the hat to all forest firefighters!

The Dudes Coffee House

 The Dudes Coffee House

Don't let the name, the size, or the racks full of bamboo clothing fool you, step inside and experience culinary delights that will have you coming back for more. Barbara noticed a post by our White Rock friend Corry about a coffee house she had enjoyed visiting in Ocean Park. Once the COVID-19 rules were relaxed we decided to make it a mission to visit the White Rock-Ocean Park-Crescent Beach coffee houses.  On August 4th after a pleasant walk on the sandbars in White Rock I suggested that we see if we could find Dudes, Barbara was all for it.

We were a bit confused by the storefront; when you first look at the building you see what looks like a clothing retail store with a couple of wood tables outside. But thanks to Corry we knew a coffee shop lurked somewhere in the interior.

Barbara headed for a clothing sales rack just outside the door. I continued on inside to be greeted with a smile and a friendly hello. I soon found myself sipping coffee and chatting with the owners Kerry and Larry Kristof while my lovely wife browsed.  When Barb joined me I learned I was the recipient of a bamboo shirt, I have hemp lounge wear but nothing in the bamboo line.

The hospitality was delightful and the coffee good, so good, we had second cups and purchased a bag to take home. I spotted a sign advertising Beef Dip , those of you who know me, know my fondness for beef dips; I am considered an expert on them. Larry boldly stated his prime rib beef dip is the absolute best but only served on Friday and Saturdays.

We returned Saturday to test Larry's bold claim! Once again we were warmly greeted by Kelly, Larry and staff. We settled in a window table with freshly brewed coffee, waiting with anticipation for Larry's famous (according to him) Beep Dip; I was convinced that no-one could knock my favourite  Beef Dip restaurant off the top of the list.

Wow, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious amazing! Mouthwatering flavours proved Larry's bold claims to be true! Barbara (who can take them or leave them) said it was the best beef dip she ever tasted and became a convert. I offered no argument!

Larry came by our table to see what we thought of the meal, during the course of the conversation he mentioned he had received a delivery of White Rock crab the night before, and Crab Benedicts were going to be on Sunday's menu. Barbara almost fell off her chair, and immediately requested a table reservation for Sunday; she grew up in White Rock and remembers vividly walking out at low tide with her sisters to pick them up for her mother to use.

Sunday morning found us back at The Dudes Coffee House chatting with other customers while we waited for our meals.  Not a seafood lover, I went for the Brunch Omelette.

Once again Larry did not disappoint, he actually surpassed expectations! My omelette was simply the best ever, sorry Grandma. Barbara definitely enjoyed her Crab Benny, and will be back for more of the same before the season for crab is over.

So let me summarize this little hidden gem located at 1558 128 Street, Ocean Park It's unique, owner owned and operated, hospitality is top-notch, and the food amazing, check it out! BTW the bamboo shirt purchased on our first visit is A+

Early Supper at Jan's on the Beach

On a hot day in July, Barbara and I decided to take a walk along the beach in White Rock. The small city where we live borders on Semiahmoo Bay and the 49th parallel,  a short distance away lies the United States mainland.

After strolling along the shoreline we ventured along Marine Drive with its numerous restaurants and shops. We walked past Jan's on the Beach which is one of Barbara's favourite restaurants and where she takes friends who are celebrating birthdays.  I spotted a sign that said Wednesday wine bottles half price, that was more than enough to get me in the door!

We chose a table on the patio with a view of the bay and pier. Jan's is well-known for it's glutton-free fish and chips and onion rings, and what is Barb's favourite, beet salad. This time she went for a caesar  salad with a skewer of shrimp, (the special of the day,) I settled on the fish and chips.

Our server was cheerful and very mindful with the health rules of the times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We were socially distanced and she wore a mask.

Time to make the major decision of the day, what wine will we have? There was a good selection of both reds and whites.  Barb, normally a red wine fancier came over to my side this time.

We decided upon the Saxon Pinot Grigio 2019. Saxon is located in Summerland a small town in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. It was refreshing, smooth and full of nice citrus and honeydew flavours.

We enjoyed our early supper, sipped the wine and watched the foot traffic on the Drive.  A lovely finish to a lovely day in paradise!

River House

Riverhouse
6255 River Rd, Delta

Dining on the River

On a spur of the moment,  our close-knit group of six decided to go out for dinner now that eating out rules had been relaxed during COVID-19. We found the closest restaurants with a nice patio were booked solid apparently others had the same idea, Our friend June suggest the Riverhouse Restaurant, Pub and  Marina just east of Ladner.

Since they did not take patio reservations we were advised to arrive early. We pulled into the parking lot at five minutes to five. Upon entering we were quickly greeted and given the grand tour in search of the best table for six to be seated comfortably. Seems we were the first customers for dinner

Riverhouse is home to one of the largest patios located on the banks of the Fraser River. Our table gave us a grand view of both the marina and river.

Barbara ordered the Margherita Flatbread; four stars. She also ordered a side of yam fries, which turned out to be the best we have ever tasted five stars on that choice. June and Peter had the Halibut and Chips once again four stars.

Ken went for the pulled pork sandwich which he seemed to really enjoy. Jane had the Penne Primavera. I had (surprise) the Beef Dip. It was good, but not quite as impressive as Browns Social Club in White Rock makes.

Sumac Ridge Private Reserve Merlot seemed to be the choice for those preferring a red. The wine presented notes of dark plums, berries and spice with a hint of sweet toasted oak on the nose. The aromas carry through to the palate making this an easy-drinking merlot.

I had the Pinot Gris 2019 from Gehringer Bros. Excellent, exactly what one would expect in a fruity summer wine.

It was a wonderful evening, good food, nice surroundings, good weather and wonderful friends what more could one ask for!

A Good Breakfast!

Okay, even thou I used to work in Management for White Spot Restaurants I have never been a fan of their legendary hamburgers. To me, a hamburger does not require lettuce and tomato and especially a sauce to be good.

When everyone else in our circle has been ordering burgers I have always gone for the Beef Dip. However, lately, my wife and I discovered their breakfast menu.

We were in the Comox Valley driving with friends from our hotel in Qualicum Beach to visit 40 Knox Winery in Comox. We chose to drive the old highway a much quiter country scenic drive compared to the the faster newer highway. We thought we would find a quaint country cafe on the way, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic closures was everything was closed.

Having reached Comox and the four of us famished we settled on White Spot.  On the menu, they had Nat's Hearty Breakfast. Two eggs, back bacon, fried potatoes and toast. It was extremely good! As was the friendly service. The staff wore a  comfortable looking plastic face mask and social distanced.

Back home a week or so later Barbara and I had lab appointments. The appointments were for 10:30 am and required fasting beforehand. By the time we completed our testing we found ourselves once again famished.  It was a Saturday and all the local coffee shops were busy with lineups. So we headed to White Spot in The Shops (Surrey-White Rock area). Again, we went for Nat's Hearty Breakfast. Once again we had a very pleasant and efficient server. A tip of the hat goes to White Spot for two great breakfasts, and without wine!

The Rising Popularity of Wine.

It was 1992 when I started my website winesofcanada.com. The inspiration came when my wife and I honeymooned in the Napa Valley. It was a special time. In 1992 you could walk into a winery in Napa and be the only one in the tasting room.

We returned to the valley in 2011. The wineries have gotten crowed you could not even find a spot at the tasting bar. The same is basically true around the world. In the old European countries like France and Italy wines were a mainstay. In North America, it is a new habit!

Back in the nineties when you visited your friend they would most likely offer you a beer, rum and coke or coffee.  Today the choice is wine.

Across Canada back in the 90s, there were less than 70 wineries (give or take). Today we are looking at 800 wineries with the numbers growing. In fact, there are wineries in all ten provinces.

In the USA there are wineries in every state. Every major grocery chain has a wine section.

Is the popularity of wine a fade like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Will wine have its day and be replaced by some other exotic beverage. The way they are pulling out fruit trees and ploughing the land to grow grapes one would think not!

One exciting featuring about the wine culture today is the luxury of visiting the wineries. They range from the Mum and Pop operation to the massive million-dollar destination wineries.

In my first year of running my website, I thought breaking 100 visitors a week was amazing. Today less than a 1000 visitors a day is a disappointment.

When I started on the internet I became the third site dealing with Candian wines. I quickly became two. Today there are hundreds perhaps thousands of bloggers.  There are TV and radio shows devoted to wine.

Winery owners, vineyard managers are exploring new areas where no one ever thought of growing grapes. The recycling locations deal with as many wine bottles as they do beer cans.

In a fancy restaurant, you can be presented with a wine list of over 300 bottles to choose from. Your local fish and chip shop might just have a wine list.

Wine is the centre of happiness that’s why in every type of celebration and party we saw wine is on the table. Wine is so popular that even scientists are studying its health benefits. Image!

BBQ Season has Arrived

BBQ Season has Arrived

Yes, the season is here, roll out the grill. Visit the store and purchase those steaks, hamburgers, chicken and corn on the cob. We also tend to buy BBQ sauces.

BBQ sauces come in all kinds of flavours.. There is original, white, sweet, honey , Asian, mustard, smokey, Jalapeno, tangy and ....

Have we selected our wine for the this wonderful summer event. We all know reds for steak and white for chicken. We know our favourite red and our favourite whites. We know what goes best with each meat selections but wait a minute. We have added something here! We have introduced new flavours by adding BBQ sauce.

The flavours of the sauce have a big impact on what wine you should choose.

Remember never serve foods sweeter than your wine. The sweet the sauce the sweeter the wine should be. Dry rubs and vinegar-based sauces need drier wines.

When it comes to hamburgers  I like a original light non-sweat BBQ sauce lightly spread over the burger. Try merlot, cab Sauvignon or Zinfandel. I can also go with Bacchus. Those who insist upon a red may like Syrah.

With steak going with a little heavier sauce Pinot Noir is very good.
Chardonnay works well with many of the over flavoured BBS sauces on today market.

Although we think we have the right wine remember the sauce changes the flavours of those meats. One hint that I have to admit we have not yet tried. chilling the reds.

Stay healthy enjoy the summer!