Live at the Keg!

Tuesday was moving day. Not from one house to another, just moving furniture from one room to another, but it was exhausting. Thank goodness for our adopted (not legally) daughter Mary.

Mary arranged everything and did almost everything. She arranged movers to bring the new Bed from Vancouver to our home in White Rock.  Seems easy, but the old bed was bigger than the doorway and the new bed even bigger.

So as day turned into night, we were starving! The decision was to dine at the Keg,,

It was a very wise decision. We needed to relax, regenerate and fill up our empty stomachs with amazing food and,of course, fine wine

 Honestly, that’s exactly what The Keg is built for. Good steak, good drinks, and that cozy, slightly upscale vibe that makes even a regular day feel like an occasion. At The Keg, one must order their cheese bread and Caesar Salad. Oh so good but such large portions.

I went with a Pinot Gris from Burrowing Owl in the Okangan. Hmmm  Must have been a 2024 as it was a little below standard the acidly was a bit too high.  Barb joined me in the wine selection. Mary went with a Espresso Martini.

Everyone ordered the Prime Rib.. perfection indeed. The prime rib was outstanding — tender, perfectly seasoned, and cooked exactly the way prime rib should be. Every bite had that rich, slow‑roasted flavor that makes you stop and appreciate the moment. The portion was generous, the au jus was deep and savory.

The baked potato, which came hot, fluffy, and loaded just the way I like it. Service was friendly and attentive, making the whole experience feel relaxed and enjoyable.

Thank you Mary!!!!!

 

Have you ever planned your day to visit a winery and, upon arrival, found a closed sign on the Gate? It has happened to my wife and I far too often.  Of course, before we begin our journey, I check the  winery's website to ensure the winery is open that day. Seldom does a winery take the effort to change their "regular" operating hours to match special events.

One particular weekend on Vancouver Island, I can remember a very disappointing day. It was a long weekend. We were visiting on a Monday.  Yes, I checked all 4 wineries' websites. Every one of them said open Mondays. No mention of closing on Holidays. Three out of four had closed signs. Have we ever visited those wineries again. Did I ever write their praises on my blog or website!

Closing for a wedding is different of course. It's all about the mighty dollar. Private events (weddings, corporate retreats, milestone celebrations) often pay significantly higher fees than regular tasting‑room traffic.

It will, however, result in loss of customer traffic and send those customers down the road. They may never return. They can be extremely annoyed if the closure was not communicated clearly. Relying on Facebook to notify customers is not going to work for numerous reasons, but many wineries rely upon this method.

Larger wineries may be able to handle special events without interrupting regular customer service. These wineries are few and far between. Finding staff with knowledge to do the job right is also a problem Sacrafing service quality can have negative results.

If the winery close too often for weddings or private events, customers may start to think:

• “This place is more of a wedding venue than a winery.”

• “They care more about events than wine.”

One more thought

If you winery is open to 5pm and a customer walks in 2 minutes they are entitled to full service. Sending them away a very bad idea.

If you read the previous blogs where I graded the wineries there are some starnge and horrific stores why some wineries got an F.

 A World of Wine

Sadly, I had to give up my website www.winesofcanada.com. The costs to maintain the site, along with the lack of support from the wineries, made it impossible to continue. However, from the disappointment arose an opportunity. I no longer felt the obligation to always buy Canadian wines.

I could now explore the world of wines. According to the International Organization of Vines and wines 85 countries produce wine. Approximately only 20 of them are major exporters to Canada. Have you ever tried a wine from Ethiopia?! Then again if you find the right specialty shops, you can find  wines from almost 50 countries

Italy, actually,by volume, is the #1 supplier, with Spain on the rise. Tariffs and politics have reduced the import of US wines.

Canada exports wines to approximately 18 countries. Mainly to USA and the Orient. Canada does ship wine to a few European Countries..

When it comes to what wines Canadians by Italy, Austrialia and France are the top three. Spain is however making major gains in Canada

Every summer I hold a little party where guest are are asked to bring a wine from from a unknown country and talk about the wine region. Yes, I write up that report every year!

 

Hospitality Is the Key 2

When I operated the website winesofcanada once a year, I listed the best wineries to visit across our great country, Canada. It required a great deal of time, effort, and cooperation. Today I will grade the wineries that I have visit here in BC in the last few years. I will grade on exactly one Criteria    Hospitality.

Previously I did  A-K

L

Mann Farms Winery - C

Merridale Cidery - D

Mission Hill - C

Mt Boucherie - D

Moon Curser - C

Mount Lehman - A

Nagging Doubt - A

Nichol Vineyards - D

Nk' Mip -  F

Nostalgia - C

Orofino - F

Otter Trail - C
Pacific Breeze - C

Painted Rock - B'

Quails Gate - D

Quinta Ferreria - C

Recline Ridge - B
Red Rooster - C

Ripples - D

Rustic Roots - F

Sage Hill - B

Salt Spring Island - B

Sea Side Estate - F

Sea Pearl Farm Estate - A

See Ya Later - B

Silver Sage - B

Sperling Vineyards - A

Spearhead - A+

St Lazlo's - B
St Hubertus - A

Summer Gate - A
Summer Hill Pyramid - F

SunnyBrae - A

Tantalus - B

Fort Wine co - F

The View - A+

Thorhaven -  F

Time - A+

Tinhorn Creek - A+
Township7 - Naramata - C

Township 7 Langley Township - A+

Unsworth -A

Venturi - Schulze- A

Vigneti Marchetto - F
Vigneti Zanatta - C
Vista Doro - F

Whispering Horse - A

 Hospitality Is the Key

When I operated the website winesofcanada once a year, I listed the best wineries to visit across our great country, Canada. It required a great deal of time, effort, and cooperation. Today I will grade the wineries that I have visit here in BC in the last few years. I will grade on exactly one Criteria   Hospitality.

I will do this is alpabetical order , # first

8th Generation - A

40 Knots Estate - A+

50th Parallel Estate - A

1st R.O.W - C

Alderlea Winery - B

Arrowleaf Cellars - B
Artisan Sakemaker -D

Averill Creek - A

Backyard Vineyards -A+
Blackmarket Wine Co -A+

Black Widow - B

Blasted Church - F

Blue Grouse - A+

Border Town -A+

Borrowing Owl - F

Golden Campbell Meadery - B

Cannon Estate - D

Castro de Ore -A

CedarCreek Estate - C

Chaberton Estate - D

Cherry Point - C

Church and State Kelowna -F

Church and State Victoria  - A+

Clos du Soleil - B

Costal Black - B

Corcelettes - A

Crowsnest - C

D' Angelo -A

Deol Vineyard -  F

Deep Roots - A

Ex Nihilo  - A+

Festina Lente - A+
Fitzpatrick Vineyards - B
Forbidden Fruit - A

Garry Oak Vineyards - F
Gehringer Brothers - B
Glass House - A+

Hainle Vineyards - D

Haywire - C
Heaven Gate - B

Hester Creek - D

Hillside - C

Intersection - A

Inniskillian - F
Isabella - F

Krause Berry Farm - A

Kraz Legs - A+

Please return again as I Grade  L- S

Happy Wine Trails

 Dining at Chaberton Estate Winery

Our dear friends invited Barbara and me out for dinner to celebrate my birthday. They said I could choose the restaurant. I selected the Bacchus Bristo at Chaberton Estate Winery. offering what the winery describes as an “exquisite dining experience” featuring authentic French cuisine prepared with local ingredients and a touch of West Coast flair.

Upon arrival, we entered the tasting room. There is no doubt that Chaberton is the most popular winery in the area. It was a Saturday with beautiful weather, the winery was buzzing. Getting an employee's attention was not easy. Toss in the fact that the staff was moving from person to person, quickly pouring wine, the experience was not enjoyable. In fact, I gave up on tasting and moved on to the dining room.

There were six of us. We were taken to a table on the patio. However, our table was up against the interior by the doorway. This resulted in foot traffic going back and forth behind me. We were seated on Iron cast chairs rather uncomfortable.

The waitress was charming she took our drink orders promising to bring some warm bread to the table. We waited while two other tables were seated and received their bread before us. I had to remind the waitress.

I ordered as I always do at Bacchus Bristo, the Bacchus wine. It was good but not equal to previous vintages.

Once again I followed tradition and ordered the Beef Bourguigon. It was amazing. 

Good Company. good wine and delicious food!!

Of course there was the final course, desert. Chocolate Pot de Cream.

I am proud to say I was able to blow out all the candles.

 The Time has Come!

The time has come,' the Walrus said,

      To talk of many things:

Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —

      Of cabbages — and kings —

So today I announce the closure of our website, a passion of over thirty years, Winesofcanada.com. Why, you may ask, was the site not doing well? Three million hits a year seemed to indicate that it was doing just fine, thank you.

However, the cost to run the site continues to increase, as does the time required, and, sadly, with the lack of help from Canada's wine industry the decision was made.

We thank those wineries that did support us and we wish the industry well. 

We will continue our blog for now..

But for my passion, the Time has Come.