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+

 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.

 

May We Recommend

For those of you who love a good wine and a relaxing place to  enjoy the beauty of the Lower Mainland  of British Columbia, may we recommend Festina Lente Estate Winery. The hard-working, friendly owners, Bill and Teresa Townsley,  can be proud of what their efforts have achieved.

This winery delivers hospitality the way it should be — warm, genuine, and effortlessly welcoming. From the moment you arrive, the staff make you feel like an old friend rather than a visitor. The tasting experience is relaxed, personal, and full of great stories that bring each wine to life. A place you leave smiling, already planning your next visit.

Bill is a master mead producer, introducing a range of flavours to his Meads..  Festina Lente sets the bar for what modern mead can be. Every bottle shows remarkable balance, depth, and craftsmanship — from bright, floral session meads to rich, barrel‑aged showstoppers. Bill's passion is obvious in the way they talk about their honey sources, fermentation choices, and flavor profiles. It’s the kind of place where you taste not just quality, but care. A must‑visit for anyone who wants to experience mead at its best.”

WE chose Bill and Teresa winery to celebrate our dear friend June birthday. WE selected them because we knew they would extend serve above and beyond to look after a couple of ninty year old seniors.

We must applaud our server Dale for all he did for us. From serving the wine, hunting for a match ( for the birthday cake) to fetching a warm blanket for Barbara.

Helping to make our day special was the Traveling Tea Party. You will not find a more friendly couple so willing to please their customers. Thank you. Such amazing food!

Vocalist Jana Seale was there to provide the entertainment . Her amazing voice turns melodies into moments, singing the songs we all remember.

Thank you Festina Lente 

We are  thrilled that Teresa Townsley is running for City Council. In ou view, she brings the experience, integrity, and commitment our community needs. She’s exactly the kind of leader we believe everyone  should support.

21113 16th Ave 
Langley, BC

 visit www.winesofcanada.com

 

There are different reasons people wish to collect wine. But those who do usually have a passion for the taste of a good wine.

They take pride in their cellar; collecting wines they enjoy drinking. Some people collect because they have the dollars to do so

That's okay too.

If you decide collecting wines is for you, may we suggest some guidelines

1. Set a budget.

2. Know and understand the proper methods of storage

3. Cellar three or more bottles of the same wine. When you open the first and it delivers true bliss, the pleasure will be sweeter knowing you've got more in the cellar. The first will serve as a barometer of how the wine is aging 

4. Buy what you like.. IF you have a favourite wine or several favourites those are good wines to add to your collection

5. Most wines are made for quick consumption, so gain some knowledge about which wines may be best for storing.

6. Divide your cellar into areas. Those you wish to store for 5 years, those you wish to store for 10 years and those you might open now to impress your guests and so on.

7.record your wines when adding to the collection record those you taste. Take inventory 

8. Some whites age better than reds *, such as German riesling, Australian semillon or fine white Burgundy are good starter wines

9. Visit a winery ask the winemaker about his wines suitable for aging

10. sign up for winery newsletters they can notify you of wines designed for aging and offer discounts

Remember that the fun in collecting isn't just the purchase or tasting , but everything leading up to it. Do the research, read reviews and books, taste, talk and ask questions. When you do end up pouring that magical first glass from your newly created collection, you'll enjoy it all the more—whether it's a $19 chardonnay or a rare French Classic —because you put the time and effort into finding it. 

* We also found research that said Red wines age better due to an increase amount of Tannins.