Season In the Park

We were and about on the town last Sunday. We attended the musical Fiddler on the Roof at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. It was an excellent performance dedicated to the people of Ukraine. The cast received a rousing standing ovation.

Following the performance we dine at the famous Seasons in the Park Restaurant located in Vancouvers Queen Elizabeth Park. The restaurant is located at the highest point within the park.We had an excellent table with a view of the city. Our server was efficient and charming and had just the right sense of humor.

They have an excellent menu and a very good wine list featuring some notable BC wineries. There were six of us in our party and we all selected Tinhorn Creeks Merlot. 

The Merlot is fresh and elegant with a vibrant natural acidity. Fruit from Tinhorn Creek's Diamond Back Vineyard on Black Sage Bench was fermented using natural yeasts. The wine was then aged in a combination of French, Hungarian and American oak barrels for twelve months. The ripe dark cherry flavours and firm tannins in this wine showcase the bounty of the South Okanagan perfectly.

Five of us went with the Prime Rib dinner one went with the Citrus - Ponzu Marinated Sablefish. The prime Rib was served with a gigantic  Yorkshire Pudding. Sadly it was slightly over done. The prime rib was delicious.

It was a most enjoyable day

 Margaret Swaine 

Margaret is an internationally published wine, spirits, food, spa, golf and travel writer, who has authored well over 2,000 articles on these subjects for magazines and newspapers. She’s the travel columnist for the National Post newspaper (Forks & the Road), the spa columnist for Best Health magazine (Paradise Home & Away), the spirit & cocktail columnist for Zoomer magazine, the spirit columnist for WineAlign and the culinary travel columnist (Global Gourmet) for Travel Industry Today.

She wrote the monthly wine column for over 25 years in both Chatelaine and Toronto Life and has written regularly in other wine publications including Winetidings, Wine Access and WineAlign since 1979

. 

Margaret has co-authored/edited two books, “The Romance of Wine and Food” and “101 Big Ideas for Promoting a Business on a Small Budget”. She is also author of the first three annual Toronto Life Wine, Beer and Spirits Guides which review all wines, beers and spirits on general list in Ontario.

Margaret is a founder, director and first treasurer of The Travel Media Association of Canada and a member of the Society of American Travel Writers. As a member of the Society of Wine Educators, Margaret has taught wine courses at the YMCA, The Skills Exchange, The Learning Annex, Creative Entertaining, The Creative Touch Cooking School, Harvest Kitchen and Georgian College as well as for private corporate groups. She was founder and host for many years of The Toronto Life Wine & Dine Experiences that were held monthly at top restaurants in Toronto.

Margaret has participated as a wine judge at many competitions around the world. She has appeared on numerous radio and TV Shows as a wine expert, including Live It Up (CTV), Midday (CBC-TV), Morningside (CBC Radio), CFRB Talk Radio, Canadian Living TV (CTV) and Report on Business TV. In winter 1995 she acted as host for a video production by the LCBO “Shop the World – Spirits Promotion”. In January 1996, she was a speaker at the Symposium on Alcohol Privatization and has been a guest on Metro Morning and CBC Radio Noon, to present her views on deregulation.

Margaret founded and was first president of the Wine Writers Circle of Canada and is a member of the Wine Writers Circle in England. She has acted as an expert witness in wine disputes involving Champagne, Entre-Deux-Mers and other trade mark usages. Margaret is also a regular consultant to the hospitality industry and assisted with the creation of The Sommelier Guild of Canada. Margaret also has organized and run a number of wine fairs including the visit of Vignobles & Signatures, The Pacific Northwest Wine Fairs, and The Premiere Bordeaux Barrel Tasting. Margaret got her debut in the wine field, as a winner of blind tasting competitions. Back in 1978, when Margaret entered her first Toronto competition, she captured both the first prize and the “women’s prize”.

A graduate of Carleton University with an Honours Journalism degree, she speaks conversational French, German and Demotic Greek.

 Never mind about Feel Good Friday; mine became a Feel Fantastic Friday!

Story By Barbara Bell

The recent weather threw a wrench into my Christmas to-do list. We are house/pet sitting in South Surrey until January 03, taking care of two adorable dachshunds. I was not too concerned about the dump of snow we received and clearing the driveway, as we only needed to leave the house today to run last-minute errands. Our stress level was low; we were smug, thinking the snow would be gone. Smug in, thinking it would be gone, we turned down the owner's offer to ask the neighbour to shovel the driveway.

That smugness changed to a high-stress level for me yesterday. First, the mailman requested that we clear a path for him; second, Bob came down with a man cold (some of you might know what that is like, lol). Third, no snow shovel in the garage; (who really needs one here). Fourth, the turkey and roaster pan needed to be retrieved from home as we were hosting Christmas dinner. I no longer drive due to COPD and would not attempt it in the current conditions if I did. With my chauffeur/sherpa ill, I planned to Uber it, but the driveway needed clearing first! I started looking online for snow removal people; it was late afternoon by then.

Bob commented that he heard on Global News that there is an organization called Snow Angels which helps with snow removal. I googled it and filled out the online form; within 15 minutes, I got a response that someone would arrive at 8 am today to clear the driveway at no cost to us.

A young couple arrived at 7:45 am and cleared the driveway in less than an hour! I offered them hot chocolate, which they heartedly accepted. Brett is a civil engineer consultant with the Ministry of Highways his wife Emma is a pharmacist with Fraser Health. While they were inside warming up with their hot chocolates, I commented all I had to do now was get an Uber to get groceries and the turkey; they both chimed in with we can help you with that; the rest of our day is free. They patiently waited for me to get ready, then dropped me at Safeway for 2 hours to grocery shop and do a Dollarama run.

THEN they drove me to our place; Brett loaded everything on my list into our Costco cart and transported me safely back to Bob. Oh, almost forgot, they also helped water our plants. Although they would not take any compensation; (I wanted to give them gas money), I did convince them to accept a box of After Eight chocolates I had picked up at Safeway. So other than Bob having a man cold, this will be one of the nicest Christmases in a long time. To top it off, we get to have Max and Sadie and the ambience of a lovely home. And weather permitting, good friends are making the trek from Ladner to celebrate Christmas. Life is beautiful; we are truly blessed!

Kindness has been important for most of my life; today, we received an abundance of it and are very grateful!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

What about the Wine. The story to be continued!!

This part of the story could not be told until Christmas Day. I had ordered six bottles of wine for Bob from a Backyard Vineyard sales offer. I called the wineries manager, Norma. She happily filled the order and complimented Bob with six more bottles of wine. I could not of course, let Bob know the story behind the wine delivery until he was presented with the wine.

The wine was supposed to be delivered to a friend's home Suzzane who lived close to us. We were housing and therefore were not home. The wine was sent by FedEx to our home. Unable to deliver, the wine was sent back to the FedEx depot.

Having not received the wine, Barb traced the wine to the depot called Suzzane. Who volunteered to get the wine. FedEx refused to give her the wine.

Once again, our snow Angels came to the rescue; they drove Barbara to the depot to collect the wine.

Bob was more than surprised to discover a huge box of wines waiting for him on Christmas Morning.

 

Turkey and Wine

Turkey is mostly white meat and tastes like chicken. Although Turkey has a richer, darker taste than chicken, The meat's succulent flavor profile and juicy texture make it the perfect match for an array of diverse grape varieties, hailing from various regions all over the globe.

Perhaps the most common wines served on a day of celebration like Christmas is a A Sparkling wine or a Champagne. High in acid, insanely food-friendly, and just about as festive as it gets, Champagne might just be the best wine to sip with turkey-- as well as pre-dinner, post dinner, and every second in between.

Chardonnay is another excellent choice. the wine's crisp acidity, mineral undertones, and fruit-forward nature bring out the best that turkey has to offer. When it comes to cooking with wine Chardonnay can be used to bast the Turkey and to sip while the turkey is in the oven.

Pinot Noir with turkey is also a winner. . The wine's bright high acidity, as well as extreme versatility on the table, make it a solid choice for pairing not only with turkey, but also the handful of sides that will cover the rest of your plate. Canada produces some amazing Pinot Noirs.

Viognier might not be as popular of a variety as Chardonnay, it's certainly one of turkey's greatest matches. Fleshy and round, the wine's juicy stone fruit flavors and floral, honeyed undertones are ideal with tender turkey meat.

Many people love their Zinfandel with their holiday turkey. Jammy, juicy, and fruit forward,Zinfandel pairs gorgeously with both light and dark meats, as well as an array of sides.

In Ontario where Riesling is King a dry Riesling goes well with your turkey.

Gamay, the wine's high acid, low tannins, and juicy mouthfeel make it one of the best bottles to pair with turkey. 

If you want to think a bit outside of the box try Ortega or Bacchus. I have enjoyed both with our Christmas diners over the years..

Another option would be a Chenin Blanc. Chenin Blanc is produced to be either lightweight or a more structured, occasionally barrel-aged white wine that is adaptable to any situation and occasion. It can be sipped poolside or on formal dinners, and it can even make a fantastic house gift. a Chenin Blanc can be produced in numerous styles so it is best to know your wine.

To finish and celebration a good Canadian Icewine works!

 Checking out Two Delta Restaurants

It was not our objective to compare two Delta Restaurants; it was just by chance we happened to be in both. Sunday evening, we visited the new Matches Restaurant at the Delta Casino.  The fact that there was covered parking with an elevator up to the main floor kept us out of the rain. A good start. Located off the main lobby, away from the casino floor, was also a good idea. We were greeted at the entrance with a smile and quickly shown to a table of our choice.

The restaurant's interior was well-designed; the ambience was far superior to the Matches in the other casino we visited. If there was a negative, it would be the huge TV centred just above the table. 

Our server was excellent. We even enjoyed a chat with the manager. It is rare to see the manager delivering food and clearing tables.

I enjoyed their French Onion soup and chicken wing. Barbara had her favourite pasta dish. 

Mushroom Pesto Rigatoni

A most enjoyable meal. As for the wine we made it simple and went with the house red (Barb) and house white (me). The house wines from Jackson- Triggs did not disappoint.

The following evening we found ourselves along with good friends Peter and June at the Riverhouse Pub. This was Halloween so the Pub was not busy.

We were surprised to find only one person working the Pub. It is a difficult task to handle the bar and take food orders. We were seated for some time before the young lady was able to greet us. She did so with a warm greeting and a nice smile. She suggest we move to a nicer, more comfortable table which we did.

She took our drink order. Before the drinks arrived, a second server showed up and took over our table. It was smooth sailing from there on. Barbara Peter and June had the Jackson Triggs Merlot, and I had the Gehringer Riesling. Both are excellent wines.

We all enjoyed our dinner. Peter especially raved about the Artic Char. I had my usual the Beef Dip.

Two enjoyable nights out No dishes.

 Time is Everything!

One day with my wife's encouragement, I decided to start a website with the subject being the wines and wineries of Canada.. A rather easy task (the pamphlet at the local government liquor store listed 25 wineries) not too difficult. The first step, learn to build a website, the second step purchase a domain name and website hosting.

It was a learn as I go process that did not take too much of my time, about three days consisting of twenty to twenty-five hours, after all, there were only 25 wines, according to the pamphlet. With wineries in British Columbia and Ontario, there would be three pages, the Home Page, British Columbia page and an Ontario page.

It would be just a matter of time before I would be done and the site up and running.. but then I decided I would have time for some research into Canada's wineries. Information on the internet was very limited; the year was 1992. 

I came across a Book called "Vintage Canada" by Tony Aspler in 1993 oh my gosh! there were wineries in Quebec and Nova Scotia also there were wineries in different regions of Ontario. There was so much more to the wines of Canada I was now in a race against time to catch up and make my website current. 

Robert Orben said "Time flies. It's up to you to be the navigator". and so the years passed and the website grew.

New pages were added regularly. I had the time to deal with it all; The nineties came and went, a new millennium had begun Canada's wine industry grew, her wines became more popular. Her ice wines became world renowned and time became my enemy.

The number of wineries grew and soon I was boasting about the five hundred wineries in Canada. The website had over a million visitors in 2009 the website had grown to over 150 pages. In 2010 the list of new winery licenses was amazing; In 2018 we will have over 800 wineries in Canada. 

Rapid changes were taking place. Wineries were adding new brands, changing their names, wineries were opening regions were no one thought grapes could grow before, virtual wineries opened. Wine companies were forming, and buying out smaller wineries. Restaurants and guest rooms were being added it was all happening so fast!

I thought about this yesterday as I realised I had spent over six hours communicating with just one winery, one owner. I do not regret this time. The website is my passion. I just don't know how I am going to find the time

to remain Canada's number one wine website supporting not only the wines of Canada but our country. 

Time is money... www.winesofcanada is taking my time but not providing the money. It's an old cliche that we all know and understand, but to what extent do you really apply it in your life. Time is our most precious resource because it is the only one that is truly scarce. 

As Canada's wine industry grows and grows .. I need time, time from the wineries of Canada. I need them to take the time and provide information about their winery, give me information and I will tell the world. 

We thank the many who do.. 

I have had marketing and hospitality managers from the big wineries telling me they don't have time to answer my questions. My response is get off facebook, get off twitter and take time to answer the questionnaire I send. I'm promoting your winery for free and it would give me time to make sure your information is current. There is always someone with the time to point out to me that certain things they deem important are missing.

We first discovered the wonderful world of wines on our honeymoon when by chance, we ended up in Napa Valley

Why did we start a second website www.winesofwoi.com simple we live with in a few blocks of the US border and have a cabin, So we have the opportunity to taste many Washington wines. We stopped the website as the Canadian site took far too much time to maintain.

Time now for me to make lunch. You have to spend some time sleeping, eating, playing, relaxing and growing within yourself, time with your friends and family.

For those of you who never found the time to return my e-mails, my calls, or greet me when I visited not to worry I found the time to list you as well. 

We currently list over 1100, wineries, meaderies and cideries. We have 1000s of photos and numerous feature articles.

~ We are on FaceBook and Twitter 

 What It Takes!

As you know, I am the owner and sole writer for the very popular website www.winesofcanada.com. I began developing websites in 1992. I started with the World of Wines.  As interest in the wonderful world of wine grew among the public and the number of wineries in Canada greatly increased, I switch my attention to Canada. It was a surprise to me that I was able to obtain the domain Winesofcanada.com. 

Back in the early ’90s, there was no “.ca”. My main focus was to list all wineries by province and tell a short story about them. It took a great deal of research. After completing this task and seeing my daily hits grow from 4-5 visits a day to over 300 a day. I decided to add more content.  Today I provided information on all aspects of the industry. I write wine reviews and tell about my visits to the wineries. I include Meaderies and Cider House. I have explored and written about the history of winemaking in Canada. I tell the stories of many of the most influential people in the industry. 

Back in 2017, I started  my most popular pages. “ The Wineries to Watch for in 2017” and the “Best Wineries to Visit in 2017”. These pages were first published days prior to January 1 2017.

I published new pages every year since.  Today I am already writing the pages for 2023. 

The work on these pages begins once the previous year is published. I review all resources possible, TV, Newspapers, and Magazines. my peers in the industry, my friends, other writers, and of course, research.

 The hardest page to do is actually “the Best Wineries to Visit”. There is an old saying which I believe is factual “ When one is happy with a hospitality established, they tell two or three people about it. When one is unhappy, they tell ten or more people”.

 In reassuring the wineries, it became obvious that the number one concern for an unhappy visit was the attitude of the staff!

In most situations, a good attitude leads to positive behaviours and a negative attitude leads to negative behaviours. An employee who believes in the company’s core values is more likely to show positivity in the workplace. Organizations where employees like each other and trust the management are more likely to have positive attitudes.

 It does not matter how good the wines are, how good your food is, or how amazing your facilities are if the owners and staff have a negative attitude! 

Numerous wineries that one might say would be among the Best Wineries to Visit have not made the 2023 page simply because of hospitality concerns. It amazes me!