Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival

The biggest wine festival in North America is now well under way at this point and will continue through the weekend. I'm popping in on Friday afternoon for trade day to see some old faces and taste some new wines.
Each year the festival pooh-bahs select a region and a wine as the thematic influences. This year the country is Italy and the wine is bubble.
Next year is what I'm interested in:
Our own little old British Columbia will be featured as the region and Pinot Noir will be the wine.
As a result, my main squeeze Township 7 will be in attendance and I'll be there to press the flesh and dispense the stuff. So mark your electronic calendar devices now! March 23 -29, 2009.

WIne Pouring Last Week

At Taylorwood in Yaletown. Had a hair day so on goes the Appellation America cap.

Stan Carter preaches to the converted at Township 7's massively successful open house over the the April 14-15 weekend.

It was fun to meet everybody!

Let's Get Together . . . Thursday . . . Yaletown.

I'm pouring the following Township 7 wines:

2004 Merlot
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Semillon
2006 Rose

and a few other surprises at

Taylorwood Wines in Yaletown, Vancouver

from 4:30 - 6:30 this Thursday.

Option A: Come early and help me carry this stuff in from the car. It'll be worth your while.
Option B: Come late and help me carry this stuff back to the car. It'll be worth your while and we can grab a bite!

Taylorwood Wines, Yaletown, Vancouver

I finally made it down to Taylorwood Wines in Vancouver's precious Yaletown after hearing lots of good things and meeting plenty of people who all had a positive Taylorwood story.

The shop is well-laid out and had a great airy feel with the south-east window frontage letting plenty of light in. There's no need for a modern shop to have poor lighting so us old folks can't read the labels. Hundreds of bottles are arranged more or less by varietal. Have a staff member show you around on your first visit.

I was in on a Sunday which happened to coincide with one of their twice weekly advertised tasting events. The place had a pleasant buzz of business with customers coming and going and congregating around the hemispherical tasting bar in the back.

One of the things I appreciate in a wine shop is a sufficient, knowledgeable staff. Taylorwood scored well on this point. Selling wine is more than order taking; customers are always in pursuit of information when they are ready to select a wine they've never had before. The better the information and the delivery then the better the relationship between the two parties. In this respect they're a lot like Discover Wines in Kelowna.

Taylorwood is the kind of place I want to sell my wines. I want people with a genuine interest in good wine and a passion for great wine to handle my best products. That's why Township 7 has wine at Taylorwood and why I'll be encouraging my other clients to have their wines there.

Online Wine Course is Concise And All-encompassing

I recently discovered an online wine course that really impressed me.

I am a bit of a skeptic. I figured there's no replacement for just flinging yourself at gobs of wine and trying to muddle through as best as possible. Perhaps emerging from sensory battle with a slightly lop-sided palate. Perhaps with the help of a slightly biased friend.

Taste of the Vine Free Courses is the perfect tool for anyone at any level of wine knowledge who wants to improve and measure their ability to enjoy wine.

The course is engaging and well-designed. There are great graphics and clearly composed content. A lot of thought and energy has gone in to the production.

Some of the features I liked (and I'm still in the process of discovery):

• you can check your progress with a visit to the wine cellar to see how many bottles (points) you've amassed.


• you don't have to take it all in one shot. As a registered user, you can sign in when you want and pick up where you left off.


• The colour diagrams (as example of the tongue and the taste defined areas), are medical text accurate.


• I like the idea of a wine tasting course in my home. Takes the issue of transportation and safety right out of the picture.

There's actually two courses. One is called the Instant and the other is the Complete. It's up to you decide what suits you best.

From the perspective of someone who tastes and works with wine everyday, I think the Taste of the Vine Complete Wine Course is a winner. Many of the details are part of my daily routine but there were points where I learned something new on practically every second page.

Soon I'll be referencing parts of my tongue with the appropriate latin terms. If nothing else, my geek stock will soar.

Wine Tasting Reminder

Just a quick reminder to locals . . . if you're in Penticton on Saturday drop by the Wine Information Centre between 1 - 3 and I'll pour you a few samples of Township 7 wine.
Merlot, Chard and a couple rarities.
I'll be telling jokes and autographing body parts as usual.