Podcasts have been around for well over a decade now. When I first started producing the Wine Country BC podcast in 2009, it was not new technology, but I often had to explain to people how to listen to them. Apple released the Podcasts app beginning with the iPhone 4 and podcasts started to take …
Continue reading Who listens to podcasts these days?
The BC wine industry will be facing some battles over the coming years. The renegotiations of NAFTA and the Comeau case, that is set to be heard in the Supreme Court of Canada this December, are just two of the things that the industry will have to fight for. So says John Peller, CEO of …
Continue reading John Peller at Wine Talks – Preparing for Battle
I originally started this post back in early August because it was the first time that I could actually sit down and do some proper writing here. Jobs and other large projects had occupied my time up until that point. And then the fires started and priorities changed pretty quick. Since then of course, more books …
Continue reading This year’s BC book harvest
Regional associations of wineries (sometimes blandly referred to as "generic marketing bodies" in the wine industry) are not a new phenomena in B.C. They lurk in the background of tastings and marketing campaigns in the Okanagan, Vancouver, and other key markets. I'm not even sure that many consumers are all that familiar with them specifically …
Continue reading Regional Marketing in BC
Wine shops are weird places. There aren't a lot of other businesses where you can go, consume some of the product for free (or nearly free), and buy (or not buy) some of said product. Test driving cars or trying on clothes are both perhaps the closest, except that in both cases the product doesn't …
Continue reading Wine Shops: Why do some wineries get it so wrong?
The results have just been announced for the 2015 Lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence in B.C. Wine. I've run the stats again this year and there's some interesting things happening. Firstly, congratulations to all of this year's winners! 50th Parallel Estate - 2013 Chardonnay BC Wine Studio -2012 Siren's Call Syrah Blasted Church Vineyards - 2012 Holy …
Continue reading The 2015 LG’s are in
A new series for Wine Country BC - "You've Gotta Visit..." where I will feature new, exciting, and interesting wineries that you absolutely should not miss on your travels through wine country. I get asked a lot where to go for unique experiences and this series will focus on some of the new ones that …
Continue reading You’ve gotta visit: vinPerdu
Here is what I hear when I read reviews or listen to someone criticize wine shops, wine shop staff, or even sommeliers as being "pretentious". I hear this: "Everything I need to know, I already know. Anything that someone tells me that may differ from that is wrong, must be false, and is therefore completely fabricated …
Continue reading Mullings Over Wine Pretentiousness in the Digital World
It's that time of year again! The time when Google searches, dog-eared Wine Trails magazines, and copies of John Schreiner's tour books start occupying all of your reading time in anticipation of your trip to the Okanagan this summer. Where are you going to stay? What are you going to do? Which wineries will you …
Continue reading Planning your trip to wine country
I've had a few questions about restaurants and the wines that they serve. As this was a study topic for a recent WSET exam, I've been doing a lot of research about it lately and have some things to say. That said, I don't claim to be an expert on anything about the decisions that …
Continue reading Restaurants and Wine: A Love Story
