The weather forecast for last Saturday in Victoria warned that a snow-storm was imminent and that there could be winds gusting up to 100 kilometres per hour. I decided the wise thing to do would be to get my Christmas shopping done early and then buy a bottle of wine to help see me through [...]

Now that I have developed an appreciation for B.C. Wines I decided it was time to sample a wine made closer to home. I chose the Saturna Chardonnay 2006 (twist top) which I found on display at the Strathcona Hotel Liquor store for $18.95 (including taxes). Saturna recommends this Chardonnay with halibut and as that [...]

My brother Rick, out Christmas shopping in Downtown Victoria, invited me for a late lunch so I thought it appropriate to suggest Ric’s Grill. I hadn’t been to Ric’s before but had heard good things about the Island’s only reperesentative of this popular Western Canada chain. It was a cold, rainy day so I was [...]

My good friends Melanie and Tom recently returned from a trip to the Okanagan and they brought with them a bottle of Pinot Grigio with the name of Ogopogo’s Lair. Ogopogo’s Lair ($14.99) is a product of the Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery and is named for the area of Okanagan Lake near Kelowna where [...]

Swans is one of the most popular eateries and drinking establishments in Victoria and its reputation for quality beers on tap is well deserved. In 2006 Swans, founded by the late philanthropist Michael Williams, was voted Canadian BrewPub of the year. Although the pub and hotel are named Swans the brewery is named Buckerfield’s after [...]

Didn’t we do well! By ‘we’ I refer to British Columbia and Vancouver Island in the recent Canadian Brewing Awards. Out of a possible 21 gold medals BC breweries captured five and out of a total of 63 medals the provinces breweries captured a total of eleven – the five gold, plus two silver and [...]