Port Townsend Farmer’s Markets
You have heard me go on and on about my adoration for farmer’s markets before. My friends will tell you that I drag them for miles off a previously-planned itinerary if I see a sign for one. But this past weekend, it was my friend Susan who spotted it first. We were on our way […]
Tasting Cider on Vancouver Island
Is wine totally passé? That’s a cider flight. Before our lunchtime stop at Merridale Cider in Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley a few months ago, I couldn’t have told you a single thing about English-style craft cider. Now, I’ll tell you a thing or two. It rocks with food. Really good cider (and Merridale’s is really good […]
Oysters and the Santa Train
BRITISH COLUMBIA Do you love to shuck and slurp slippery oysters? They’re even more delicious at the source. On Vancouver’s rugged, spectacular western coast is the town of Tofino on Clayoquot Sound, host to the Clayoquot Oyster Festival November 18-20, 2010. The region has reason to celebrate their bounty; they harvest 50,000 gallons of Pacific […]
Tasting the Umpqua
Down in the valley, where the green grass grows, there are over a dozen small, family-owned wineries whose creations range from spicy Syrahs to deep-noted Pinot Noirs. Oregon’s Umpqua Valley wine region is not just one valley, but comprises several small valleys and undulating hills. It’s drier than the Willamette to the north, and cooler […]
Grape Lakes in Canada’s Okanagan Valley
The region is stunning, and so are the wines. So why do American wine lovers have so few bottles from BC’s Okanagan Valley in their wine cellars? Sunset magazine covered the challenges of crossing the U.S. Canadian border with alcoholic goods in hand after a visit to British Columbia’s Okanagan wine region. Here’s the deal. If […]
Barrel Tasting
There’s nothing quite like a glass of good rosé on a warm spring day. Especially if it’s been kept nice and cool by the thick walls of an oak barrel. Blackwood Canyon is a unique winery on Red Mountain, near Washington’s Tri-Cities. (This winery has now closed.) By the way, a visit there is like […]
Photo Friday: Granville Island Market
Granville Island’s Public Market in Vancouver is a fun place to get just a little bit lost. I always make sure I have plenty of cash in my pocket to get a little of everything… a tin of fine tea, a couple of crab cakes for dinner, fixings for a salad, a bouquet of fresh […]
Biking in Oregon Wine Country
Pinot noir and bicycling go together like bread and butter. If you don’t believe me, you’ll just have to try it for yourself! If you have a bike and a free summer weekend, head to the Willamette Valley south of Portland and tour wine country by bicycle. You have two choices to ride through the […]
