147 replies to this topic

[Bernard]

Kokanee is brewed by one of the oldest independent breweries in Canada - nowadays known as micro breweries, so it would be local.

Meanwhile almost all BC red wines are not worth drinking and should be promoted by anyone at any point for anything.

[pseudotsuga]

Noticed today that it is now open.

I haven't gone in yet, but there was definitely some Kokanee in the window, along with a bunch of Lucky.

Will check out the selection of Phillips etc soon.

[Caramia]

I had no idea about Kokanee until I read it here. I'm excited to hear it is open. I'll have to go buy an inaugural bottle of Victoria Gin later this week!

For organic there are very specific laws about what you can call organic or even natural, but to some degree it depends on the person you get at labeling standards. For instance, Buckerfield's beers, which use all natural ingredients, most of which are organic, no syrups or flavours, cannot put "All Natural" on its labels. Why? Because they use City Water, which they filter. City water has chlorine added. Buckerfields then filters that out, testing the water to make sure it is pure. Nevertheless, the new gal at the labeling place says that because the water once had chlorine, it is no longer "Natural". In the meantime, other labels say "All Natural" while using City Water without issue. They just got a different clerk who interprets the standards less rigorously.

[hotdoglegz]

Meanwhile almost all BC red wines are not worth drinking and should be promoted by anyone at any point for anything.

I'm no expert on wine, well technically I am, I'd say you need a better argument here There are some brilliant BC red wines available. A lot of the wines made domestically are not great and some are simply junk (we've had BC wines on the market that were rejected by other provincial liquor boards because of their poor quality). Most BC wines are over-priced (I could find you a $12 dollar wine from Spain that would compare with a $24 BC red) but I would never say that almost all BC reds are not worth drinking.

[martini]

I'm no expert on wine, well technically I am, I'd say you need a better argument here There are some brilliant BC red wines available. A lot of the wines made domestically are not great and some are simply junk (we've had BC wines on the market that were rejected by other provincial liquor boards because of their poor quality). Most BC wines are over-priced (I could find you a $12 dollar wine from Spain that would compare with a $24 BC red) but I would never say that almost all BC reds are not worth drinking.

The problem is most B.C wines are not made with B.C. grapes. Blame the biggest wineries for that. Unless you buy QVA, you don't know what you are getting. This is a big cheat on authentic B.C. wineries.

[G-Man]

^Its actually VQA and while some large scale wineries import grapes from Ontario most small scale wineries do actually get their grapes from BC, so unless you only like the large scale crap wineries that statement is just not true.

[martini]

^Its actually VQA and while some large scale wineries import grapes from Ontario most small scale wineries do actually get their grapes from BC, so unless you only like the large scale crap wineries that statement is just not true.

Sorry I'll edit my post for my spelling error. I was referring to the large wineries as they are the worst offenders for blending. Thus giving the general public a false impression of B.C. wines. I will include myself as one until I knew what was going on.
So I'm not clear how my statement isn't true?

[martini]

The problem is most B.C wines are not made with B.C. grapes. Blame the biggest wineries for that. Unless you buy QVA, you don't know what you are getting. This is a big cheat on authentic B.C. wineries.

Correction...VQA

[pseudotsuga]

Well, on my first venture to the new store I didn't pick up any BC wines, but there is a fine selection of Victoria brewed beers, and the service was great. They are happy to take requests while they are figuring out what is best to stock - local or non.

[Bernard]

Former City council candidate Simon Nattrass is working there, I ran into him on Wednesday

[G-Man]

Sorry I'll edit my post for my spelling error. I was referring to the large wineries as they are the worst offenders for blending. Thus giving the general public a false impression of B.C. wines. I will include myself as one until I knew what was going on.
So I'm not clear how my statement isn't true?

You said that most BC wines are made from imported grapes and that is not true if you mean that most individual wineries across the province use imported grapes.

I think you mean " BC Wine " by volume then perhaps your right because most bc wine volume is made by one or two crappy large scale wine factories. Don't drink these wines.

It is also not true if you mean wine varieties as the import of grapes is mostly for about 3 types of grape (merlot, cab sauv. chardonnay).

I don't think that most people have a bad impression of BC wine. We don't export a lot because of trade restrictions not bad wine.

[VicHockeyFan]

^ someone is being awful wine-elitist. In blind taste-tests those "wine factories" score high for their product, because they are able to deliver consistancy. A grape grown in BC does not automatically make the wine better.

[G-Man]

^ Of course it doesn't. Grape origin is more about product honesty. BC grapes are not better than a lot of places around the world. To say that crap like Calona or Sawmill creek rates as well as Gehringer or Mt. Boucherie is unlikely unless the taster really hates themselves.

[martini]

You said that most BC wines are made from imported grapes and that is not true if you mean that most individual wineries across the province use imported grapes.

I think you mean " BC Wine " by volume then perhaps your right because most bc wine volume is made by one or two crappy large scale wine factories. Don't drink these wines.

It is also not true if you mean wine varieties as the import of grapes is mostly for about 3 types of grape (merlot, cab sauv. chardonnay).

I don't think that most people have a bad impression of BC wine. We don't export a lot because of trade restrictions not bad wine.

I never said individual wineries use imported grapes. I did say most B.C. wines do as I was referring to the 3 biggest that the general public are familiar with.
It is these three 'big box' wineries that give true B.C. wines a bad name.
I did say I included myself in that belief before I understood what was going on in the industry.

Sale of cheap imports as B.C. wines 'scandalous,' say critics and consumers
By Gordon Hamilton, Canwest News Service September 21, 2009
http://www.canada.co...5578/story.html

There are about a dozen brand names, from Peller Estates Proprietor's Reserve and Jackson-Triggs Proprietors' Selection, which sell for $9, to Wild Horse Canyon, at $13. All are made by divisions of Mission Hill, Andrew Peller Ltd. and Vincor International Ltd., owner of the Jackson-Triggs label.

[VicHockeyFan]

I don't know what the big scandal is. If my wine is "made 100% in BC with 100% BC grapes" I can put that on the label. Those other bottles can't say that on the label.

Even beer snobs don't care where the hops and stuff come from for their beer.

[sebberry]

I don't know what the big scandal is. If my wine is "made 100% in BC with 100% BC grapes" I can put that on the label. Those other bottles can't say that on the label.

Even beer snobs don't care where the hops and stuff come from for their beer.

I hate beer so I can't really comment on this, but does the growing location of hops and whatever else affect the tase like it does grapes?

[Caramia]

I don't know about hops but certainly the origin of the wheat or barley makes a difference. There are a couple of the Buckerfield's brews that use German grains for the authentic taste you apparently can't get from the regular grains grown around here.

[D.L.]

Yesterday I popped into this new liquor store for the first time. Where is the west-coast interior design we were told it would have? The only exposed wood beams I could see were structural 2x4s across the ceiling because no proper ceiling has been installed yet.

[LJ]

I believe the wine makers should have been a little clearer in their labelling. Not everyone realizes that it has to have the VQA stamp to be totally BC made.

However if you find a wine you like I couldn't care less where the grapes came from.

[VicHockeyFan]

Yesterday I popped into this new liquor store for the first time. Where is the west-coast interior design we were told it would have? The only exposed wood beams I could see were structural 2x4s across the ceiling because no proper ceiling has been installed yet.

...they decided if they made it too nice the city would slap a heritage desig. on it and they would never be able to renovate in the future.