jhiroshi

Well, truth be told, I got these out of Parker's latest Bordeaux book. Sometimes I think he goes too far out of his way with his adjectives. BTW, how many words are really needed in a wine taster's repertoire? ← If I had to write about as many wines as Robert Parker, I sure as hell would be looking through the thesaurus for a few extra adjectives. It's a repetitive exercise writing about wine, but some variation is surely necessary to maintain one's sanity. James

Just a note of warning, I am a beginner, so forgive me my transgressions. I also tried the 2000 vintage. Colour: (something I've always had a hard time describing, why isn't there a standard spectrum so everyone is on the same page, it's much more objective than smell and taste so it seems to me that there should be one), anyways pretty typical merlot, a medium intensity garnet red Nose: Plum and cherry with some oaky background notes. Mouth: More cherry flavours. Smooth and a little buttery; well balanced with enough acidity to give it some substance. Finish: Nice dark chocolate, sour plum finish that lasts for awhile. My overall impression was that this is a good wine for the money, nothing too surprising, very good merlot. But as with many people, Miles included, I have to say that I do not find merlot particularly interesting or challenging. Though I seem to remember having one or quite interesting merlots from Washington, the Kestrel Columbia Valley Merlot comes to mind, though I can't remember what vintage, generally I avoid it. So I suppose I am somewhat biased in saying that I would probably not buy it again, even though I thought it was good. Just a note to clarify: I'm pretty sure Wine Spectator gave it an 88 and the 2001 vintage a 90. I forgot to add: I bought this at a private wine store here in BC (was more convenient than going to Government liquor store) and it was $26.99CDN! A little steep if most of you are getting it below $10US. Cheers, James

For those of you contemplating a career change, here's a chance to eat fatburgers everyday: the last great hamburger stand James

I had the same problem, with the La Frenz and Blue Mountain products. Due to my budget I can't afford to buy a whole case and order from the winery. My solution was to take a vacation in the Okanagan. When the new vintages are released, occasionally I've seen small amounts in Kitsilano Wine Cellar and, if memory serves, Liberty on 10th Ave. However, I think their allotments are so small that the wine never stays on the shelf very long. Just have to be in the right place at the right time. Cheers, James

Nicely chosen selection Andy. Being from BC I am quite jealous, there are a few wines there which I have as yet been unable to try, most importantly the Blue Mountain stripe label pinot noir, from any vintage. But I always keep a bottle of the Brut , which is a little easier to obtain for a student on a budget, on hand for emergencies. I also wanted to congratulate all those involved in the tasting for overcoming their, I think quite justified, trepidation towards Canadian wine. It's nice to hear unbiased opinions from outside BC. Unfortunately the production in BC, as I think Mr. Talent may have been referring to?, will probably never be large enough that international wine publications such as Wine Spectator, will seriously cover BC wine products. However from reading your posts, I think you may have been a British Columbian in a past life Andy Cheers James

Would have to be BOH in Lumiere because it blew my 21 year old mind when my parents took me there for my birthday. That is when I discovered what food could be and fell deeply and irrevocably in love. With food that is. But the towel boy at brandie's wouldn't be so bad either.

Since the Courier does not seem to be too quick at posting his reviews online, here's the concluding paragraph from Mr. Pawsey's review: "On Chi's surface, all is indeed as smooth as the river rock that supports your chopsticks, a stellar room with service that is friendly, dedicated and flawless. But however well intentioned, this neophyte kitchen still needs time to find its tempo." As people have mentioned above, his visit was just after the soft opening, so they were still most likely working out the kinks. Sounds very promising. I'm hoping to try it on Tuesday since my student loan finally came through! James

Butter: have you been to hapa izakaya or guu (any of the three locations)? This is exactly what they are trying to do. This is izakaya: casual, not about the service, interesting food, loud, busy atmosphere. They have achieved exactly what they were trying to do, however in my humble opinion, hapa and guu do it slightly better ( which is somewhat ironic since from what I've read, the family who started shiru-bay originally started guu, and the owners of hapa got much of their inspiration from exactly the same people). If you want similar, but better executed food with better service, try yuji's on 4th. What were you expecting from a place that bills itself ? Some confusion? perhaps, but in the muddled and cheeky way that only the Japanese can achieve. Did you happen to hear the song that the servers gather around and sing when someone orders shots of tequila? or the birthday song? hilarious. I just wish that the servers were also Japanese because then it would really feel like Japan. But then again, maybe I'm a little biased because I'm half Japanese, and only eat at Japanese restaurants owned and/or staffed by Japanese people. James Higgs

Thanks for pointing out the other thread, it's exactly what i was looking for. couldn't find it when I searched before. I will definitely go to the wick for at least a drink, maybe lunch, since I am staying on chesterman. Thanks again for the tips. Definitely hoping to make it to shelter and sobo in the few days I have. Can't wait until tomorrow night when I will be able to enjoy a stroll along chesterman with a glass or three of blue mountain brut, and some dungeness crab in my stomach. don't know if it's the best pairing, and don't care. mmmmmmm. james

I was just wondering if anybody has eaten at the wickanninish inn and has any feedback on whether it is worth going? I will be going to tofino for a week and was thinking of trying it out since I seem to read about it everywhere. Also, I haven't been to Tofino for many years, are there any restaurants that people have been excited about? Thanks, James

I'm new to egullet and new to these forums so forgive me if things turn out a little funny. I am thoroughly enjoying the review of your time in Vancouver. Most entertaining thing I've read recently (aside from Jessica Simpson's mom asserting that her daughter was a genius with an IQ of 160). Can't wait to hear more. In regards to the Vancouver patio scene, in Yaletown, yes, it is definitely about seeing and being seen, and unfortunately the food quality comes well below the looks and atmosphere. However since there is only 3-4 months in Vancouver where we can count on the rain holding off long enough for us to enjoy a complete meal outside, during those months we try to spend as much time as we can outside. Also I have to agree with DA on this