Archive for the ‘BC Wines’ Category
Wild Chanterelle hunting on Vancouver Island
Monday, October 3rd, 2011
I spent a great Sunday afternoon hiking through the wet green forests of Central Vancouver Island in search of Wild Chanterelle mushrooms. The fall rainy season has begun on the Island, which means mushroom season has also begun. As you can see from the photos below, there’s lots to see on the forest floor right now, and even a few good things to eat if you know what to look for and how to find it.
I was lucky enough to be travelling with an experience local mushroom hunter who has spent his whole life in this area and knows it well. Please note: do not attempt to locate and eat VI mushrooms on your own as we have many poisonous varieties on Vancouver Island which can easily be mis-identified. Island visitors should also always keep to marked paths and trails in our forests, as it is easy for amateur explorers to get lost in the back country.
After a great afternoon of hiking, bucket in hand, I managed to find a nice selection of Golden Chanterelles and even a few of the rarer White Chanterelles, which have a more delicate texture and flavour than the spicy & firm Golden variety. Picking my own mushrooms in their natural habitat was a great experience, and I’ve never enjoyed a meal more than one filled with wild mushrooms picked just hours before with my own hands.
If you’re interested in trying your hand at hunting for the elusive, sought-after West Coast Chanterelle, touch base with a Vancouver Island outdoor or nature tour company. Many companies around the Island give seasonal mushroom picking/hiking tours during the fall, winter and spring and can teach you how to identify and properly pick these delicate mushrooms to protect their root system for re-growth in future years.
If you manage to get your hands on Chanterelles in season (keep your eye out at BC farmer’s markets this month for fresh selections from pickers), here’s a great source for how to clean & cook the mushrooms, as well as recipes to get you started on integrating them into your cooking.
A cooking tip from the High Tide Travel Blog: Chanterelles pair amazingly with British Columbia wines, I especially recommend splashing some BC Pinot Gris white wine into a Chanterelle cream sauce served over pasta.
Trust me, then thank me, this is local eating at its best.
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Dog days of summer at See Ya Later Ranch Winery
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011
Okanagan Wine Sub-Region: Okanagan Falls, known for gewurztraminer, riesling and pinot noir.
See Ya Later Ranch is a quirky winery tucked into the stunning hillside of Okanagan Falls, BC, just south of Penticton.
There’s a bit of an uphill drive to reach the winery, but it’s worth the small trip once you look down over the rolling green hills of grapes with the blue southern tip of Skaha Lake far below. (more…)
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Covert Farms – Getting people reacquainted with food, organically
Thursday, July 21st, 2011
Covert Farms Organics & Dunham & Froese Estate Winery
Okanagan Wine Subregion: Oliver, known for Merlot, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer
Although British Columbia’s Okanagan region is finally getting attention as a wine travel destination, the fertile land of the Okanagan Valley can do much more than just grow grapes, and there’s a rich history here of where Canadians get their vegetables from if you drive just a little off the highway and take a look. (more…)
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Lunch at one of the world’s top winery restaurants – Mission Hill
Tuesday, July 19th, 2011
Mission Hill Family Estate Winery
Okanagan Wine Sub-Region: Kelowna / Lake Region, known for Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling & Chardonnay
Mission Hill Family Estate Winery has such instant name recognition for being a Canadian wine producer that I wasn’t sure quite what to expect from my first visit to their winery in West Kelowna. We would be having lunch on their award-winning outdoor Terrace Restaurant and I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be an irritating crush of tourists on such a beautiful July day.
It turns out I was wrong by far, the spacious green lawns overlooking the Mission Hill vineyards and Okanagan Lake below are remarkably calm and relaxing. And while the grounds have certainly been set up to welcome both wine aficionados and walk-in tourist traffic, it’s a careful balance which should make everyone who visits feel welcome. (more…)
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