It’s a picture perfect, blue sky September day on the West Coast of Canada.
We’re in the ferry line-up returning from the Sunshine Coast to Horseshoe Bay, the ferry terminal on the North Shore of Vancouver. Schools are back and yet the ferries are a two-ferry wait unless you have a reservation, which we do fortunately.
The Sunshine Coast, aptly named for its sunnier climate, is a 40-minute ferry ride from Vancouver. It’s only accessible by ferry, boat or seaplane and is one of those places that support the province’s reputation as Beautiful British Columbia.
We visit friends here who make us Summer Pudding, the iconic late summer dessert with all the polyphenol-rich berries, including blackberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, and redcurrants. Summer Delicious!
This summer we have tried two new BC wines: 2018 National Wine Awards of Canada gold medal winner, Averill Creek Pinot Noir from the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island and Liquidity Winery, Bistro and Gallery Pinot Gris from Okanagan Falls in the Okanagan Valley. The choice of quality wines in British Columbia continues to expand. I believe there are now 280 wineries in B.C. Who would have anticipated this 30 years ago?
Back home in Vancouver, we make a new summer cocktail, straight out of Donna Leon’s detective fiction novel: “Earthly Remains” set in Venice. The protagonist, Commissario Guido Brunetti creates a cocktail for his wife Paola from sparkling water, Campari and topped up with Prosecco. We guess at the respective quantities by trial and error. The resulting tall drink is definitely a popular and refreshing choice in the hot summer weather.
On the subject of crime fiction, Martin Walker, author of the popular Bruno Courrèges, Chief of Police series based in the Dordogne in SW France, was made an honourary member of the Confrérie du Raison D’Or de Sigoules at their annual event in July. Police Chief Bruno, who enjoys good food and wine while solving local crimes, has a growing following in North America and has featured in my blog posts in the past, as has the Confrérie du Raison D’Or de Sigoules, of which I am delighted to be a member.
Finally, a comment about the Cherry Clafoutis I mentioned in my previous blog. I made two: we ate one and froze the other. A reader asked me how the frozen one turned out when we finally served it. I am happy to report it was equally as good as the first one, maybe because it was carefully and purposefully thawed at room temperature over a couple of hours.
It’s been a tough late summer in British Columbia due to the number of wildfires. Fortunately, with the arrival of autumnal weather, lower temperatures and even snow flurries in the north east of the province, the situation is much improved. However, many people have been affected and our thoughts are with them. Thanks and appreciation goes to the firefighters here in BC and to those who came from other parts of Canada, Mexico and Australia to help.
References: Averill Creek winery: averillcreek.ca
Liquidity Winery, Bistro and Gallery, liquiditywines.com
Donna Leon, detective fiction writer of Commissario Brunetti series; Donnaleon.net
Martin Walker, crime fiction writer of the series, Bruno, Chief of Police. www.brunochiefofpolice.com Learn all about Bruno, his favourite music, history etc.
and search for the following article in http://www.nytimes.com.
What an interesting post, Liz! Thank you. I am delighted to hear about Martin Walker’s recognition and love the way you incorporate crime fiction into a wine blog! 🍷🍾
Thanks Linda, glad you liked the post and I know you are a Bruno, Chief of Police fan.
Hi Liz Fun to read that Campari with a touch of Prosecco seems great.
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Hi, Brit, thanks so much for your comments.
Love this post, Liz! It’s like opening a bag of confetti or bonbons – wine, food, mysteries, travel, all the things that make our life pleasant. I have been to Averill winery, it’s a great place to visit.
So glad you enjoyed the post and that you know Averill Winery. They have an interesting story. Thanks for writing. xx
Dear Elizabeth, thank you for the friendly reference to me books. Since my younger daughter now lives in Seattle, I’ll have to try to make it across the border to try your wine. She and I had a great skiing trip to Whistler a few years ago so maybe we could combine the pleasures of hitting the slopes and trying your wine.
best, martin walker
Dear Martin, many thanks for your comments. A visit to Seattle and /or Whistler sounds like a great jumping off point to sample British Columbia wines. In fact, your Inspector Bruno books are in the local libraries and you (and he!)have enthusiastic followers, so I am sure we could also arrange a gathering with readers. Best wishes, Elizabeth