Looking for a gift for the hard-to-please on your list? Start with a pinch of saffron in a bottle of gin, move on to some devilish Tasmanian wines, and wrap up the shopping with some boozy books.

Here are some Farmstead wines that may—or may not—still be available. You’re asking where? The answer is those like-minded, enterprising private wine stores we have in abundance around Vancouver, as well as some outstanding wine-heavy restaurants.

So much of this space was occupied by back story when last we looked at the newly renamed Road 13 Vineyards, that we didn't have a chance to look at nine of the 15 new wines—until now.

Eight wines this week; red ones all because it's getting to be time for stews and casseroles and other hearty food.

In 1962, Chianti was the biggest source of hangovers, alongside Gamza. Gamza's all but gone now but Chianti is another matter.

One of the South Okanagan's premier wineries, Golden Mile Cellars, has changed its name, its look, its manifesto, and its bottle closures all in one dramatic gesture, to become Road 13 Vineyards.

Go ahead, have a little pre-spending-season splurge; it's only $25, and it'll make your dinner guests happy. This is the kid sister of the stellar Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin, which costs $40, if you can find it. More findable is Osoyoos Larose P'étales d'Osoyoos 2004, in selected stores and no-less-limited supplies (3,500 six-bottle cases were produced) than the big guy.

The recent sunshine was a bonus, and what sparked the quest for a few new organic whites. Just in case there's more of the stuff before winter hits hard.

Taste Italian wines with me this week: classics, old-timers, rarities, and surprises.

There is a ghastly array of drinks fronting as martinis on bar menus and restaurant drink lists, with weird ingredients like blue cheese or anchovy. Stop right now; it's time to learn how a true martini is made.

whether it's the crisp green-apple allure of Vinho Verde, or the magnificent mix of bright fruit flavours in Black Hills Alibi, wet your whistle with these bold and elegant selections.

Make room in your cellar for six labels that won taste buds and prestigious awards at this year's Okanagan Spring Wine Festival, from Autumn Gold to Blanc de Noir.

We’re all about truth in this corner, jocular or otherwise, so a quick tour through the world of Moscato, then, stopping primarily in Italy, which is where it has its origin and reaches its apotheosis.

There’s something about this spicy, floral grape that really hits the spot with this slow-cooked, garnished sauerkraut dish. Here's a shopping list of eight recent tastes to get you started.

This week Jurgen Gothe samples vodkas straight, peared, mangoed, mapled, açai’d, citroned, and moonlit from Greenland, Sweden, the U.S., the Netherlands, Canada, and Vietnam.