Category Archives: Island Artisans

These are some special bottles. Only 144 of them made. Jose’s Tempranillo from Rocky Creek Winery on Vancouver Island. British Columbia wines have come a long way over the past 30 years or so. After pulling the cork on sweet, … Continue reading →

The ‘eating local’ trend continues to grow in British Columbia, especially at this time of year when we start getting more local fruits and vegetables from BC farms. It’s great to support your local farmer or artisan food producer, but … Continue reading →

When it comes to the world of food in British Columbia, there are certain times of year when foodies around the province get excited, very excited.  For some it’s the beginning of halibut season, for others it’s asparagus and strawberry … Continue reading →

If you are an avid garlic user, you are most likely quite disappointed with the quality of the garlic you can find in grocery stores right about now.  The bad news is that it’s not likely to get any better … Continue reading →

It’s no surprise that our grocery shopping habits have changed since we began the age of the suburban sprawl.  For anyone living in a modern suburb, driving the car to a big supermarket once a week and loading up your … Continue reading →

On Vancouver Island and the more southwester part of the province farmers are ramping up for the coming season.  It may be still too wet to plough fields, but it’s in the greenhouses where a lot of the action is … Continue reading →

There’s an old joke in the wine industry that goes something like this:  Want to make a little bit of money from a winery?  Start with a lot of money.  Unfortunately, the punch line has been proven true time and … Continue reading →

Early mornings are necessary to get a good start on cheesemaking at Hilary’s Cheese.  Hilary Abbott has been making cheese in the Cowichan Valley since the late 1990’s.  His only problem is that his cheese is too popular and he … Continue reading →

Today on Island Artisans I featured Nick Versteeg of Glenora, just outside of Duncan and his independent production company, DV Cuisine.  Nick and I have worked together on many projects in the past, but on this documentary he pretty much … Continue reading →