During the Calgary Stampede, beer is usually the beverage of choice, followed by rye, Jack Daniels and a few other spirits. Most of the beverage industry events in Cowtown during Stampede reflect these preferences, but I don’t go to all that many Jack Daniels events and I firmly believe that Budweiser isn’t beer. So the Stampede is a time for me to relax a little, aside from a few smaller events or social functions that I either host or attend.

After another late evening, my Friday at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival started with “Get the Dirt on New Zealand Terroir.” Yes, this is the sort of thing I like to do with my time.

This tasting was designed to focus on the regional characteristics of New Zealand wines by discussing and tasting examples from several viticultural regions, such as Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay, and explaining the differences that the terroir can have on the wines. These sorts of tasting seminars work best with smaller groups and fewer wines.