Taste of April Point

Allison and I recently spent a weekend at April Point Resort on Quadra Island with Anthony Gismondi of the Vancouver Sun. The reason for our stay? We were participating in the "Taste of April Point". This sold out event was a great getaway for everyone who attended. Personally, I think the whole package was way undervalued. The food and beverage alone was worth the price of admission. The event started off on Friday evening with a cheese and wine tasting hosted by Anthony and Allison. The next day saw us tasting more wines in the lodge during the afternoon, followed by a sensational dinner. All of the staff did a sensational job, with a big round of applause for Executive Chef Stephanie Dykes and her crew. Saturday's meal exceeded our expecations. The highlite for me was a mushroom consomme that paired perfectly with La Crema Pinot Noir. A big thanks also to sponsor Everything Wine. If you get the chance to attend next year, you should.

Both of us have never been to Quadra Island. What a beautiful place. It's certainly a lot quieter than where we live. The air is fresh, and the water is clear. The big thing for me? No sirens. They go past our home at all hours. I don't miss them. We went for a drive during the day to explore the island. We were surprised to see not one, but two young deer eating lunch. The noise from a nearby flock of crazy ducks quacking while trying to escape a focused sheep herding dog did not phase the deer at all. Their only focus was lunch.

We stopped along the way in Parksville to visit our friends at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks. There were lots of happy farm animals to visit with including ducks, rabbits, cows and goats. Let's not forget the main focus of our visit: delicious cheeses. We had tried to visit Natural Pastures, but a scheduling miscommunication left us with closed doors. Perhaps next time.

Acs 2010 farm tour

I'm trying out a new phone that does mobile uploads to this blog. Hope you like the wagon pic from gothberg farms in washington. The Samsung phone takes great pictures. Hopefully it will inspire me to start posting more often.

Test pic

Vancouver Playhouse Wine Fest Award

Au Petit Chavignol was awarded a "Silver Glass" award for our wine list at the Vancouver International Playhouse Wine Festival today. We're proud to keep such company as all of the other award winners. We couldn't have done it without the initial set up from House Wine.

Speaking of wine, you should try our newest wine list aquisition:

2006 Chateau Beaumont

This lovely cru bourgeois from the Haut-Medoc is drinking lovely right now. A blend of Cab sauv, merlot, cab franc and petit verdot. It offers soft tannins with hints of cherries and dried herbs. It screams "drink me with charcuterie and cheese". A steal at $10 a glass.

Cheese & Sweets in Paris

Visiting cheese shops and eating sweets in Paris. Someone has to do it...

les amis visits Neal's Yard Dairy

I attempted to use Window's Movie Maker this week. It wasn't that difficult. Not sure why I never bothered to use it before. I've got plenty of pics that certainly can be utilized.

Here is a short video of some pics from a tour Allison and I took of Neal's Yard Dairy in London back in 2008.

Baby Day At The Farm

Allison and I recently took a road trip, and along the way we stopped in to see Debra and George at the Farmhouse Natural Cheese Co. It was a perfect day, sun shining, all that stuff. It felt like spring, yet it was still February. Go figure.

It turned out to be "Baby Day" at the farm during our visit as many of the goats were giving birth. There were little baby goats everywhere, and they were so soft to touch. It's interesting watching George and the animals. It's as if he is the daddy to all of them. They would come running when they saw him. All of the animals seemed so healthy looking, relaxed and happy. It has that effect on peole too. This is the kind of place that seems to make you forget all your troubles. And it's only an hour from the city.