Edward Willett

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The Willetts on Wine: Madeleine Angevine and beyond: adventures in wine-tasting

Adventure, discovery and exploring the unknown are all aspects of a great vacation—and a great wine-tasting. This summer we had both, when our trip to British Columbia brought us the Larch Hills Winery in the Salmon Arm area. Upon discovering at our hotel that the Okanagan’s northernmost vineyards were only a few minutes’ drive away, we headed out with GPS in hand. A winding, switch-back road took us to the top of a mountain, where both a vineyard and a spectacular view awaited. Larch Hills specializes (for obvious reasons) in cool-climate viticulture. We tasted several of the winemaker’s offerings, and found, to our surprise, that our favourite was made from a ...

Posted by Edward Willett at 10:25, December 3rd, 2010 under Blog, Wine Column | Comment now »

End of a (brief) era

The freelance life is one of ups and downs and sudden changes of fortune, and it never pays to get too attached to anything. Even things that run for a very long time, like my science column, eventually wind down. And most projects never go on anywhere near as long as that did (around 20 years, which still boggles my mind). Case in point: my editorship of Fine Lifestyles Regina, Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon, Fine Weddings Regina and Fine Homes Regina. I wrote for the first two issues of Fine Lifestyles Regina, but just a story in each. The offer to edit came along in the summer of 2009, and since then I've overseen the writing of five issues of FLR, and ...

Posted by Edward Willett at 23:37, October 4th, 2010 under Blog | Comment now »

The Willetts on Wine: East is east, and west is west…but which has the best wine?

Here's the wine column my wife, Margaret Anne, and I wrote for the Summer issues of Fine Lifestyles Regina and Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon... *** It’s Canada Day as we write this, and we’re feeling patriotic. Today’s Rider game is even a classic East-versus-West match tailor-made to resonate with the Canadian psyche. This is a wine column, not a sports column, but that East-versus-West dynamic can be found in the world of Canadian wines, as well...and here in Saskatchewan, we’re right in the middle of it. Grapes and wine make an early appearance in Canadian history. What we call Newfoundland Leif Ericsson named Vineland way back ...

Posted by Edward Willett at 12:01, September 22nd, 2010 under Blog, Wine Column | Comment now »

The Willetts on Wine: How do I rate thee? Let me count the ways…

One last bit of writing from the spring issues of Fine Lifestyles Regina and Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon, as the release of the summer issues approaches. Here's "The Willetts on Wine," the wine column I write with my wife, Margaret Anne... *** When you go into the liquor store, you’re faced with a bewildering selection of wines. So many bottles, so many possibilities. How do you choose a good one? You could judge the wine by its label, of course, and many do. Which is why wineries try so hard (sometimes a little too hard, if you ask us: Fat Bastard, anyone?) to come up with unique names for ...

Posted by Edward Willett at 10:17, July 16th, 2010 under Blog, Columns | Comment now »

The Willetts on Wine: Wine – it’s what’s for dinner

Continuing the run-up to the release of the spring issue of Fine Lifestyles Regina, here's "The Willetts on Wine," the wine column penned by my wife, Margaret Anne, and myself, from winter issue of FLR, in which it premiered. Eventually there'll be a dedicated Willetts on Wine website to replace the old Blogger blog we haven't updated in forever. But for now...enjoy! *** It seems like cooking dinner these days is a high-wire balancing act. You’re expected to perfectly balance protein, veggies and carbohydrates while also serving up fresh (preferably local) ingredients, delectable tastes, and tantalizing textures. Throw in the expectation of a perfect wine match, and ...

Posted by Edward Willett at 10:29, March 9th, 2010 under Blog | Comment now »

Winter issue of Fine Lifestyles Regina now online!

You can view the most recent issue of the magazine I edit, Fine Lifestyles Regina, in its entirety online. I recommend pages 124 and 125, which is where you'll find the new wine column my wife and I are co-writing, "The Willetts on Wine." I'm also going to be editing the new sister publication, Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon, launching this spring. (As we approach the release of the next issue, I'll post "The Willetts on Wine" and my cover-story interview with ex-NHL player Mike Sillinger on this blog, as well.)

Posted by Edward Willett at 11:03, January 5th, 2010 under Blog | 2 Comments »