32 — Sunday. November 15. 1998 — North Shore News NEWS photo Mike Wakefield | EDGEMONT Village Wines is now open, and co-owner Brian MacDonald says the welcome has been terrific. Edgemont geis a wine store Deana Lancaster News Reporter deana@usnews.com THE wrought-iron gates are barely in place, only a few of the display stands are fin- ished and some of the product information has not yet arrived. But Edgemont Village Wines ix open for business, and it’s clear by the steady run of customers that it’s not a moment too soon. Although the grand open- ing of the new Vintner's Quality Alliance (VQA) wine store isn’c scheduled until December, *We decided ‘Let’s open the doors and work out the kinks as we go,” says store co-owner Brian MacDonald. And the recep- tion, he says, has been phe- nomenal. “We're getting three —sresponses,” says MacDonald. “It's cither ‘Wow, just whar the village needed,’ ‘It’s about time,’ or one of ‘Darn, P wanted to do this.” * The store is the first in the Lower Mainland to exchisive- ly feature British Columbia wines which meer VQA requirements: they are made from 100% B.C.-grown grapes, made to VQA stan- dards and have heen approved by a provincial tast- ing panel. MacDonald and partner Bruce Curry responded to a request: for proposals and won only the seventh such licence, issued through the British Colubia Wine Institute, in the province. But MacDonald does nat consider the terms of the liquor licence restrictive. “The time has come not only to promote B.C. wines but to show people in our own community the diver- genee and quality of B.C. grapes.” The shop is already offer- ing wines from more than three dozen wineries in the Okanagan, the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island. As well as familiar and hard-to-find varietals and blends, champagne-style wines and late harvest wines, MacDonald and) Curry are determined that) Edgemont Village Wines will offer the best selection of BoC. ice wines anywhere. Visitors to the store each dav will be able to taste a tea- tured wine, and the pair are aiming to have at least one special event a month. In fact, they've already got a couple lined up: On Saturday, Nov. 21 at 3 p-m., learn about the cham- pagne-style wines of Summerhill Estace Winery when a representative from the winery visits the store. (Hint: Ask about the pyra- mids!) On Saturday, John Schreiner, = North Vancouver — resident and author of Chardonnay and Friends: Varictal BC. and the B.C. Dec. 12, Wine Companion will sign copies of his book and answer ques- tions for store customers. Edgemont Village Wines is located at 3050 Edgemont Blvd. Wines of dijd VISTV one oof the four Canadian) Pacific Hotels in B.C. and the opportunity to taste two rare: Mission Hill wines is vours, Rare, because vou can only find them at) The Empress Hotel in Victoria, Hotel Vancouver, Waterfront Centre Hotel and = Chateau Whistler Resort. On Oct. 27, CP Hotels in B.C. and Mission Hill Winery announced a_part- nership in) which Mission Hill will create wines exclu- sively for the CP hotels. The vintages include Canadian Pacitic’s Select Vineyard’s 1996 Merlot and Canadian Pacitie’s — Seleet Vineyard’s 1997 Chardonnay. Food and beverage. staff from the hotels worked with Mission Hill winemaker, John Simes, in the blending process. 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