I’m all charged up on coffee (some of you will understand how serious of a matter this is) and once again have been stewing over the ridiculous laws British Columbian wine lovers are burdened with.

Why is it illegal for restaurants in BC to buy wine from private shops? Who does this restriction benefit? The Government obviously, who pockets an extra 20% by you buying from them instead of one of the city’s wine shops with a grandfathered license. Why else? The ability to more closely monitor and enforce what licensees buy (and more frequently screw up your orders)? I’m not sure the exact rationale, but it should be possible (legally, I mean) to walk into Kits or Marquis or Liberty and pick up a couple bottles of this and a couple bottles of that, not being confined to 12 packs (or if lucky, 6 packs) through the BCLDB. Just imagine, back vintages would exist on small restaurant lists! This would expand the pool of wines available on lists (including one time buys and special orders brought in by the shops). Again, a small part of a bigger picture. See one of my past posts for tons of great comments on all this. I feel like wine drinkers in BC are becoming more sophisticated and informed. Eventually we’ll hit the tipping point where enough of the public will realize how disadvantaged it is to be a wine drinker in BC who isn’t at the same time wealthy. I am optimistic anyhow.

This has come to the forefront of my mind again, as Neil, Matt and Aron at Kitsilano Wine Cellar have been gracious enough to let me log some part-time retail hours until the next project I’m involved with gets underway (l’Abattoir in Gastown). I’m getting a better handle on some of the inner workings of the system from a different perspective and am loving the challenge that comes with selling wine to a much more diverse range of people than you’d ever see while working in any one restaurant. I expect you to stop by and let me try to sell you some Larmandier-Bernier, Henri Gouges or maybe a couple Felton Road magnums.

Mark Hicken recently posted about minor reforms to the liquor laws and was even interviewed on Global news, which Kurtis posted a clip from with reference to the whole HST debacle. Mark is doing a great job and we should all do what we can to back him as a spokesman.

In the meantime…

I tried my first wine from the late Didier Dagueneau this week. The ’04 Pur Sang (Pouilly Fumé Sauvignon Blanc) is a smokey, flinty and citrusy creature with completely focused jolting acidity. A cool wine to taste and geek out about, but $100 a bottle? You are drinking wine from a man who wont be making any more, but that’s a lot of money. (Was available at Marquis, but I’m not sure about the current situation). Wine Terroir’s post on Didier.

Anyways, back to studying…