If there’s one thing I love, its wine. BC is filled with beautiful wineries to enjoy, with great food, and covid safe experiences since many do outdoor dining. Here’s my picks for wineries in Vancouver!

Vinoscenti Vineyards

Vinoscenti Vineyards is located on 13 acres of pastoral farmland lying alongside the winding banks of the Serpentine River on the edge of White Rock, BC. The winery began in 1995 when the vines were first planted by the original owners Court and Annette Faessler. It was a daunting challenge as the terrain had to be reshaped to support the vines with new soil added to offer extra drainage potential and depth to offer a unique terroir to this area. Initially, the grapes were sold to other wineries and 5 years later a momentous decision was made to open Rivers Bend Winery in the Spring of 2005. After laying down the foundation for the winery Court and Annette sold the winery initially to a business group. Wineries are not commodities but a lifestyle and this group did not last long. The winery was then sold to another family with the good intention of continuing the winery, but this was not to be, as they did not have the soul and heart needed to care for the vineyard. The vines and winery void of any tangible love and care during those past few years fell into a dark period. In 2016 a quiet resuscitation of the winery began with attention drawn to the vineyard management aspect, securing the close collaboration of a highly skilled winemaker and combined with a world-renowned Wine Educator and business person, Vinoscenti Vineyards is now beginning to see the Renaissance and relaunch of the winery.

Club 7 Winery

In 2000 – this is where it all started – in the 7th Township of Langley. While some things have changed, like signage and our new cellar style tasting room, our principles and focus have not: we are just about making quality wine and nothing else.

Off the highway and “Metro Vancouver adjacent”, our Fraser Valley winery is set in a lush agricultural landscape, surrounded by green vistas and the occasional trot by of an equine explorer. Grape growing? Yes. Explore your inner wine geek without leaving the Lower Mainland and get to know this gem that has bubbly ambitions.

Here, our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines are destined for sparkling wine from a vineyard perfect for growing these noble grapes in the Champagne style. An adventure to come, but meanwhile, an invitation to try the wines of Township 7 awaits visitors who have finally pulled in after driving by and wondering, what is this picturesque place all about?

Here you’ll find wine, art, culture and culinary experiences brought together by the thoughtful knowledgeable staff who welcome fresh and returning visitors. This is a place to introduce your senses to BC wine. Your first tasting? Not unheard of. It won’t be your last. Or a hard core oenophile? Fantastic, geek out with us.

“Take a break from the bustling city life of business and smartphone notifications to have some fun here. A tasting in the shop is a good first step, but how about a comfortable wine and food seminar? A little snip of wine education — no judgment if you can’t say, “terroir” — a cultural event out amongst the vines, or an exclusive clubSEVEN gathering for our wine club members, with pours from wines not offered to anyone else.”

Backyard Vineyards

Since 2009, Backyard Vineyards has been producing award-winning varietals, blended, and bubbly wines from 100% BC grapes grown on-site in our own vineyard and complemented with fruit selected from the Fraser Valley and South Okanagan.

“Utilizing a perfect blend of art and science, our wines are handcrafted to be extraordinary. From our big bold reds to our bubbly sparkling wines, we put our pride and joy into every bottle we produce. From cellar to glass, we take great care to create impeccable wines, from our backyard to yours!”

A taste of what’s to come in the next months for music.

Current joys

Nick Rattigan, the lead singer in the band current joys, is coming out with a new album Voyager on May 14th, with his new record label Secretly Canadian. He just released the single “amatuer” this last week, along with a music video he self-directed. His style carries heavily from new-wave and rock. He’s been inspired by many filmmakers for this new record from directors like Agnes Varda, Lars Von Trier and Terrence Malik. I’m extremely pumped to listen to this new record, as I am a huge lover of films and especially those directors. 

Voyager Tracklist:

1. Dancer in the Dark

2. American Honey

3. Naked

4. Altered States

5. Breaking the Waves

6. Big Star

7. Amateur

8. Rebecca

9. Shivers

10. Something Real

11. Money Making Machine

12. Voyager pt. 1

13. Calypso

14. The Spirit or the Curse

15. Vagabond

16. Voyager pt. 2

St Vincent has been one of my recent loves; the style and anger she puts into her music is unmatched, my all-time favourite record being Actor, and yes, I do have it on vinyl, and yes, it is amazing. Her new record, Daddy’s Home,” is coming out May 14th. According to a press release, St. Vincent began writing some Daddy’s Home songs in winter 2019, when her father was discharged from prison after being incarcerated for nine years. A new interview with Laura Snapes for The Guardian revealed that the album’s title track was sparked by St. Vincent taking her father home from prison.

Paul McCartney album

Paul McCartney has announced a new album featuring an all-star lineup of musicians offering new covers, remixes, or reinterpretations of songs from his 2020 album McCartney III. McCartney III Imagined, out April 16 via Capitol, features Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, Blood Orange, Beck, Anderson . Paak, Damon Albarn, Josh Homme, Khruangbin, Massive Attack’s Robert “3D” Del Naja, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, and Idris Elba. 

Here the lineup for III IMAGINED 

McCartney III Imagined:

01 Find My Way [ft. Beck]

02 The Kiss of Venus (Dominic Fike)

03 Pretty Boys [ft. Khruangbin]

04 Women And Wives (St. Vincent Remix)

05 Deep Down (Blood Orange Remix)

06 Seize the Day [ft. Phoebe Bridgers]

07 Slidin’ (EOB Remix)

08 Long Tailed Winter Bird (Damon Albarn Remix)

09 Lavatory Lil (Josh Homme)

10 When Winter Comes (Anderson . Paak Remix)

11 Deep Deep Feeling (3D RDN Remix)

12 Long Tailed Winter Bird (Idris Elba Remix) (physical release exclusive)

If you didn’t know already, I host “Reckless Live’s w/ Rylee & Mattia” we discuss everything; from the Bachelor, Real Housewives to celebrity drama that you MUST know.

This past month there has been ongoing drama surrounding the Bachelor franchise, from racist remarks from the shows host, Chris Harrison- to online bullying targeting the first black Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay. It is quite upsetting to see how the franchise glazed over the racism and discrimination people of colour face by just being connected through past seasons, especially now that Lindsay is a direct target from haters online, even to now disabling her Instagram account from the amount of hate she was getting, over calling out the host of the Bachelor franchise.

Lindsay’s “Higher Learning” podcast co-host Van Lathan announced she disabled her account on Friday.

“She did it because that’s how much hate she’s getting from ‘Bachelor’ fans who are spamming her with all kinds of rude and hateful things to say,” he said in an Instagram video.

To catch everyone up, this is what Chris Harrison said in his interview with Lindsay.

“I saw a picture of her at a sorority party five years ago, and that’s it, boom. This girl is in this book now, and she’s now in this group, and I’m like, really?” Harrison, 49, said defending Kirkconnell, 24. When Lindsay, 35, pointed out that it was an “Old South antebellum party,” Harrison replied, “Is it [not] a good look in 2018, or is it not a good look in 2021?”

People online have been supporting Harrison much more than Lindsay, and for what? she had absolutely nothing to do with Harrisons “PR nightmare.” Of course, feel sympathy for the rich white man with no remorse over what he’s said. He’s still going to be hosting the franchise at the end of the day, after his leave, to “learn from his mistakes.” While Lindsay has to take a social media break from all the online bully’s.

More reliable things to do on the holiday weekend in 2021 involve exploring Vancouver Parks and Nature (assuming good weather and not too much snow) and socializing with extended family via Zoom. There are also outdoor games with Vancouver Mysteries, which you can do with roommates and immediate household family.

Some people will be eating out at local restaurants, notably as the Dine Out Vancouver Festival is proceeding; if you want to do that, though, you’ll want to make reservations well in advance and with people in your bubble or household. I wouldn’t recommend going to the mountains tomorrow as it will be extremely crowded and line ups take forever.

Take the day to try out a fun recipe, baking or a movie marathon at home! and if your friends feel like more of a family to you, set up zoom call games like the website “backyard.co” where you can do games like cards against humanity and there own version of among us. I’ve played it and can say it is a ton of fun.

Zoom art night is another fun way to exert some creative skills and make something cute while you’re at it! Just getting some supplies from Michaels or the dollar store, and you could make air dry pottery items, paint night or maybe learning how to knit together. Honestly, I’d do anything to hang out with my friends over zoom.

Chris Harrison is the host of the famous reality dating show, The Bachelor and the bachelorette. This past week, the former first black bachelorette Rachel Lindsay interviewed him, and his response has caused a major backlash and media frenzy.

Rachel asks him about a frontrunner on this season’s show Rachel Kirkconnell, who has come under fire for having photos of her at an antebellum plantation party, wearing an old confederate hoopskirt and posing with confederate flags in the back of her pictures (now deleted.) These photos have been going around the internet for a month or so, but what Chris says to Rachel is just unbelievable. These next quotes are a word for word what he said in this Extra interview.

Harrison told “Extra” correspondent and former star of “The Bachelorette,” Rachel Lindsay that Kirkconnells pictures were a long time ago and spoke out against cancel culture. “I saw a picture of her at a sorority party five years ago, and that’s it. Like, boom,” Harrison said, adding, “I’m like, ‘Really?’ “Lindsay replied, “The picture was from 2018 at an Old South antebellum party. That’s not a good look.” Harrison replied, “Well, Rachel, was it a good look in 2018? Or, is it not a good look in 2021? Because there’s a big difference.” “It’s not a good look ever,” Lindsay said.

“If I went to that party, what would I represent at that party?” “You’re 100% right in 2021,” Harrison then said. “That was not the case in 2018. And again, I’m not defending Rachel. I know that I don’t know; 50 million people did that in 2018. That was the type of party that a lot of people went to. And again, I’m not defending it. I didn’t go to it.”

This response first is just completely ignorant, racist and upsetting, a clear example of how white men in power positions see racism as “cancel culture” vs seeing it as something that in the past fought to keep slavery in the US.

Chris will be stepping down from his role as the host of the Television show and will not be hosting the “after the rose” episode at the season finale of this year’s Bachelor.

The Contestants of prior seasons all came together to put out a joint statement saying, “We had the opportunity to be a part of one of the most diverse casts in the history of the franchise,” they noted. “We stand united in denouncing any racist behavior and any defense thereof. We also stand united with the women of Season 25 of The Bachelor, who have denounced the same; moreover, we stand united with Rachel Lindsay, who has led the way.” This statement and the petition online making Harrison resign from hosting most likely brought on his temporary leave from the show.

I love to find the best vintage clothing item, decor, furniture, and Vancouver its amazing how many stores support my vintage addiction! From clothing stores to antique malls, Fort Langley to Victoria, I’ve narrowed my picks for the best stores to find the perfectly unique piece to complete your vision.

Village antique mall- Fort Langley

Located in Fort Langley’s heart, Village Antiques Mall is a 10,000 square foot mall with 60 independent dealers. They have helped the community find Antiques, Collectibles, Vintage, Mid-Century Modern, Home & Store Decor items, Movie Props & Set decorations over the last 35 years. New stock arriving daily, including rare and one-of-a-kind items. I can always find a beautiful gem here, from a nice glass catch-all dish to records, they have almost everything. Make sure you sit in the village courtyard after a long trip around town located right beside the storefront.

Mintage Mall – 245 E. Broadway

Vancouver, BC V5T1W4 Canada. Mintage is a great vintage shop on commercial, but with its popularity, they grew to a mall like a vintage store, with mini vendors that focus on their supply of vintage goods. From T-shirts, decor, accessories and more! It’s a great way to hit everything at once, like a better flea market. I recommend going with a friend and making a day out of it.

F as in Frank – Main Street Vancouver

F is a very well-known place in Vancouver to get all the coolest T-shirts and more sporty, jackets jerseys and fun 90s pieces. They also have their well-known upcycling business called Frankie collective, which takes old garments and creates unique two pieces, tank tops and more for everyone. And don’t forget to stop into the back store called “rag machine,” where you can find unique less-expensive pieces as they go by weight instead of prices.

Community thrift and vintage

This store is a big name in Vancouver, with covid hitting the success of their store, In my opinion, doubled because of them already selling online. This store curates vintage and antique pieces for the public to enjoy for a better shopping experience. You could dig through a thrift store for a few hours, but community does all the heavy lifting for you. Check out their online store; their sales can be great! Founded in 2011, Community Thrift & Vintage supports at-risk people through their compassionate and supportive work training program, and all profits are donated to the PHS Community Services Society.

Wildlife Thrift

Wildlife is a for-profit business that donates to local, neighbourhood charities quarterly. Everyone can find something for them at wildlife, and they have a great furniture section as well. Family-owned & operated, they believe in one single, simple concept: by recycling, they believe in preserving the environment and having the privilege of giving back to the community. What began supporting The Wildlife Rescue Association now supports people-oriented charities, focusing on helping those dealing with Homelessness & Mental Health issues. Each charity holds a special place in their heart: Coast Mental Health, The Gathering Place and Covenant House.

What’s better than a movie review on Valentine’s day about a couple’s fight. Filmed in quarantine by the well-known “euphoria” director Sam Levinson. This film begins with the couple coming home from the boyfriend’s movie premiere; Malcom’s riding off the high from the audience’s reactions and all the critics he was talking to, while you can see Marie simmering in her thoughts while he continues to talk highly of himself. The tension between the couple is visually intense; she sits outside smoking a cigarette while he tells her about critics calling him the next “Spike Lee.” She is trying to bring him down to earth while he becomes upset that she’s not as happy as he is. This reaction to Marie starts the beginning of the series of fights they get into throughout the film.

The director Leviston wrote and directed the film while he is white himself. The writing discusses being black in the film industry, how critics and reporters approach you while trying to be racially aware. From accidentally making slip-ups to the director Malcolm, he says how annoying and racist it is. I can’t help but feel uncomfortable that a white man wrote this; I know he must be completely aware of himself in society but choosing to write about how hard it is to make it in the industry, working and doing everything you can to break through those doors feels wrong, as he is the son of the most esteemed director Barry Levinson. It just feels wrong the amount of nepotism you can feel once you do a bit of research on the director.

The movie felt like I was watching verbal abuse on screen. I think the actors Zendaya and John David Washington carried the film with the writing being weak at times and a quite repetitive argument played repeatedly. The full circle part was how he basically wrote about his girlfriend’s life, being a recovering addict, and he didn’t even thank her in his award speech. The whole fight was about him not appreciating everything she has done for him in their relationship and how he can get in his head about his work, without thinking how different his film would be without Malcolm experiencing Marie’s struggles firsthand.

Do I recommend this movie? maybe. It depends on what you focus on more, and I think the reviews are so split because, on the one hand, the acting is great, Zendaya and John have great chemistry. If the film were focused on why he didn’t thank her or how he seemed to forget that he owes a lot of his writing to her, it would excel. The part where he gets mad about his film critics’ reviews is way too winey, and you can see where a white man came through in writing. And this comes from the anger Levitson felt from getting trashed by critics for his first movie, “Assassination Nation,” so I don’t know what that proved with that monologue, but it felt privileged and childish.

MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY: A FUTURE FOR MEMORY

The UBC museum welcomes a new exhibition in February. The focus of this is on the impact and aftermath of the 2011 earthquake off the coast of Japan. This should be an interesting look at how much that affected us here all the way in Vancouver.

ARCTIC VOICES @ science world

A new exhibition comes to Science World next month, called Arctic Voices. Naturally, it’s going to be all about life in the Arctic, from the people who have lived and are apart of the vast tundra. I love to learn about Canada’s ecosystem, it brings me back to the good ol elementary school days.

DINE OUT VANCOUVER

This year Dine Out is bigger than ever, lasting a full month and featuring 350 restaurants in total. Stressed about what to get? check out our article with every restaurant participating.

try some GREAT HOT CHOCOLATE

It’s hot chocolate time, in the city. Hot Chocolate Fest has kicked off with more varieties and flavours of hot chocolate than you could ever imagine. With this cold winter continuing, plus being outside more than ever before, grabbing a hot coco is the key.

I love interior decor, it’s definitely my jam; from browsing facebook marketplace to find that perfect vintage chair, or spending hours on pintrest i’ve done it. All weekend I spent painting my room and wow, it made such a huge difference in my eyes. With the spring coming upon us soon, comes spring cleaning and changing up the old and bringing in the new.

Yes, it could just be some white paint, but these days there’s not much to get excited by, so redecorating your room might be the thing your missing. Check out Pinterest if you have the urge to redesign your room for the 4th time this past year! it’s so worth it.

Sports has never been my ideal pastine, but here at evolution our viewers love to talk anything from hockey to basketball. And the only time of the year i’ll actually say something that has to do with football, the halftime show!

The weeknd blew me away with this years performance, it showed me how long i’ve been a fan from bringing songs he’s known for like “the hills” and “i can’t feel my face.” My all time favourite performance is still beyonce or lady gaga, but this was a win in my book.