mkmurrays

Hi
Verging on the trivia now, but I'm looking at whether we're best to bring our wine with us, drink it before we come, or buy more on the basis that it's pricey in BC, and the customs duty make it worth the hassle.

Views please.

Also, came across a microbrewery in Vancouver, and I think there's one in Kelowna, anyone know of any others in the Okanagan (OH already getting withdrawl symptoms at the prospect of leaving real ale behind.)


Thanks.

PS Know there's been a few threads on this already.

Cookie

We landed in NS last month and when OH went to clear our container at customs we had to pay $15 for a bottle of whisky and 1 litre of vodka in our container.

Tangram

We are drinking ours or giving it to relatives. Too much hassle paying the duty on it. Same with spririts although to a lesser extent.

Madmac

Eh? - Sneaky and illegal but why declare it for a few bottles only?

I'm not advocating wholesale booze running but for a couple of bottles of wine and spirits I don't think you'll be deported.

Oh - I'm not saying I did anything of the sort either Mr Customs and Excise sir

Now where is that bottle of cask strength malt I wrapped in my trousers?

mkmurrays

Yep, might have to buy one of those raincoats with poacher's pockets to keep my stash in....either that, or go on the wagon.

OH will not be impressed if he has to leave anything behind.....or we'll have to hit the bottle for the next couple of months!

raine66

No me neither.

iaink

AKAIK when you first come to canada you can bring a certain amount in Duty free, but anything beyond that (like a collection) will attract duty.

CBSA or Canada Revenue websites probably have the limits somewhere.

Souvenir

It is not unknown for people to stick a few bottles in with the rest of their kitchen stuff and report them as "cooking ingredients". Apparently.

Pretty Flowers

I left most of my booze with my parents when I came over. Apart from expensive bottles of wine, which I made them bring with them when they came to visit. They're all drunk now though (hic!)

Rich_007

Can't comment on foreign wine as we only drink Okanagan wines, usually pay around the $16 mark or up to $25 for better stuff from stores, we know peeps who run a winery so that reduces prices to $13 for their decent brew and $16-20 for their own far better stuff.

Oz/Chilean etc is cheaper, but I'm not sure how much cheaper. I see the usual Oz brand names here and there in town. Wolfblass etc zzz.
Rich.

zmartin

Are you talking about Granville Island Brewing in Vancouver? There's also the Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Co in Squamish.

However, I did a quick check on Okanagan breweries and found these:

Okanagan Spring, Vernon - http://www.okspring.com/
Tree Brewing, Kelowna - http://www.treebeer.com/index.html
Barley Mill Pub, Penticton - http://www.barleymillpub.com/

Hope that helps!

Zoe M. xx

PS Does anyone know of any wine clubs? I'm a member of the Sunday Times Wine Club and really enjoy buying their boxes of different wines here - is there a similar scheme in Canada? We're heading to BC.

Rich_007

Straight from the land of plenty that is the Elysian Paradise:
http://www.okwineclub.com/

Run by these guys:
http://www.bountycellars.com/index.html

Rich.

Purley

So far as I am aware there are lots of brew pubs around. The best one in Regina is Bushwakker.

http://www.bushwakker.com/

They have won lots of awards for their beer.

zmartin

Thanks for that - will have a look into them. Usually try out the BC wines when we're over there - plus you can get Mission Hill in Sainsburys!!!

Zoe M. x