Dirty Laundry 2009 Woo Woo Vines Gewürztraminer

I tried their Madam’s Vines Gewürztraminer a couple of months back and liked it; had another bottle yesterday to compare with this. Woo Woo (I’d like to know the stories behind these names) is slightly less expensive at $21.70. Pale green-gold with a light rose-apple nose. A bit more subtle and muted than the Madam’s Vines; medium body with crisp acidity, slightly off dry, and smooth perfume, melon, and honey notes. 13.5% alcohol. See Dirty Laundry Vineyard.

2007 Dopff & Irion Crustacés

Saw this at a local shop and wondered about it; the clerk said it’s a blend of Gewürz and Riesling, which sounds pretty good to me. A medium-light silver-gold appearance with a nice green apple nose. Dry with a nice acidity and melon-apple and slight vegetal qualities; long finish. A bit of a dry French Riesling tone but not strongly so; not outstanding but an enjoyable drink. 12% alcohol. CAD$19.90. See Dopff et Irion.

Joie Farm Muscat 2009

I’ve enjoyed this varietal from Joie in the past; in fact it was the first wine I ever tried from Joie. I’ve since enjoyed their Noble Blend and Rieslings, particularly the 2007 Riesling.

This is very clear, almost indistinguishable from water but with a slight silver tinge. Light nose of sage and grapefruit. Light bodied with a nice acidity and a strong lime quality, again with sage—quite different from past years, and quite unlike anything I’ve tasted before, but enjoyable. 10.5% alcohol. $27.10 at Kitsilano Wine Cellar.

Canada Line Signage

I’ve noticed several instances in Vancouver recently of whiteboards and other makeshift signs erected (“plonked” might be a better term) at new facilities in an obvious effort to compensate for poor design. One example is the new extension to the CBC building on Georgia Street: a hand-written sign pointed people to the main entrance, which apparently the architect had neglected to make obvious.

The other day I came across this sign at one of the Canada Line stations.

It’s jarring to see such a band-aid on a brand new multi-billion dollar subway line. I’m guessing that no one bothered actually to test to see whether people entering the stations could tell which direction the trains are travelling, perhaps even after checking the overhead red LED signs. I wonder if anyone ever thinks of doing “usability” testing of built environments and wayfinding signage—or the lack thereof.