The history books tell us that it was Canada’s national railroad that stitched this huge quilt of a country together and I don’t disagree.

But for me, one of the things that I feel really patches together all our disparate populations, is our dearly loved national public radio, the CBC.

(This is probably not the right time to talk about Prime Minister Harper and the current talk of cuts to the CBC and his general disinterest in arts and culture and anything that might suggest a national soul and a heartbeat in our country, which is also the very things we look for when we travel to other countries, but I don’t want to get negative here so I won’t even mention his Grinch-like approach at all…Not even once…because I’m getting older and practicing restraint.)

So. You can imagine our surprise when we met a bunch of people on our 2009 bicycling trip in Hungary with CBC on their shirts. They were all from Tennessee, spoke with accents that demanded a banjo-backup and said they were the CBC?? Turns out they were from the Chattanooga Bicycle Club.  It also turns out they were all a lot of fun.

Flash forward. Two of the people from CBC (that is, the CBC of Tennessee) will be in Vancouver next week before they go on their Alaska cruise. They wrote and asked me about things to do/see and especially where to ‘snoodle’ some good wine.  We perfected the art of snoodling on that Hungary trip where we swished and sucked in air and generally forgot to spit a whole lot of wine…all while cycling in the heat.

I decided to send them some Vancouver ideas, and then thought, heck, might as well share the info. This is hardly a scientific list, but it is a few of the wine places I like. If anyone has more to add, please step right up and add your recommendations in the comments.

1) Giovane Cafe – I was at the opening last night and loved everything about the place. The charcuterie and cheese selection was divine and I have to trust the wine selection is good, because I didn’t seem to get past my constantly-topped-up champagne glass. But it is part of the Fairmont Pacific Rim and we all know that the Fairmonts are always first-class.

2) Uva Wine Bar @ The Moda – Love this place. Funky vibe, great wine selection and nice location.

3) Joey Restaurants – Have to admit that I haven’t been to one of the Joey Restaurants yet. But I hear they are set up like the lovely enotecas we visited in Italy. That sounds like a fine thing.

4) O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar @ The Listel –  Live music every night, wonderful ever-changing art collection, great wine in a super neighbourhood; combined with a hotel that is always hosting writer and artist events  because they get it…as opposed to some people in Ottawa who clearly do not…oops…forgot the restraint part again.

5) Salt Tasting Room – Gastown is the place to go for all things groovy. And the Salt Tasting Room does groovy very, very well.  Simple concept…perfectly executed. Love it.

My next post will be about some of the different places I’d want out-of-town guests to see.

Then again, who am I to really say what my next post will be about? Anything could happen between now and then. Anything at all.