After 25 years as a restaurant owner, consultant and wine educator, Micheline OuimetB次元官网网址檚 latest venture has seen her dedication to good service translate into finding good deals on wine.

The Colwood oeniphileB次元官网网址檚 website, thewinedetective.ca, pulls current local deals and sales on wines into one place for West Shore residents to peruse.

B次元官网网址淵ou can find when your favourite wine is on sale,B次元官网网址� Ouimet said. B次元官网网址淥r maybe youB次元官网网址檙e going out to a party and want to bring a bottle, and you check the local store to see whatB次元官网网址檚 good and whatB次元官网网址檚 on sale.B次元官网网址�

The site, which went live in July and is free to use, is growing in popularity and grew out of a newsletter Ouimet used to send out with her wine courses that, among other things, listed local wine deals.

B次元官网网址淭echnically there was rebates and coupons for everything online except wine,B次元官网网址� she said.

The wine expert decided to put it together online in an easily accessible place and thewinedetective.ca was born.

Ouimet stressed that just because a wine might be on sale doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean itB次元官网网址檚 an inferior vintage. B次元官网网址淪ale prices have a lot more to do with storage than quality. Most countries are producing more wine than they can sell and there isnB次元官网网址檛 enough storage, so the bottles have to sell.B次元官网网址�

Ouimet, who teaches bartending at Camosun College, wine education courses and a new mobile cocktail class, says wine must fit the occasion. When deciding which bottle to get, for example, an evening of relaxing at home will differ from pulling the cork for a special occasion.

B次元官网网址淚t depends on if IB次元官网网址檓 going to eat something or not, too. That makes a huge difference,B次元官网网址� she said.

Regardless of what the moment calls for, itB次元官网网址檚 always a treat to find the perfect wine, especially for a few dollars off, Ouimet said. B次元官网网址淢y motto is drink well for less.B次元官网网址�

acowan@goldstream

gazette.com