On the third Thursday of every November, a light red wine from the Beaujolais region of France is released to celebrate the current vintage. It’s harvested, fermented and bottled within weeks and is meant to be gulped now in bistros with friends, not cellared or analyzed. Here are some of my picks from this year’s [...]

In this fascinating video chat, Dr. Antonia Mantonakis reveals the insights from her research on how the name of a wine affects both our perception of it and how much we’re willing to pay for it. Difficult to pronounce names score higher, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that wineries should use them… find out why [...]

Canadian Brie Fondue Add a little warmth to the cooler months Let’s be honest. The time between the harvest and the holiday season can feel like an eternity. The weather grows colder by the minute and the sky seems to be perpetually grey, yet there’s no snow on the ground to lift our spirits. So [...]

Monday evening was a terrific celebration of Canadian food, wine and writing at Taste Canada―The Food Writing Awards. According to Quill & Quire, the magazine for the Canadian publishing industry, the competition drew 73 book submissions this year, “a brilliant snapshot of the vibrancy and diversity of Canadian culinary publishing.” Karen Gelbart, National Chair of [...]

These Argentinean pastries are packed full of flavour. The fragrant beef filling features olives, raisins and cumin. Traditionally eaten as street food, empanadas are a perfect snack with a glass of Tilia Malbec.  To save on time, use purchased puff pastry that has been pre-rolled. Join us and sample Tilia wines at the Toronto Gourmet [...]

In this video clip from Canada AM Monday morning, host Bev Thompson and I chat about terrific wines that cost less than $15 for holiday entertaining and gift giving. You’ll find the list of those wines below. Henry of Pelham Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario: Lovely aromas and flavours of ripe melon [...]

By Gaby Israel Here’s my best cellar wines list for this release as a shopping list that you can print and will show you LCBO stock availability. Top picks for under $20: Choice #1 – Spain – Rias Baixas – Pazo Pondal Leira Albariño 2011 (115816)-$15.95 I have mentioned the uniqueness of this grape a [...]

Here are my top picks from the November 10 Vintages Release. You can also get all 72 of my Best Value Wines and Top Rated Wines for red, white, rose, sparkling and dessert wines that encompass many price points, styles and regions. You can add my wine picks to your shopping list by clicking on [...]

In this fascinating video chat, Dr. Antonia Mantonakis reveals the insights from her research on how the fit between a celebrity athlete’s particular sport affects our perception of a wine, including golf, wrestling and speed skating. It’s not what you’d expect … find out why below. How does the degree of “match” between a celebrity [...]