My story about Steve Robinson was originally published in Ottawa Magazine, the sister publication of Toronto Life Magazine. Ottawa sommeliers are proving to be among the best in the province. Steve Robinson placed second in this year’s Ontario’s Best Sommelier Competition, and was named one of the top 30 under 30 in the province’s hospitality [...]

Frida and Diego, poinsettias and tequila, corn, salsa and home to many a winter vacation, these things may have you thinking of Mexico, but did you know that Mexico is also the birthplace of winemaking in the Americas?  In 1597 the first winery of the New World was established in Parras – which is in [...]

In our second video chat below, sommelier Mike Pierce gets into some specific and fun snack food and wine pairings. There were some surprising insights (really) as I thought all snacks would go best with sweet wines … Skittles proved me wrong, though I loved the Cracker Jacks pairing best. Have you discovered an unusually [...]

Here are my top wine picks from the February 2 Vintages Release. You can also get all 91 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. I’ve also posted my picks for the February 16 Vintages Release. You [...]

Anyone can pair filet mignon and cabernet sauvignon. But how about a bag of Doritos or a Snickers bar? Should you even try? Mike Pierce, sommelier and co-owner of San Francisco’s Maverick wine bar. says yes. In the video chat below, he shares his tips on how to find delicious shabby-chic combos. Why do we [...]