While most people still reserve a glass of Champagne or sparkling wine for New Year’s Eve and the occasional toast while out for dinner, you really don’t need a formal reason to pour yourself a glass of bubbly.  In fact, Champagne is one of the most food friendly wines available and I encourage you to [...]

We have recently returned from holidaying on the shores of Lake Erie where our family’s roots run deep into the sandy banks of Long Point Bay.  This has become an annual event for us and it’s always a pleasure to relax on the quiet beach amidst the rolling waves while the shorebirds gracefully soar high [...]

By Gaby Israel 2002 Schloss Reinhartshausen Riesling Spätlese, Prädikatswein, Erbacher Schlossberg, Rheingau, Germany – $19.95. 2002 was a great vintage for Riesling in Germany. Experiencing a 10 year old Riesling for only $20 is a no brainer when it comes to buying decision. I would buy 3 bottles, try one now and try the other [...]

  “Now ladies and gentlemen, if you will each raise your wine glass to your nose I’m sure that you will agree that the scent of black cherry, cinnamon, truffle and the slightest hint of wet stone quite typically displays the varietal character of this wine.” What the hell!  Am I the only person in [...]

I find myself slightly envious of those who live downtown, surrounded by an endless supply of restaurants, patios, and other potential dining opportunities.  Need a glass of wine? Just text a friend and hook-up in, say 20 minutes at the bistro around the corner.   On occasion though, even these folks ask themselves: What would it [...]

Whether you are looking to impress your next date, to be the wine expert in the family or for a serious career change, Ottawa’s Algonquin College has you covered. The college’s reputable Sommelier Certificate Program was initially developed in response to an increased demand for properly trained wine professionals. Enrico DeFrancesco, the academic co-ordinator of [...]

Many wine writers also have a day job. If wine isn’t your job, what is and for whom? [Natalie] Before I started writing about wine, I was in high tech marketing for a California-based supercomputer company. I’d probably be doing that or anything to do with writing. When did you start writing about wine? [Natalie] [...]

Just as we put away sweaters and hockey gear at this time of year, replacing them with shorts and golf clubs, so too is it the time to adjust our wine-drinking habits to reflect the changing seasons. “We want to cast off all the heavy, alcoholic, over-oaked wines that might have comforted us and warmed [...]

You call it fall but Brian Rosen knows this time of year as red wine season. “Last night, I’m not ashamed to say, I had two bottles of red wine. If it was two months earlier, it could have just as easily been a Gewurztraiminer or a Riesling,” said the 36-year-old Rosen, who shared the [...]