What’s that aroma wafting through the city? Is it poutine? No. Is it beaver tails? No. It’s the scent of a well-stocked passion. Ottawa used to be better known for hot chocolate than for wine, but a vinous Group of Seven is changing the dining landscape: seven local restaurants recently won Wine Spectator Magazine awards [...]

Five years ago, I needed a drink just to read a restaurant wine list in this city. Most offered Kraft Dinner wines at Pétrus prices served in golf ball glasses with layers of detergent aromas. I’d like to say, “All that’s changed now.” But I can’t. Of the 1400 licensed restaurants in the region, there [...]

When a medium-fancy friend of mine recently joined me for dinner at a medium-fancy Bay Area restaurant, she recoiled when our waitress told her the price of certain Syrah: $8 a glass. Her horror wasn’t at the cost — although it certainly could have been. Instead, she was realizing that since many of this restaurant’s [...]

Which restaurant boasts the largest collection of Amarone wines in the world? Here’s a clue: It’s not in Italy, or even New York. It’s an old-style Italian joint called Via Allegro Ristorante, in a generic strip mall across from a Home Depot in western Toronto. Top Restaurants For Canadian Wine-Lovers Don’t let the plebian locale [...]

  Here’s my second profile of a star Ottawa sommelier from the current issue of Ottawa Magazine, the sister publication of Toronto Life. You can read about the first sommelier, Grayson McDermid here.   Janet Fraser Allium Restaurant 87 Holland Avenue 613-792-1313 What made you decide to become a sommelier? I was lucky enough to [...]

  Which wines are most popular these days? How do you choose a great wine from a restaurant wine list? Who has all the answers? Sommeliers. They’re the ones on the front lines and they see how our wine community is changing before we do. For my column in this month’s Ottawa Magazine, the sister [...]

Anyone who’s ordered a bottle of wine at a restaurant knows the ritual. The server brings the wine to the table, displays it for the customer’s inspection, then uncorks it with a flourish. A small portion is poured for the diner to sniff, taste and evaluate. If there’s something wrong with the wine, this is [...]