9 Best Napa Valley Wines to Drink Now

On CTV news, Leanne and I chat about terrific  Napa Valley wines you can buy now for a limited time online at the LCBO. You can watch our first chat about California wines on CTV News here.   We’re narrowing our focus on Napa Valley wines in this segment. Tell us about this region. What would surprise us about Napa Valley?       It’s the most famous wine growing region in the U.S. but it’s actually tiny, producing just 4% of Californian wine and only 0.4% of the world’s wine production. The valley floor is just 30 miles long and […]

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Holiday Wine Team Tasting: Your Wines for Gift Giving and Entertaining

On Sunday, 22 wine-loving, football-sacrificing souls (it was Grey Cup) gathered to taste more than 70 spectacular wines. Click on the arrow above to hear about Jennifer’s favourite wine from the tasting, a Chilean Carmenere with bright acidity, nice little spice, great for a wide variety of foods. Jennifer MacDonald Havers Wine Columnist, Ottawa Citizen                   Monique explains her reasons for picking Taittinger Champagne to toast her celebration events.         Monique Ippolito Wine Columnist, Ottawa Living Magazine               Craig’s take on Beringer Quantum […]

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Wolf Blass Wines: Here’s to the Chase Video

Sponsored by Wolf Blass Wines Triumph doesn’t just happen. It comes about because we, as humans, boldly chase it. A chase we proudly celebrate. So here’s to it. Here’s to the chase. Follow more videos and wine tips on Twitter at the hashtag: #HeresToTheChase Share this post on social media with the hashtag above and copy @WolfBlassWines. Enter the Contest You can also enter to win one of 100 Wink Home Hub Systems, retail value of $100. You can enter this contest here on CBC’s site for the Next Generation Dragon’s Den television show. Fill out the form and submit […]

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Thanksgiving Wines Top 10 Best Bottles

Here are my top 10 gobbling-good wines that I recommended on CBC radio this week. (You can listen to the radio interview below.) Got a favourite? I love matching wine with side dishes … pinot noir and cranberry sauce or riesling with green beans. The bonus is that they both work well with the big bird.       Enjoy your holiday weekend!       Mission Hill Family Estate Five Vineyards Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Valley, BC Terrifically fresh and vibrant! Like a basket of white melons on a summer afternoon. Lovely as an aperitif or companion to many dishes. […]

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Cheddar Onion Butter on Steak and Corn Recipe Paired with Cabernet Sauvignon

Cheddar-Onion Butter on Steak and Corn on the Cob Imagine this: a grill stacked high with juicy burgers, sizzling steaks, and corn on the cob. Sounds delicious right? But I’ve got a recipe that will take your grill skills to the next level, Cheddar-Onion Butter on Steak and Corn on the Cob. The sharpness of Aged Canadian Cheddar gives this dish the kick it needs. Just throw together some butter, chopped kale, onion, pecans, and of course some delicious Aged Canadian Cheddar, then refrigerate. Once finished I like to spread it on corn, steak, and even toasted bread. Mature cheddars […]

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Jane’s Gems: 90 Point Wines in LCBO Vintages August 8

By Jane Staples The LCBO Vintages August 8 Release offers an exciting collection of wines from the Pacific Northwest, namely British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. All three regions have undergone dramatic changes over the past five years, making great stride in both quality and diversity of the wines they produce. Yet the three regions are also vastly different, despite the fact they’re often grouped together geographically in the wine world. Oregon winemaking has its roots in the 1970s, and has since taken the silky, medium-bodied red wine, Pinot Noir, to great heights. Now it also produces a zesty white wine […]

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Wolf Blass Wines Dig Into Their Australian Roots and Go Regional

Wolf Blass Winemaker Chris Hatcher shares some colourful history about Wolf Blass – the man, his history and work ethic – including an amusing story about a receptionist at the winery who didn’t believe that he was Wolf Blass ;) “Despite being a multi-millionaire,” Chris added, “Wolf still maintains his driving work ethic and frugal mentality. Just before he checks out of a hotel, he still cleans out all the shampoo and soap.” Christ Hatcher talking about the effect of fermentation by ‘committing a barrel’ to get that soft barrel character. Some insights that surprised me: – Wolf Blass first […]

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