Pairing Wine with Love Songs

Leanne and I chat about pairing wine with love songs. Got a favourite that we didn’t include? Click on the arrow above to play the video. Here’s part one of our conversation on pairing wine with romantic movies.       “Whose bed have your boots been under?” – Shania Twain Ménage à Trois Midnight Red 2013 California, United States                 “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” – The Righteous Brothers Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, New Zealand                     “I Want to Know What […]

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The Secret to Sauvignon Blanc Wine? (Video)

Leanne and I had great fun chatting about Sauvignon Blanc on CTV as a lead up to Sauvignon Blanc Day May 4. You can watch the video segment above by clicking on the arrow. You can also watch our second wine video.           Santa Rita Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Casablanca Valley, Chile                 Sacred Hill Wine Company Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, New Zealand                   Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, New Zealand                   Henry of Pelham […]

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Pizza Wine: Perfect Pairings for Your Pie

Liza, Jeff and I chat about pairing pizza and wine on Global TV’s Morning Show (while the cameramen and studio crew edge in ever closer to the set). Click on the arrow to watch the video above. Queen Margherita Pizzeria made these mouth-wateringly delicious pizzas fresh and hot, featuring first the classic Margherita Pizza. This pizza was named in honor of Queen Margherita, the wife of King Umberto I, in 1889, when the couple visited Naples and wanted to taste the local pie.   Queen Margherita Pizzeria’s Margherita Pizza   A chef selected patriotic toppings with the colors in the […]

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Errazuriz Winery Puts Chile on the Wine Map with Cool Climate Viticulture

By Melissa Pulvermacher On October 31, I had the pleasure of joining Eduardo Chadwick and fellow industry professionals for lunch at the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto. Bosk restaurant catered the intimate meal and Eduardo spoke about the wines that we tasted from Errázuriz Vineyards. Eduardo Chadwick Aconcagua Costa The majority of the wines tasted at the luncheon were from a relatively new wine region –Aconcagua Costa. About 12 km from the cool Pacific Ocean, Chile is able to successfully grow and harvest in a cool-climate zone that is very well suited to white varieties, as well as Syrah and Pinot […]

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Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir Wines from New Zealand

    Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir 2013 Marlborough, New Zealand A smooth, supple easy-drink red wine. This New Zealand Pinot Noir features notes of wild field berries on the nose and palate. Lovely balance, very food-friendly. Pair with planked salmon. Alcohol: 14% Sweetness: Extra Dry Price: $19.95 Drink: 2013-2018 Product #: 66803     Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir 2012 Marlborough, New Zealand Very juicy, cherry-berry flavours and roundness in this gloriously happy New Zealand Pinot Noir. This medium-bodied red wine with dance with your senses, and your food, from planked salmon to roast chicken. Top me up! Alcohol: 14% Sweetness: […]

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Malbec Day: A Tale of Tango and Taste

World Malbec Day on April 17 (#MalbecWorldDay) reminds me of both a recent Argentine tasting with the Opimian Wine Club as well as a trip I took to Buenos Aires several years ago. The tasting featured a terrific range of Latin American wines. It was an evening of Latin music, food, friends, and yes, tango! We gathered at a local restaurant, El Gusto Mazzola, where the husband-and-wife owners, Elena Mazzola and chef Victor Mazzola treated us to an authentic Argentine tapas dinner paired with the Malbec and other wines. Rounding out the feeling of an Argentine bistro, Réjean Simard and Diane Clément offered superb demonstrations of the three forms of […]

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French Pizza Recipe Paired with Sauvignon Blanc

French Pizza with a Canadian Twist For me, the holiday season is all about getting together with loved ones and creating lasting memories while gathering around some delicious comfort food. There are a lot of comfort food dishes that can turn an ordinary get together into a memorable meet-up, but none quite like my favourite French Pizza with ham and asparagus. While inspired by our European friends, this recipe features mouth-watering Canadian Swiss and Brie Cheese that infuses an unmistakable taste of home. For a truly domestic holiday delight, pair with a light and fruity 2014 Inniskillin Sauvignon Blanc. Perfect […]

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Kim Crawford Wine Tasting: Blending with an Eye Dropper

By Mymi Myriam The room at Frank at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) was flooded with light entering from large panel windows on a late weekday afternoon as I sipped on a glass of the Kim Crawford Fizz Methode Traditionnelle 2009. I took my place at the table and was quite puzzled at finding an eye-dropper amongst my tasting glasses. What kind of experiment would we be conducting? Our host for the event was Anthony Walkenhorst, Kim Crawford’s senior winemaker, who led us through the most memorable wine tasting I have ever attended. In front of each attendee were […]

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Villa Maria Wine Tasting Reveals Regional Surprises

In the video above, Villa Maria Winemaker Josh Hammond shares an amusing story about his quest to pair ever more fresh scallops with his wines when diving for them with his brother. Click on the arrow to play the video. Canada’s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered in our nation’s capital for an extraordinary tasting of New Zealand’s Villa Maria wines recently at The Shore Club. They share their insights and recommendations here. Cherie Cole Accredited Sommelier & Wine Blogger Gracing us with his knowledge and passion for wine, along with a great sense of humor, fifth generation winemaker, Josh […]

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Jane’s Gems: 90 Point Wines in the LCBO Vintages Sept 5

By Jane Staples The September 5th release is all about uncorking a great wine.  A great bottle of wine is like a great painting; so much goes into creating it and the final product is a work of art. Like a painter working with colour and canvas, the winemaker works with the soil, the vines, the harvest and the oak, making decisions about blending and aging along the way. Uncorking a great bottle of wine can kick off a great conversation.  Some wine lovers enjoy discussing the terroir and winemaking techniques, or the history of a particular region. Others are […]

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