By Greg Hughes Some say the national drink of Italy is espresso, others say it’s Prosecco. Northeastern Italy’s distinctively aromatic sparkling wine is now beloved by the majority of the wine drinking world. Often, it is misrepresented as an inexpensive alternative to traditional sparkling wines, which are laborious and costly to produce. Could this be so? Is it merely a cost-saving mix for mimosas? Definitely not, especially considering it is priced in a similar bracket to local sparkling or even Cava, Spain’s traditionally made sparkling wine. There are plenty of other choices available to consumers, yet they overwhelmingly choose Prosecco. […]
Best Wines
Frothy Tales from the Vino in Villa Festival: A Primer on Prosecco
By Jacky Blisson In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Prosecco sales skyrocketed internationally. The popular explanation was that Champagne drinkers were trading down to accommodate shrinking wallets. This may have been a key factor spurring the initial upswing, but Prosecco sales continue to soar, unmatched by other non-Champagne sparkling wines. Many attribute Prosecco’s long term success to its vibrantly fruity and uncomplicated style. Others suggest that the refreshingly low alcohol, typically a modest 11 to 11.5%, is the main appeal. Yet this seems an to be over simplistic analysis. It fails to take into account the incredible expression […]
A Sparkling Dilemma: What’s the Real Difference Between Champagne and Prosecco?
By Alex and Priya, A Vine Romance What’s the real difference between Champagne and Prosecco? Priya: Ahh bubbly! There are so many styles of sparkling wine but Champagne and Prosecco are undoubtedly the two most popular. Alex: You’re right about that my lady. However, they are distinctly different from one another. So much so that an experienced taster should almost never be fooled – though there are some Proseccos out there that bear similarities to iconic Champagne – but they are rarely encountered and cost equally as much. P: Interesting. As a not-so-experienced taster, I doubt I’d be able to […]
Prosecco with Lemon Sponge Cake, Lemon Curd and Raspberry Ice Cream
Bottles & Bites by Shari Goodman Natalie’s Challenge: Find a bottle. Pair with bites. My Goals: Bottle must be under $25. Bites must be delicious. Lemon Sponge Cake, Lemon Curd and Raspberry Ice Cream Sun meets bubbles in this pairing of bottle and bites. With a light but refreshing drink and dessert combination, this is sure to cool you off in the middle of a heat wave. I love bubbles in the summer. And Prosecco was made for summertime sipping. This Italian sparkling wine (Santa Margherita Brut Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, $18.95) is a light, refreshing and affordable alternative to French […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings November 25
You can access the 128 wines that I reviewed for as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for November 11. If you are a Paid Member, you can add my wine picks to your custom shopping list with one click and access that list on your smartphone to find the stock for each wine in your closest LCBO store. These are just some of the benefits of supporting out wine community as a Paid Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two […]
Video: Pairing Wine & Spicy Dishes from Vij’s Restaurant
How do you pair spicy foods with wine? What happens to the taste of wine when you turn up the heat in a dish? That’s exactly what we’re going to learn from our guests who join us live from Vancouver. Our guests this evening work together to create one of Canada’s best restaurants, renowned for both food and wine. Celebrity Chef Vikram Vij is the author of numerous best-selling cookbooks, has been on hit shows such Chopped, Top Chef and Dragon’s Den. He’s also the first Indian chef to earn a sommelier degree. Head sommelier Sean Nelson became Western Canada’s […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings November 11
You can access the 129 wines that I reviewed for as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for October 28. If you are a Paid Member, you can add my wine picks to your custom shopping list with one click and access that list on your smartphone to find the stock for each wine in your closest LCBO store. These are just some of the benefits of supporting out wine community as a Paid Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two […]
Video: Unusual Wine and Cheese Pairings that Work with Laura Werlin
Our guest this evening is one of the planet’s most authoritative writers on cheese, and cheese and wine pairings. She’s won six James Beard awards, that’s like the Oscars for the Food and Wine world, for her books and she also was a regular instructor at the Cheese School of San Francisco and she joins me live right now from her home in San Francisco Welcome to the Sunday Sipper Club Laura Werlin. Click on the “Follow” and “Like” buttons on this Facebook page to get notified when we go live. Watch previous episodes and find out who’s coming […]
What You Don’t Know About Wine & Health, But Should
Are you confused about the various heath studies when it comes to wine and breast cancer, heart disease or brain function? Would you like to know exactly what moderation means when it comes to drinking wine? That’s exactly what we’re going to discover tonight with our guest this evening who is a gynecologist and obstetrician. He is also part of an international research community that investigates the role of wine in health. He holds an advanced-level sommelier certificate from the International Wine & Spirits Guild, and he joins me now live from his home office in Arizona. You won’t want […]
Getting Graphic with Wine and Madeline Puckette of Wine Folly
Would you like to learn more about wine regions, but find it difficult to keep them all straight? We know that tasting wine is a great way to learn about it, but did you know that the power of visuals can really accelerate your learning? That’s exactly what we’re going to learn tonight with our guest who joins me live from Seattle. Our guest this evening is Madeline Puckette, author of the New York times best-selling book Wine Folly! Click on the arrow above to watch the video. P.S. Join us Sunday November 5, at 6 pm eastern with Dr. […]
