Part 2: Sicily’s Volcanic Wines Sicily is also known as mezzogiorno, “the land of the midday sun”—and of the midday nap. This April afternoon is so warm that I decide to take la pausa before my next visit. I love that notion of an afternoon pause: it doesn’t sound lazy, just meditative. I retreat to my dark hotel room and flop on the cool bed sheets, mesmerized by my ceiling fan as its breeze evaporates the sweat on my arms and legs. Outside, a dog barks, someone laughs, a door slams. Then quiet. After several hours of drugged sleep, I […]
Best Wines
Purple Cowboy Tenacious Red Wine Paired with BBQ Ribs Recipe
Barbecue Pork Ribs Recipe Nothing is better than a big rack of barbecue back pork ribs with dinner. Started in the oven and finished on the grill. Pair this delicious recipe with Purple Cowboy Tenacious Red Wine from California, now on sale at Calgary Co-op Wines & Spirits for $14.99 (regular $18.79) until this Thursday, July 9. Ingredients 4 Whole racks pork back ribs 1-2 tbsp. Sea salt 3 cups Ketchup 1 cup Brown sugar, packed 5 tbsp. Sherry or malt vinegar 2 tbsp. Chili powder 1/2 cup Molasses 1 Whole orange, zest and juice How to Make it Preheat […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings June 13
You can access the 93 wines that I reviewed for June 13 as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for May 30, 2015. 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 […]
LCBO Wines on Sale: May 24 to June 20
Sponsored Post by Philippe Dandurand Wine Agency You can get the complete shopping list of these wines in your closest liquor stores here. Yellow Tail Sangria Australia Regular Price: $10.95 Sale Price: $9.95 [yellow tail] Pinot Grigio 2014 New South Wales, Australia Regular Price: $$10.95 Sale Price: $8.95 Georges Duboeuf 2013 Beaujolais, France Regular Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $10.95 HobNob Wine Company Pinot Noir 2014 Languedoc I.G.T. France Regular Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $11.95 Chapoutier Rasteau 2013 Rhone Valley A.O.C. France […]
Vino Under the Volcano: Etna Wines Erupt Expected Notions of Terroir
Editor’s Note: I’ve been writing about volcanic wines since my second book, Unquenchable, was published with Random House in 2011. My fascination with them continues. I expected something a little more dramatic: the sizzle of a lava river oozing down the volcano, the rumble of the earth as it split between my feet, the screams of villagers running for their lives. Instead, all I hear are the clicks of tourist cameras as we look up at Mount Etna, its white tip puffing peacefully against the blue sky. “To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen […]
Volcanic Wines Fire the Imagination and Thirst for More
Continued from Part 1: Volcanic Wine Leaving the tourist stop, I fold myself back into my five-inch Fiat. It takes about ten hours drive to the top of the volcano, though I’m not going that far today. Still, with every twist and turn in the road that takes me higher up the mountain, my ears pop and my heart beats faster, wondering whether I’ll come head-on with a tour bus barreling downwards. Out of the corner of my eye, I see vineyards tucked between the medieval villages, chunks of volcanic stone in marvelously strange shapes crouch between the vines. I’m […]
Avondale Winery: South African Wine With its Ducks in a Row
By Priya & Alex, A Vine Romance When you think of South African wines, several prominent names may come to mind, but there is more to this region than just a few well-known wineries. We learned this the easy way—by meeting one of the remarkable winemakers who is producing wines of exceptional quality. That winemaker is Jonathan Grieve and the winery is Avondale. The invite we received to join Jonathan at a winemakers lunch had us a bit skeptical. What could we expect from a man who holds a duck in his arms in a promo shot? Well, we learned […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages May 30 Ratings
You can access the 86 wines that I reviewed for May 30 as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for May 16, 2015. 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 […]
Canadian Wine and Cheese Pairings Meet Their Match
CJAD, Montreal’s most popular talk radio station, featured The Great Canadian Wine & Cheese Match yesterday. You can listen to the clip above by clicking on the arrow. Winners and runners up will also be announced on Global Television and CTV News in June. You still have time to nominate and/or vote for your favourite Canadian wines to pair with Canadian cheeses. If you do, you could also win one of three Balderson Cheddar Cheese and Gourmet Gift Baskets, each worth $500. Canadian Wine and Cheese Pairings Meet Their Match Sheila: I know you like wine. Well I like wine […]
Gerard Bertrand Wine Tasting: Diversity of Southern France Wines
On a glorious April morning, a small group of wine journalists gathered at Restaurant Daniel on New York City’s upper east side for a tasting with winemaker Gerard Bertrand (pictured above). Click on the arrow to play the short video. Gérard Bertrand Côte Des Roses Rosé 2014 Languedoc, Midi A.P., France This lovely southern French rosé is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah grapes. It’s elegant, yet full-bodied for rosé and very satisfying. Freshness is everything in this wine. Grenache is ideal for rosé because it matures easily and quickly, has vibrant aromatics, yet keeps its zesty acidity for food. […]
