Oyster Bay By Matt Steeves New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Canada, Mr. Simon Tucker, hosted a lovely tasting of Oyster Bay wines at his official residence recently. A small group of trade professionals attended to sample and assess the portfolio of New Zealand wines that Delegat Canada Limited (agent and owner of Oyster Bay) were showcasing. Jason Hands and Camille Gemmell Johnston of Delegat kindly walked us through the tasting of their Oyster Bay portfolio. My overall impression from the tasting was that each wine Oyster Bay produces is done very well, and sold at a very reasonable price point […]
Best Wines
Villa Maria Stays True to its Roots: New Zealand Winery Focuses on the Field
Villa Maria By Julia Kelada Often, decanting a wine for an hour gives it time to breathe and reveal its true character. That was exactly the time I was fortunate to spend recently talking with Sir George Fistonich, founder and owner of Villa Maria Wines in New Zealand, who has been making wines for more than 50 years. Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Private Bin Pinot Gris 2013 Private Bin Pinot Noir 2011 Cellar selection Pinot Noir 2010 Private Bin Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2010 Although I had researched a long list […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews and Ratings: Vintages November 8
You can access the 121 wines that I reviewed for November 8 as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for October 25. 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 […]
Beaujolais Nouveau Wines Celebrate Vintage in November
Beaujolais Nouveau wine causes quite a stir on the third Thursday of every November. We spoke about this light red wine from the Beaujolais region of France on CBC’s Ontario Morning today (I’ll post the clip later). Beaujolais nouveau is meant to celebrate the current vintage. It’s harvested, fermented and bottled within weeks and is meant to be gulped now in bistros with friends, not cellared or analyzed. Here are some of my picks from this year’s crop below as well as beaujolais nouveau food pairings. You can also look for nouveau wines from other regions, including Canada, Italy and […]
Sunday Brunch Benedict on Potato and Zucchini Fritter Recipe
Sunday Brunch Benedict on Potato and Zucchini Fritter Recipe by Courtney Flood Sunday brunch is my favourite. Long-weekend Sunday brunch is extra special. This meal is a little finicky but worth the trouble. Serves 4. Ingredients: 2 medium zucchini 4 large potatoes, peeled ¼ cup chickpea flour (besam) 9 eggs + 1 egg yolk (divided) 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tsp salt (divided) ¼ – ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tbsp + 2 tsp canola oil (divided) 6 tbsp butter 2 tsp lemon juice ¼ white vinegar 2 cups chopped kale 2 tomatoes, sliced Instructions: Fritters – Shred zucchini on […]
Pairing Wine with Chocolate: Follow Your Nose
By Jessica Nagy Pairing wine with chocolate is about more than just rich desserts and powerful Ports or Amarones; it’s a subtle art that can have a big impact on the entire meal if done well. I recently spoke with Sommelier Rebecca Meïr-Liebman about how she takes on this challenge in a series of Sweet & Savoury chocolate-inspired dinners that she hosts with her husband, Chef Eyal Liebman, in Toronto. The next dinner will take place November 8 with all proceeds going to support Second Harvest. “I start by choosing the winery,” says Rebecca. In this case, it’s Niagara’s Henry […]
Wine Tasting Club Checklist
Continued from How to Host a Wine Tasting Here’s a checklist for how to host a wine tasting or start a regular wine tasting club. 1. One Month Before the Tasting Decide who you want to invite Your tasting club could be for your existing friends, or a means to get to know new friends via work or other venues, or a mix. Invite six to twelve guests. These days, trying to find an unscheduled evening with six to twelve busy people is a challenge so you may need to give your group even more lead time than a month. […]
Prince Edward County Pinot Noir: A Ruby Wine Gem
I was determined that our recent weekend get-away to Prince Edward would be all pleasure, no work. For me, that means not visiting wineries and interviewing winemakers. I just wanted to dine at amazing restaurants, like Blumen, stay at a wonderful inn like The Manse, and take long walks along Sandbanks Park beach. I did all that, but alas could not resist the siren call of one winery. I blame Blumen. We enjoyed a fabulous meal, and a spectacular pinot noir from Exultet Estates. I got up the next morning determined to find the hidden, off-the-main-strip, little white shed that […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews and Ratings: Vintages Release October 25
You can access the 68 wines that I reviewed for October 25 as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for October 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 […]
Vegetarian Poutine with Miso-Mushroom Gravy Recipe
Vegetarian Poutine with Miso-Mushroom Gravy Recipe by: Courtney Flood This recipe has several of my favourite ingredients that I love to promote. They sound somewhat “exotic”, but once you know how to use them they are great ingredients to have on hand and all have a great shelf life. Nutritional yeast is high in protein and B vitamins and has a cheesy flavour that is a great vegan substitute for cheese. You can find it in bulk food stores. Miso paste is made from fermented soybeans and adds a great vegetarian umami flavour. It’s a live food that is rich […]
