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 […]
Red Wine
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 […]
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. […]
LCBO Wines on Sale: Bargains and Best Buys May 2015
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] Big Bold Red 2014 New South Wales, Australia Regular Price: $13.95 Sale Price: $11.95 May 1 to May 25 Georges Duboeuf Gamay 2013 Beaujolais-Villages, France Regular Price: $13.95 Sale Price: $12.95 May 1 to May 25 Frescobaldi Remole 2013 Tuscany, Italy Regular Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $10.95 May 1 to May 25 Roodeberg 2013 Western Cape W.O., South Africa Regular Price: […]
Remy Pannier Tasting with Fresh Wines for Spring
Remy Pannier Winemaker Tasting with Pierre Charon By Priya and Alex, A Vine Romance It’s not often you get invited to an exclusive and intimate lunch with a talented winemaker visiting all the way from France, but we were lucky enough to do just that this past week. The Novotel on the Esplanade was the setting for this lovely event and they put out a great spread to match with the wines, with lots of cheese and seafood. They were kind enough to accommodate Priya, who’s a vegan, by having some vegetable antipasto and green salad along with mixed nuts […]
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Wines Go Regional
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Sparkling Brut Sparkling White South East Australia Green apple fresh with zesty lime. Terrific bubbly for this price. Perfect for any large festive gathering. Alcohol: 11% Sweetness: Extra Dry Drink: 2015-2017 Score: 88 Price: $17.95 LCBO #: 708290 Smoked Chicken, Pancetta and Roasted Pear Pizza Recipe Makes: 2 pizzas Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 2 brown pears (Beurre Bosc) ½ cup Wolf Blass Yellow Label Padthaway Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 1 tablespoon brown sugar 50g butter 2 large par-baked plain pizza bases 250g grated mozzarella cheese 8 thin slices pancetta 1 smoked […]
The Fruit Whisperer: California Vineyards Speak in Beringer Wine Tasting
Beringer’s Chief Winemaker, Laurie Hook, leads our team tasting of an impressive line-up of red and white wines from select vineyards of California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Laurie’s Hippy Approach to Winemaking … aka The Fruit Whisperer A-oiy! Look out for that ship bearing down on you at 70 knots, setting a course right through your Chardonnays! Our shipshape crew on deck for this tasting: Jennifer MacDonald, Wine Writer, Ottawa Citizen Jane Staples, Wine Writer, Windsor Star and Ottawa Wedding Magazine Matt Steeves, Wine Expert, CTV Morning Live Heather Wall, Wine Writer, Huffington Post Canada Monique Ippolito, Wine Writer, Ottawa […]
Wine Writers Behaving Like Critics: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
By Natalie MacLean They called it a tempest in a wine glass: two of the world’s most respected wine writers facing off against one another over one bottle of wine. Of course, there’s nothing unusual about critics disagreeing, even vehemently. But this time, the debate degenerated into a rumble over the definition of wine itself—and the integrity of the critics. In the American corner was Robert Parker, whose wine scores carry so much weight that they move the market. From Britain, was author Jancis Robinson, Master of Wine and columnist for the Financial Times of London. Both have written more […]
Charles Smith Rocks the Wine Scene with Music and Vino
By Melissa Pulvermacher We all think of pairing food and wine, but have you ever thought of pairing music with wine? Charles Smith, a self-taught winemaker, has brought a new element to the world of wine – soul. Smith is undoubtedly a full-bodied personality with a genuine passion for both music and wine. The only way to truly describe the experience of Charles Smith and his wines is to crank rock music and pour yourself a big glass of red or white… or both and just enjoy. During a 1999 road trip, when Smith was managing rock bands and concerts, […]
New LCBO Wines and Limited Time Offer Sale: April 2015
Sponsored Post by Delegat Canada Wine Agency You can get the complete shopping list of these wines in your closest liquor stores here. Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Marlborough, New Zealand Regular Price: $18.95 Sale Price: $16.95 March 30 to April 26 Oyster Bay Merlot 2013 Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand Vintage Release April 4 In stores while stock lasts Oyster Bay Pinot Noir 2013 Marlborough, New Zealand Vintage Release April 18 In stores while stock lasts Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz 2012 Barossa Valley, Australia New Vintage Release April 18 In […]
