Unless you count the time I handed out plates at a church supper, I’ve never worked as a waiter. Of course, that hasn’t stopped me from commenting on the service in restaurants—particularly the wine service—as if I knew exactly what I was talking about. Now, to stopper my leaking credibility, I’ve decided to work in a restaurant for a night. Only the best would do, so I selected Le Baccara, an award-winning restaurant in Québec that offers haute French cuisine, with classic service. That would be just perfect for me, I thought—until I realized that as a […]
White Wine
Jane’s Gems: Napa Valley Gold > 90 Point Wines in the LCBO Vintages October 17
By Jane Staples Who doesn’t love a Napa Valley Chardonnay? Ideally situated by the Pacific coast, with the right balance of sunshine, ocean breezes and cooling moist fog, Napa Chardonnay is a favourite amongst wine fans. The flavours range from crisp and refreshing to richer, more buttery styles. Ripe tropical fruit notes and intense aromatics characterize Chards from this premium wine region, rivalling those from Bordeaux and Tuscany. The upside of the drought that hit California in recent years has been superb vintages from 2012, 2013 and 2014 for both reds and whites. When vines are stressed by a water […]
How to Pick a Wine Class? Learn About Wine to Satisfy Your Thirst
You’ve started to learn about wine and find yourself thirsting for more knowledge. Choosing a wine course can be challenging, especially with so many options these days. Selecting the right wine class depends on your goals: 1. Is it to become more knowledgeable as a wine drinker and to increase your personal enjoyment of wine? 2. To find a new hobby that you and a friend or partner can pursue together? 3. To learn more about various wine regions in order to plan gastro-vacations? 4. To make a career change or start one in the wine industry? I’ve always felt […]
A Tasteful Wine Journey from Provence to Paris
Town centre of Beaune By David Skinner Provence stands as Southern France’s glorious gateway to the viticultural and gastronomic treasures awaiting discovery along the Rhône River Valley. A river cruise from Provence to Burgundy is likely one of the best ways to experience these famous wine regions and cruising is the most leisurely and convenient way to uncover abundant appellations and epicurean adventures. Of course, one of the attractions of seeing the countryside by boat is that you only unpack once and this simply eliminates the worry of transportation and lodging, granting more time to create memories of fabulous food, […]
Tania’s Magical Matches: Wine Pairings for the Late Summer Bounty
By Tania Thomas With so many choices in an array of dazzling, vibrant colours, late summer at the farmers’ market is a true sensory overload. I can never resist the urge to buy a little bit of everything and then try to come up with some creative ways to use it all up before it passes its prime. Golden corn, juicy red tomatoes, shiny plump eggplants, sunny-yellow squash and sunset-hued ripe peaches, it’s hard to choose. Summer is the time for effortless entertaining and relaxed patio dinners, and the wine that accompanies it should be exactly that; simple and effortless. […]
Israeli Couscous and Emmental Salad Recipe Paired with Chardonnay
Israeli Couscous and Emmental Salad One of my favourite summer past-times is planning and pulling off the perfect picnic. Picnics make for a great way to spend quality time with your family, or a romantic date. All you’ll need to do is to find your perfect spot and pack your supplies. Just make sure not to forget the most important part, delicious Canadian Cheese. Just as red and white blankets are essential to picnics, so too are salads. This Israeli Couscous and Emmental Salad is absolute heaven and couldn’t be easier to make. The Canadian Emmental really brings the salad […]
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 […]
An Icon of New Zealand Wine: Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir
Canada’s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered in our nation’s capital last Friday to taste world-class New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Pint Noir. We were privileged to be guided in a personal tasting with Nobilo Wines Chief Winemaker, Dave Edmonds, who was in the country for a couple of days. In the video above, Dave introduces us to his wines as well as the spectacular food pairings for each course of our meal. Click on the arrow to watch the segment. You can also watch more videos of Dave in his vineyards as well as recipes to pair with the […]
Free-Spirited New Zealand Tasting Pairs Nobilo Wines with Adventurous Foods
Photo Credit: Melissa Pulvermacher By Melissa Pulvermacher A huge trend in the Canadian wine market right now is not only New Zealand wines, but more specifically, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with its grassy notes and aromas of gooseberry and tropical fruit. It’s been pretty easy to identify for consumers and the demand from the LCBO is still on the incline. Trends exist for multiple reasons, but there is something to be said about a wine that easily identifies with a large group of people. A beautiful aromatic wine that finishes refreshing and clean obviously isn’t very difficult for everyone to enjoy. […]
ApéroChic: A Touch Of France in the Heart Of Toronto’s Nightlife
Once a month, ApéroChic takes over a prestigious, hip and happening nightclub in downtown Toronto … and the events never cease to disappoint those lucky enough to be on the exclusive guest list. Two lovely ladies from France, Peggy Harvey and Estelle , who now live in Toronto, created this club in 2011. They’re the masterminds who organize these cosmopolitan post-work soirees with an elegant French twist to bring together on average more than 400 people to each event. Now well-entrenched in Toronto’s social scene, ApéroChic events have become among some of the most must-be-seen evenings in the city. The […]
