Top 100 Wine Blogs: New Ranking from Feedspot

Feedspot, which replaced Google’s RSS live feed for blog updates last year, has just published a new report on the Top 100 Wine Blogs. A friend nudged me about it on Twitter, as it’s not something you can enter. According to the editors of Feedspot: In the world of wine, these are the best of the best wine blogs who run their craft and work hardest to improve the entire wine industry. They are the most influential to both the trade and consumers. Their voices influence thousands of other wine personalities and tens of thousands of wine professionals. These wine blogs […]

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Wine Talk on Bell Media’s New TV Show “The Drink”

By Alex Powell & Priya Rao, A Vine Romance It’s finally here–August 2nd brings the launch of our new show for Bell Media called, The Drink. In it we explore the best that Toronto has to offer in terms of beer, sake, scotch, cocktails and of course, wine! In fact, one of our 4 episodes in dedicated to this glorious beverage from Mother Nature! The episode is called, quite appropriately, “Calling All Wine-o’s!” In it we visit a super high-tech private wine storage facility, we trace the roots of a bottle of wine in a vineyard-to-restaurant segment, Alex breaks down how to taste […]

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Merroir, it’s a Thing. A Tasty, Tasty Thing; Wine and Oyster Pairings

By Rebecca Meïr-Liebman of Chef & Somm Photos by Signe Langford  Oenophiles have always understood the concept of terroir; food- lovers are grasping this taste of place, too.Ingredients are just as terroir-driven as wine, sometimes the connection to the soil, sun, and air is even more pronounced in a cheese or a cacao bean than in a particular wine! And, what if that taste of place –or terroir– is underwater? Well, until I met with Patrick McMurray, author, oyster expert and shucking champion, I was unaware of how much terroir- or, rather, merroir-driven these beautiful bivalves are. Joining him at his […]

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796 Wine Reviews, 113 Wines, 16 Wine Writers and Sommeliers, 1 Terrific Tasting

  Canada’s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered in our national’s capital yesterday to taste through an impressive line-up of wines. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram were on fire as they posted their reviews live and shared on social media. You can get the complete list of wines here, along with their reviews and the closest liquor stores that have these wines in stock now. This list is also accessible on the wine mobile apps. Stay tuned: we’re already planning our next big tasting!     Jacky Blisson above has just returned from Napa Valley where she wrote her final papers […]

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Balderson Cheddar Cheese Tart with Summer Vegetables Recipe Paired with Cabernet Franc

Summer Vegetable and Balderson Cheddar Cheese Tart Pair this delicious recipe with Featherstone Winery Cabernet Franc 2013 Ingredients: 1/3 cup [75 mL] Lactantia Butter melted, divided 1 bunch green onions, chopped 1 cup [250 mL] chopped asparagus 3 plum tomatoes, deseeded and chopped 2 cups [500 mL] chopped spinach 2 tbsp [30 mL] chopped basil 6 sheets thawed phyllo dough 2 tbsp [30 mL] honey mustard 2 cups [500 mL] grated Balderson Heritage Cheddar Cheese 1 cup [250 mL] Lactantia 10% Table Cream 4 eggs, beaten Preparation: In fry pan over medium heat cook green onions in 2 tbsp [30 […]

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Best Bottles for Outdoor Dining: Wines for the Wet & Wild

By Rebecca Meïr-Liebman of Chef & Somm A couple of posts ago, I wrote about the best wines for summer entertaining – well, I have a bit more to say about the joys of summer sipping. Here’s Part Two, enjoy! Dip and Sip – The Pool Party Crunchy, oily, salty chips and hot dogs with all the fixin’s are so much fun under the sun, especially poolside! My preference is to wash this super-casual stuff down with an ice cold beer or cider, but there are a few playful wines practically made for chillaxin’ by the pool!   Adamo Estate Winery Rosé, Hockley […]

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Mozzarella with Hot Capicollo, Melon, Tomato, Basil & Black Olives Recipe Paired With Gabbiano Pinot Grigio

  Mozzarella with Hot Capicollo, Melon, Tomato, Basil & Black Olives Recipe Serve with Gabbiano Pinot Grigio Ingredients Galbani Mozzarella, sliced Cantaloupe melon, sliced Watermelon, sliced Tomatoes, sliced Red onions, julienne Capicollo, sliced Basil, hand torn Sundried Black Olives Olive oil Balsamic glaze Directions Arrange on a plate all the fruit and vegetables, sprinkle the olives and season with the salt and pepper then a drizzle of olive oil and a few drops of balsamic glaze and the basil leaves, place the sliced Capicollo in the middle and serve. This recipe and wine pairing is provided courtesy of Gabbiano Wines […]

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Garden Variety Wines: The Best Bottles for Outdoor Dining

By Rebecca Meïr-Liebman of Chef & Somm Spring and summer means outdoor parties – casual barbecues to white-glove garden soirées – and there’s a perfect wine for every al fresco occasion. Flip Flops and Fine Wine – The BBQ When food is smoky and beefy, you might automatically think of an oaky Cabernet Sauvignon, but let’s not forget how hot and humid it can be, so a nicely chilled, oaky white wine or slightly chilled lighter red – may be just the thing! An oaky white – think Norman Hardie Chardonnay or La Crema Chardonnay will complement smoky, grilled chicken, […]

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Delicious Galbani Cheese Recipes and Wine Pairings

Caprini Salad with Galbani Fresh Mozzarella A delicious, fresh recipe that can be made in minutes. Enjoy as an appetizer or side dish. Ingredients 8 oz. Galbani Fresh Mozzarella Ball 3 Vine Ripe Tomatoes Yellow Pear and Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half 1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced Capers, chopped 1 Lemon Zest Oregano Garlic Basil Olive Oil Lemon Juice Salt and Pepper, to taste Wine Pairing Gabbiano Pinot Grigio Directions 1. Cut the vine ripe tomatoes into quarters and arrange on salad plates with sliced cherry tomatoes and yellow pear tomatoes. 2. Scatter sliced onions. 3. Slice Galbani Mozzarella Ball […]

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Balderson Cheddar Cheese and Wine Pairings: Spot On!

Cheese expert Cecilia Smith and I had so much fun filming this spot for Balderson Cheddar. Of course, we had to be thorough with our research and played with various wine and cheese pairings throughout the day of the shoot. This spot airs on, and is posted with permission from:  The Food Network, The Lifestyle Network, Home & Garden Television, W Network and other channels.     I was fascinated with the production behind a 30-second spot: it took all day. The film crew were pros. Although I was ready to drop at the end of the day, it was […]

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