By Natalie MacLean Here are some tips to get the most out of Bordeaux wine — whether you’re visiting the region itself or just pouring over the liquor store shelves. Get a good grounding A few basics about Bordeaux can help you bluff your way through the next bow-tie tasting. The region, about three hours southwest of Paris, is bordered by three rivers: the Gironde, the Garonne and the Dordogne. It’s divided into five districts (or appellations): Pomerol, Saint-Emilion, Graves, Sauternes and Médoc. Within each of these are more specific districts, much like those hollow wooden Russian dolls, with each […]
Wine Articles
A White Wine that is Remarkably Green
Sponsored Post: Text and Photos by Santa Margherita It turns out that Santa Margherita’s white wine, the celebrated Pinot Grigio, is remarkably ‘green’. With the Italian winery undertaking extensive sustainable practices, at home and now here in Canada, to ensure that production and distribution of the wine has no impact on the environment. In fact, the bottle is now Carbonzero Certified. In honour of Earth Month, from April 1st – April 26th Santa Margherita will be planting trees across Canada. Fifty cents from each sale of their celebrated Pinot Grigio in Ontario and British Columbia will be donated to support […]
Wine Descriptions and Adjectives Chart
This is a very helpful chart with 120 key wine descriptions and adjectives for a range of wine styles. You can see a larger wine chart here and even order it as a poster from Wine Folly. You may also find the UC Davis Wine Aroma Wheel helpful.
The Rising Green Tide of Sustainable Viticulture and Eco-Centric Winemaking
Trending words like sustainable viticulture, eco-centric winemaking, biodynamic and organic wines, and that old chestnut, environmentally-friendly grape farming, are all sprinkled as liberally as compost on wine blogs, labels, and most recently, the LCBO Vintages Magazine. They’re all part of a growing trend that looks at wine holistically, though of course, there’s also a certain amount of natural barnyard marketing here ;) Regardless, it’s a good thing. Sustainable viticulture can include everything from LEEDS-certified buildings like Stratus Vineyards in Niagara, which recycles gray water; to lighter bottles that meet the Lightweight Glass Wine Standard of 420 grams. Those wineries don’t […]
10 Tips to Make The Best out of any Wine Fest
By Tania Thomas Have you ever found yourself standing in the middle of the tasting floor at a wine show or festival and felt confused and overwhelmed, wanting to taste as many wines as possible but did not know where to begin? Attending a wine event of any kind can certainly be a confusing and overwhelming experience that leaves you bouncing from table to table without a direction, other than circular. On the other hand, attending a wine festival is an excellent opportunity to learn, taste new varietals and have fun with just a little bit of preparation. Apart from […]
Director James Cameron Buys BC Winery
Director James Cameron recently bought Beaufort Winery in Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia for an undisclosed price. (Wouldn’t we like to know.) Cameron joins a growing roster of movie celebrity winemakers. Husband-and-wife team, Susan and Jeff Vandermolen, founded the winery in 2006, and will consult for at least a year. James, the director of blockbuster movies such as Avatar ($2.7 billion), Titanic, Aliens and The Terminator, wanted to buy agricultural land in the region as a way of spending more time with his family in Canada; he was born in Chippewa, Ontario. Even though winemaking wasn’t his first […]
Wine Bottle and Label Images
Why do I need a bottle image for my wine review? A picture of the bottle for the wine you’re reviewing makes a big difference to how polished and professional your review looks. Compare a review with no image (the default generic bottle — please don’t update it ;) and one that has both the bottle shot and label image (click on the magnifying glass under the bottle to see the label). As well, a bottle shot makes it far easier for readers to find the wine you’ve reviewed when they’re in the liquor store and to remember it afterwards. […]
Australian Wine Icon Digs into Regional Styles
By Matt Steeves Recently on a cold January afternoon in Ottawa a small group of sommeliers and wine writers had the fortune of spending an afternoon with the legendary Chris Hancock, MW (Hon.), of Robert Oatley Vineyards at the Empire Grill in the Byward Market. Chris led us through a tasting of nine of his wines in the Robert Oatley portfolio of wines. First of all, a bit of background about Chris Hancock. After graduating from his studies in Oneology, and long before joining efforts with Robert Oatley in 1975, Chris worked at Penfolds where he produced six vintages of […]
Toronto Sommelier Masters 4,300 Bottle Wine List
Mark Moffatt, wine director at Bosk restaurant in Toronto’s Shangri-La Hotel. What was your most memorable wine experience? While I was working as a sommelier at The Fairmont Palliser Hotel, we created a display of an entire vertical of Château Mouton Rothschild from 1945 to 1994. Learning about each of these bottles, and the stories behind them, motivated me to learn more about wine. What would you be doing if you weren’t a sommelier? I would be an Extreme Sports athlete in winter skiing. I have always loved skiing, and I haven’t yet met a jump, cliff or ledge that […]
Tips on Finding Great Value Wines in the Liquor Store – Global TV The Morning Show
We had great fun chatting about bargain wines on Global TV’s The Morning Show recently. We focused on Niagara wines and why they truly are such a bargain. Got a favourite? Cheers, Natalie (I really should learn to brush the back of my hair … looks like I slept in a medieval cellar.) Posted with permission of Global TV.
