Just found out that one of my columns in Saltscapes Magazine has been nominated for the National Magazine Awards. The story is how to host an informal wine tasting with friends at home. Needless to say, I enjoyed the research for this one! Congratulations to all the nominees below. Deena Waisberg How Are You Managing? CAmagazine Christine Langlois Honey, I Sunk the Boat Cottage Life Susan Nerberg Hot Spot How-To Cottage Life Kevin Callan, Ryan Stuart Camping 101 Explore Romana King The Ultimate Home Maintenance Guide MoneySense […]
Wine Articles
Appassimento Wine Tasting – Ontario Wine Society
The Faculty Club – University of Toronto 41 Willcocks St., Toronto Monday, May 14, 2012 Reception – 6:00pm Tasting – 6:30pm Interest in producing appassimento-style wines in Ontario is growing rapidly. This grape-drying process, used in Northern Italy to produce famed Amarone wines, is now producing rich and full-bodied wines here in Ontario. Donald Ziraldo will be our guest speaker, who will share with us his passion for Niagara appassimento-style wines. Joining us for the tasting portion of the evening will be several of Ontario’s innovative appassimento-style wineries : Burning Kiln Winery: 2010 Pinot Noir Burning Kiln Winery: 2011 Cabernet […]
Wine and Food Book Award Nominees – Taste Canada
This news just arrived in my inbox this morning … nice way to start a Friday! Taste Canada hosts the awards ceremony for Canada’s food and wine Oscars every year. I’m delighted that Unquenchable is among such an august list of nominees — congratulations to all the authors!
Best Ontario Sommelier Competition and Gala Dinner – April 22nd Toronto
Best Ontario Sommelier Competition and Gala Dinner The Fifth Restaurant, Toronto, Ontario April 22, 2012 There are only a few more days to get your tickets to the CAPS Best Ontario Sommelier Competition Gala Dinner and Celebration Party, being held at The Fifth on April 22nd! The evening of celebration follows a full day of competition at The Fifth, with a great line-up of sommeliers competing for the title of CAPS Best Ontario Sommelier – 2012. The ticket price for the Gala Dinner and Celebration Party is an excellent value and includes the following: a cocktail reception, a three […]
Wine Quotes: Funny, Philosophical and Philandering
Round #3 of those wine-soaked sips of wisdom … you’ll find round 1 and round 2 here if you’re thirsting for more. As you can see above, well-dressed, attractive people in a bar somewhere are enjoying them. Cheers, Natalie In beer there’s strength; In wine there’s wisdom; In water there’s bacteria. You haven’t drunk too much wine if you can still lie on the floor without holding on. ~ Dean Martin Nothing makes the future look so rosy as to contemplate it through a glass of Chambertin. ~ Napoleon Gentlemen, in the little moment that remains to us between the […]
Ritz-Carlton TOCA Sommelier Lorie O’Sullivan on BBQ wines, restaurant wine lists
In this segment of Tasting Notes, I chat with Lorie O’Sullivan, sommelier at the Ritz-Carlton’s TOCA restaurant in Toronto about wines for barbecued meats and veggies. She also shares tips on choosing great bottles from a restaurant wine list. This interview was originally published in the luxury lifestyle magazine Homefront. Where did you study to become a sommelier? In 2006, I took the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers course at Niagara College. The course was held on Sundays, which was great because at the time I had another full time job in another profession. Two years later, I went to […]
Canoe Restaurant Sommelier Will Predhomme Tips for Tasting Wine
In this interview, I chat with William Predhomme, Senior Sommelier Canoe Restaurant + Bar in Toronto about winter wines and pairings. This interview was originally published in the luxury lifestyle magazine Homefront. What’s the best thing about being a sommelier at Canoe? The variety of wines and spirits that I get to sample on a daily basis. I’m fortunate to taste from the weird to the wonderful and everything in between: this is my job every day. I also love the wine regions I’m invited to visit around the world. What’s the most expensive bottle in your collection at the […]
Royal York Sommelier Jimson Bienenstock Shares His Secrets for Enjoying Wine
In this interview, I chat with Jimson Bienenstock, Head Sommelier, The Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto about pairing wine with cheese and other vinous matters. This interview was originally published in the luxury lifestyle magazine Homefront. What was your first memorable wine? In 1990, I went to Paris to become bilingual in French. My first visit to a winery was to the small, artisanal Château Gobinaud in the Listrac Haut Medoc region of Bordeaux. It actually wasn’t a “château” at all—more like a big old shed. We bought one barrel of wine from Jean “Papi” Gobinaud, who then showed […]
Food Lover’s Guide to Wine – Meet the Authors (also What to Drink with What You Eat)
You can meet Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg at the Ottawa Book Launch of The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine at Play Food and Wine restaurant. Come help celebrate the exciting release of their latest book with the New York-based, two-time James Beard Award Winning Authors. The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine Named “#1 Wine Book of the Year” as chosen by 195 ‘Best Of’ lists (including The Chicago Tribune, LA Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle and The Wall Street Journal) Monday, April 9, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. / $50 per person, plus HST includes: 1 signed copy of the book […]
Buying Wine at the LCBO that’s Worth the Price – Toronto Star
As do many people, I like drinking wine. But I don’t know how to assess which wines are worth the money and which aren’t. One day, I stumbled upon a book at an Indigo store and bought it right away. I liked the cartoons on the cover and the title, Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wine. I started following author Natalie MacLean, an Ottawa-based sommelier, on Twitter. I found MacLean as bubbly in person as in her videos. In a phone interview, she told me about her free mobile apps for iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. […]
