Our team of wine writers and sommeliers are attending the Ottawa Bluesfest courtesy of Lindeman’s Wines this year. Stay tuned for more photos and commentary as the festival unfolds. Enter this Lindeman’s Wines Contest, and you could win one of 100 prizes that will make you smile. #WhatMakesYouSmile Rachelle O’Connor Wine Writer & Competition Judge It was a perfect Friday in Ottawa for one of North America’s best outdoor live music festivals “Bluesfest” – made more exciting as Canada celebrates its 150th birthday this year. We were happy to spot the Lindeman’s sign from the entrance and made our […]
Wine Region
What Makes You Smile? Win 1 of 100 Prizes with Lindeman’s Wines
What makes you smile? Time with family, getting together with friends, moments of real connection. Enter this Lindeman’s Wines Contest, and you could win one of 100 prizes that will make you smile. You can also watch videos of smile moments. Lindeman’s Wines are part of those smiles in 100 countries around the world, 80 million times a year. #WhatMakesYouSmile Lindeman’s Bin Series It was in the 1980s that Lindeman’s most well-known wine was created. Lindeman’s iconic Bin 65 Chardonnay was launched in Canada in 1985 in response to the popularity of Lindeman’s approachable and fruit-driven style of […]
Tasting Across Time and Terroir: The 9 Bordeaux Wine Appellations of Dourthe
Recently, Canada’s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered in the nation’s capital for a Dourthe portfolio tasting with Head Winemaker, Frédéric Bonnaffous. Established in 1840, Dourthe is recognized as a leader in the Bordeaux of France, with a particular passion for the various soil types and the wines best suited to them. The nine estates that comprise Dourthe all focus on the unique character of their respective appellations. Here are the team’s notes and impressions. Jennifer MacDonald Havers Wine Columnist, Ottawa Citizen What an honour to meet head winemaker, Frédéric Bonnaffous, and to learn about the various châteaux of Dourthe in Bordeaux. […]
Errazuriz Wines: Chile’s Cool Climate Grapes Shine
This is the first in a series of team tastings by top reviewers in our community, most of whom are graduates of either the Algonquin College Sommelier Program or La Cite Collegiale Sommelier Program. They share with us their overall impressions from the tasting, as well as reviews of each of the wines presented. You’ll also find their reviews shared on Twitter and Facebook as they are all very active on social media. “The Errazuriz wine tasting at Daly’s restaurant in Ottawa on September 26th was an absolute treat. Francisco Baettig, head winemaker at Errazuriz, is a supremely knowledgeable and […]
Tasting the Cool Climate Wines of Argentina’s Secreto Patagonico
By Melissa Pulvermacher Another tasting during my time at the 2016 i4C Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration was with Secreto Patagonico’s Production and Sales Manager, Tomas Groppo Parisi. Secreto Patagonico is in the southern hemisphere in Patagonia, Argentina. A lot of us immediately think of Mendoza, heat and Malbec when we think of Argentina, which may leave us a bit confused with the relevance to cool climate wines in this situation. Patagonia is actually in the south of Argentina and remember that in the southern hemisphere, the south is a lot cooler than the northern regions. Mendoza, the Malbec-famous region, […]
Gerard Bertrand’s Cool Climate Wines Blend in A Spiritual Component
By Melissa Pulvermacher Gérard Bertrand, a name we all recognize in the wine industry certainly has a diverse portfolio, but after sitting down with JP Turgeon, Canada’s Gérard Bertrand Portfolio Director, I was given the opportunity to taste the ‘cool climate’ options in our market. JP shared his story, his attempt at the gruelling Master of Wine exam and how he is incredibly proud to be working with this portfolio of quality wine from Gérard Bertrand. Gérard Bertrand is represented in Ontario by Family Wine Merchants and has several wines currently available here in the LCBO. The winery currently owns 650 […]
Errazuriz Winery Puts Chile on the Wine Map with Cool Climate Viticulture
By Melissa Pulvermacher On October 31, I had the pleasure of joining Eduardo Chadwick and fellow industry professionals for lunch at the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto. Bosk restaurant catered the intimate meal and Eduardo spoke about the wines that we tasted from Errázuriz Vineyards. Eduardo Chadwick Aconcagua Costa The majority of the wines tasted at the luncheon were from a relatively new wine region –Aconcagua Costa. About 12 km from the cool Pacific Ocean, Chile is able to successfully grow and harvest in a cool-climate zone that is very well suited to white varieties, as well as Syrah and Pinot […]
Henry of Pelham’s Paul Speck on Cool Climate Chardonnay
By Melissa Pulvermacher To kick off the annual International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) in Niagara, Ontario, I visited Paul Speck of Henry of Pelham Winery on the Short Hills Bench in St. Catharines. The Henry of Pelham winery has been owned by the Speck family since 1988. While tasting the wines, we explored this concept of cool climate viticulture. Ontario’s weather can be somewhat unpredictable from year-to-year, which is why our local wines tend to have a lot of vintage variance. Beginning with some of my favourite Niagara bubbles, the Cuvee Catharine Carte Blanche had me salivating right […]
Niagara Wine Pioneer Reif Estate Winery Video Tasting
Last night, we were joined by special guest Klaus Reif, Head Winemaker and Owner of Reif Winery, who chatted about making wine in Niagara and his vision for Ontario wines. Click on the arrow above to watch the video. What an amazing conversion last night! Klaus’ audio is fixed after 4 minutes, so hang in ;) Klaus shared some wonderful stories about when he first made #wine at age 10 and (hid the bottles behind some bottles in his father’s winery), and then at age 24 making a new style that upset his uncle and then won an award at […]
Tasting History with Washington’s Chateau Ste Michelle Winery
Yesterday, Canada’s top writers and sommeliers gathered in our nation’s capital for two tastings with Chateau Ste. Michelle Head Winemaker, Bob Berteau. These were historic tastings, with mature vintages drawn from the winery’s library, as well as new vintages in the market now (or soon). It was also an historic first for a Facebook Live Video Winemaker Event in Canada, as we were joined virtually by many other wine lovers in real-time who were also able to ask Bob questions. You can see a snippet of that live stream above by clicking on the arrow, and watch the complete wine […]
