Here’s my recent column in Zoomer Magazine about The Great Canadian Wine Match with the finalists for the best Canadian wine with chicken. Just 4 days left to vote! Posted with permission of Zoomer Magazine.
Wine Region
Ontario Wines Fight for First in Pairing Competition
In our second chat, Leanne and I discuss the economic value that domestic wines have in our economy, the dramatic rise of BC wines and how well Canadian wines pair with a variety of dishes, the focus of The Great Canadian Wine Match. There’s still time to nominate and/or vote for your favourite Canadian wines. It just takes a few clicks and every wine is celebrated on the nomination wall. Leanne also announces the launch of the wine of the week feature that I’ll be doing for CTV News starting on June 1. These will include both Canadian and international […]
Canadian Wine Competition Heats Up: CTV News
In the first part of our chat on CTV News, Leanne and I talk about the great groundswell of support that The Great Canadian Wine Match has received across the country, as well as the regional rivalry between east and west coast wines. Get some great wine picks and pairing tips for the Victoria Day weekend … and find out how you can get involved before we move to the finalist showdown phase this Tuesday. Watch part two of our conversation about this Canadian wine competition. Posted with permission of CTV.
The Great Canadian Wine Match: Red, White and True North Food
In The Great Candian Wine Match, an annual battle of the bottles, you can vote for your favourite Canadian wines to pair with Canadian cheese, chicken, beef, seafood, pizza and dessert. As the people’s choice awards for Canadian wines, the competition takes a grassroots, “bottoms up” approach to get us rallying behind our favourite bottles from coast to coast. How do I nominate a wine? Go to the nomination wall for one of the six Canadian food categories: chicken, beef, pizza, cheese, seafood or dessert. Simply enter the name or product code of the wine. You can find product codes […]
Ontario Wine 2012 Vintage is Great: CBC News
Last year’s drought was good for grapes, winemakers say Grape Growers of Ontario say 2012 crop was biggest and best in more than 60 years Raymond Huneault says 2012 was the best year for producing wine he’s ever had. Last summer’s drought, while bad for most of the province’s agriculture sector, turned out to be a great thing for grapes. “2012 is the best wines we’ve ever produced,” said Raymond Huneault, a winemaker in Aylmer, Que. “For us it was perfect, it was good for us to have very dry weather because the vines, they love to grow grapes in […]
Free My Canadian Grapes & Wine: MP Dan Albas Part 2
In our second video chat, Member of Parliament, Dan Albas, talks about the law he helped to pass that got rid of federal restrictions on shipping wine across Canada. However, important issues remain. We also taste two terrific B.C. wines together and toast to all barriers coming down so that all Canadians can enjoy all Canadian wines. How would removing all restrictions, including those at the provincial level, affect our wine industry? Do we really want wineries growing bigger with a more open market or is it more about having more investment in better wine for existing wineries, […]
Shipping Wine Across Canada: Bill C-311 and Beyond
In the video chat below, Member of Parliament Dan Albas talks about what Bill C-311 means for Canadian wine lovers and wineries today, and what needs to happen next. Can we call a winery in another province and order wine, or only purchase on site? Is there any limit on how much? Is just Canadian wine or all wine? Ontario produces the majority of wine in this country so do you think the Ontario wine industry has more to lose than the BC wine industry if provincial borders are open? About 90% of BC wine is consumed […]
Canadian Wine & Cheese Pairing: Go Local for Taste
The Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz (above), was among hundreds who gathered near Parliament Hill in Ottawa last night to celebrate Canadian cheese and wine with the terrific pairings below. It was a privilege to meet the farmers and producers across this country who create these artisanal cheeses. It proved to me, once again, just how well our own food and drink pairs together, and the incredible range of styles and flavours we create. Le Mont-Jacob Fromagerie Blackburn Jonquière, Québec The Blackburn Farm has been in the family for over 80 years. In 2006, 4 generations later, the […]
Top BC Wines in the LCBO
A number of spectacular wines from British Columbia hit LCBO store shelves recently. Several of them below hosted their own Twitter tasting. They chose the hashtag #ONtastesBC so you can join them. I’ve been reviewing these wines for several years now, and it’s interesting to track their progress to the most recent vintage. As well, you can find my Top 25 BC Wine List as well as all other wines reviewed from the province. You may find this directory of BC wineries helpful in planning your next trip there. It’s a gorgeous region with plenty of activities aside […]
BC Wines Toast Large Twitter Tasting
BC wineries celebrated a vibrant wine tasting on Twitter last night. The positive energy and support from the wine community coast to coast poured out in tweets that came rapid-fire one after the other. A tasting event like this proves what we can build and create together using these new social media tools. Not only did we support our homegrown producers, but we showed our strength and commitment to having access to all of our wines across this country. Ontario wants more BC, BC wants more Ontario and Canada wants more Canada. We were fortunate to have @DanAlbas join us […]
