Photo Credit: Kristy Gardner By Kristy Gardner, Wine Writer, Photographer, Designer I’ve never been to Australia. But hot damn, after the Australian First Families of Wine (AFFW) Unlock Tour de Force event in Vancouver this week, I want to go. The setting: 22 wines, 60 minutes, and some pretty epic “coming-of-age” stories later, Robert Hill-Smith of Yalumba Family Vignerons c. 1849 – and the 11 other family owned wineries belonging to the AFF – welcomed us with a generous sampling of some of best wines Australia has fermented. Presenting hand selected, flagship wines ranging in varietals from the lesser known […]
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Niagara Integrated Film Festival June 2015
By Alex and Priya – A Vine Romance Watching movies under the stars sounds lovely, watching them in the beauty of vineyards with a glass of wine in hand and it’s downright poetic! That’s what awaits you if you head out to the Niagara Integrated Film Festival June 18-21. The festival is entering it’s second year and recently held a media tour to give a hint of what attendees will experience. Let us tell you, you’re not going to want to miss out on this unique collaboration of wine & film. In fact, we’re giving away a pair of tickets […]
Andrea Franchetti: Mountain Wine Between Stone and Cloud
Continued from Part 3: Etna Wine The next morning, I drive farther up the mountain along a narrow, vertiginous lane called Passopisciaro or “fishmonger’s road.” It was originally named after a seaman who used to sell his catch here on sunny afternoons. He charmed his female customers, generously offering them his services in addition to the seafood. Eventually, their husbands banded together and killed him. Most of Andrea Franchetti’s wines are labeled Passopisciaro, but his customers are safely scattered around the world. In 2001, having spent ten years in Tuscany making wines that received rave reviews, Andrea decided to buy […]
Marco de Grazia: Coaxing Wine from Contradiction (and Lava)
Part 2: Sicily’s Volcanic Wines Sicily is also known as mezzogiorno, “the land of the midday sun”—and of the midday nap. This April afternoon is so warm that I decide to take la pausa before my next visit. I love that notion of an afternoon pause: it doesn’t sound lazy, just meditative. I retreat to my dark hotel room and flop on the cool bed sheets, mesmerized by my ceiling fan as its breeze evaporates the sweat on my arms and legs. Outside, a dog barks, someone laughs, a door slams. Then quiet. After several hours of drugged sleep, I […]
LCBO Wines on Sale: May 24 to June 20
Sponsored Post by Philippe Dandurand Wine Agency You can get the complete shopping list of these wines in your closest liquor stores here. Yellow Tail Sangria Australia Regular Price: $10.95 Sale Price: $9.95 [yellow tail] Pinot Grigio 2014 New South Wales, Australia Regular Price: $$10.95 Sale Price: $8.95 Georges Duboeuf 2013 Beaujolais, France Regular Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $10.95 HobNob Wine Company Pinot Noir 2014 Languedoc I.G.T. France Regular Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $11.95 Chapoutier Rasteau 2013 Rhone Valley A.O.C. France […]
Vino Under the Volcano: Etna Wines Erupt Expected Notions of Terroir
Editor’s Note: I’ve been writing about volcanic wines since my second book, Unquenchable, was published with Random House in 2011. My fascination with them continues. I expected something a little more dramatic: the sizzle of a lava river oozing down the volcano, the rumble of the earth as it split between my feet, the screams of villagers running for their lives. Instead, all I hear are the clicks of tourist cameras as we look up at Mount Etna, its white tip puffing peacefully against the blue sky. “To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen […]
Volcanic Wines Fire the Imagination and Thirst for More
Continued from Part 1: Volcanic Wine Leaving the tourist stop, I fold myself back into my five-inch Fiat. It takes about ten hours drive to the top of the volcano, though I’m not going that far today. Still, with every twist and turn in the road that takes me higher up the mountain, my ears pop and my heart beats faster, wondering whether I’ll come head-on with a tour bus barreling downwards. Out of the corner of my eye, I see vineyards tucked between the medieval villages, chunks of volcanic stone in marvelously strange shapes crouch between the vines. I’m […]
Fennel, Melon and Feta Salad Recipe Paired with Floral White Wine
Fennel, Melon and Feta Salad There’s something magical about the month of June. Maybe it’s that flowers are in full blossom, or maybe it’s that you can finally go outside without wearing a jacket. Whatever it is, I love it and make the most of summer by lounging outside, lightly snacking on some savoury Canadian Cheese, armed with a glass of white wine. This Fennel-Melon and Feta salad was practically made for a day spent relaxing on the patio. The ingredients are really simple and I recommend shopping for them at local farmers markets that crop up during this time […]
Best Sauvignon Blanc Wines Tasting Video
Mouth-watering sauvignon blanc wines are the focus of the wine tasting video below. Sauvignon blanc is a zesty white wine that pairs well with vegetables, quiche and seafood. It’s often described as having “green aromas” such as canned peas and asparagus. I think of it as fresh liquid salad in glass! Sauvignon Blanc wines featured in this video: Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa Arboleda Sauvignon Blanc, Chile Best Sauvignon Blanc Under $20 Top Rated Sauvignon Blanc
Canadian Wine and Cheese Pairings Meet Their Match
CJAD, Montreal’s most popular talk radio station, featured The Great Canadian Wine & Cheese Match yesterday. You can listen to the clip above by clicking on the arrow. Winners and runners up will also be announced on Global Television and CTV News in June. You still have time to nominate and/or vote for your favourite Canadian wines to pair with Canadian cheeses. If you do, you could also win one of three Balderson Cheddar Cheese and Gourmet Gift Baskets, each worth $500. Canadian Wine and Cheese Pairings Meet Their Match Sheila: I know you like wine. Well I like wine […]
