In this video chat, Lance Hurtubise, CEO of the Vintage Group, a collection of restaurants based in Alberta and Prince Edward Island, chats about great wine lists and service. Wine plays a central role in both Lance’s restaurants and in his life. He’s also just launched his own line of wines. Before we dive into this topic, tell me about your race-car driving mother. You were very young when you started in restaurants: how old were you and what did you do? You started Moxie’s restaurants in 1986: how did you come up with that concept? Let’s talk […]
1 on 1 Interview
How a Wine Name Impacts Price: Dr. Antonia Mantonakis Video Chat
In this fascinating video chat, Dr. Antonia Mantonakis reveals the insights from her research on how the name of a wine affects both our perception of it and how much we’re willing to pay for it. Difficult to pronounce names score higher, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that wineries should use them… find out why in this video. Why does the ease with which we can pronounce the name of a wine influence our perception of both its quality and price? How much more were research subjects willing to pay for the difficult-to-pronounce wine name? Why is that […]
Celebrity Athlete Wines: Which Ones Score on Price and Taste? Video with Dr. Antonia Mantonakis
In this fascinating video chat, Dr. Antonia Mantonakis reveals the insights from her research on how the fit between a celebrity athlete’s particular sport affects our perception of a wine, including golf, wrestling and speed skating. It’s not what you’d expect … find out why in this video. How does the degree of “match” between a celebrity athlete and “wine” impact our perception of its taste and how much we’re willing to pay? What are the good versus bad matches when it comes to particular sports? Is wine more prone to these extrinsic clues say than other product […]
Best Wines Under $15: Canada AM Video
In this video clip from Canada AM Monday morning, host Bev Thompson and I chat about terrific wines that cost less than $15 for holiday entertaining and gift giving. You’ll find the list of those wines below. Henry of Pelham Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario: Lovely aromas and flavours of ripe melon rather than the herbal notes in some sauvignon blancs. I like this medium-bodied wine a lot, and the price even better. Bring on refreshment as well as white-fleshed fish, oysters, goats milk cheeses and crisp fall walks. Drink: 2012-2015. Product No: 430546 12.3% […]
Dragon’s Den Wines: Breathing Fire into an Ontario Brand (Video)
In part two of our video chat below, Kevin O’Leary shares what he would consider to be the toughest questions he’d have to answer if he were pitching the idea for his own wine brand on Dragon’s Den. Plus he gives the Cold Hard Truth for the Ontario wine industry … Some would say that celebrity wines are derivative or even worse, a disservice that takes the focus off the wine region and on to the celebrity. What do you say to that? Your fellow dragon Arlene Dickinson also just launched her own wine brand: what’s your opinion […]
Kevin O’Leary Wines for a Dragon: Launching a Brand Video
In this video below, Kevin O’Leary, best known as the prickly Merchant of Truth on CBC’s Dragons’ Den as well as on ABC’s Shark Tank, talks about his latest venture in launching his own wine brand. He has also built a software company that was acquired for more than $4 billion dollars and now runs O’Leary Funds, an investment firm with assets of more than $1.5 billion. It was just coincidence that Kevin’s smartphone dinged as I introduced him, but it seemed that he was instantly beamed down from the Investment Mother Ship for our conversation at the […]
Pairing Meat + Wine: Fowles Wines Australia Video
We continue our video chat below with Matt Fowles about pairing wine with game and wild meats, and how he has created wines with flavours and texture to suit these dishes. You can watch our first video conversation here. You may also enjoy these video chats: Game and Wine Pairings Viognier and Yalumba Wines Australia Canadian Cheese and Wine Tasting See all wine video chats here. Is there someone else with a fascinating wine story whom you think I should interview? Please e-mail me: [email protected].
Game and Wine Pairings: Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Video
Matt Fowles is the man behind the Australian wine called Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch. In the video chat below, he discussed how to pair wine with game meat, especially those you hunt yourself as he does. When did you develop your passion for hunting? How is the taste of game and wild meat different from commercially raised meat? How does that affect the wine you pair with it? How did you come up with the name Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch? Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Plunkett Fowles Shiraz 2009, Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria, Australia: Smoky […]
Viognier and Yalumba Wines Australia: Video Chat
In the video chat below, Louisa Rose of Yalumba Wines Australia has some fascinating insights into the lovely floral white wine Viognier, including how it affects the robust red wine Shiraz when even just 5% is added to the blend. This is one of the most aromatic and under-appreciated white wines, perfect for a variety of dishes, including hearty meats when you don’t want to drink red. Yalumba Viognier 2010 Eden Valley, South Australia, Australia: Love it: beautiful and exotic with white floral notes. Drink: 2012-2015. 954644 13% XD 750 mL $24.95 Score: 91/100. Yalumba Shiraz Viognier 2008 Eden Valley, South […]
Canadian Cheese and Wine Tasting: Video Chat
Our second Canadian wine and cheese Google Video tasting below was terrific! We had just as much fun as the first tasting, but this time we incorporated more pairing tips and background on the cheeses. We’re pioneering the use of this hottest new social media tool, so each time is a technical leap forward and we’ll continue to optimize it. If you’d like to taste along with us, you’ll find all the cheeses and wines in this first post, as well as the names and sites for all the great participants. Kick back during an evening at home […]
