Wine Club Besties Find Friendship in the Glass

By Lori Kilmartin Sommelier & Blogger Do you love wine, but no one else in your household does? Do you love wine but can’t afford to buy the more expensive wines you’d like to try. Do you just love wine – and would like to drink and learn more about it? There’s a great solution to all of the above – join a wine group – or form your own! I’ve been fortunate to be a part of the Wine Beasties Group (play on “Bestie) for about 9 years now. This group of 8 members was formed over 20 years […]

read more …

Read More

Austria Wine Delights Beyond Gruner Veltliner with a Red Wine Revolution

By Mymi Myriam Toronto’s Austrian Wine Tasting took place on a lovely warm spring day. Thinking I would be charmed by a panoply of Gruner Veltliners, I entered a very bright and spacious room where the event was taking place and I began looking through the list of producers as well as the wines they were pouring. I thought my main challenge would be in deciding which Gruners to try but then I realized that so many reds were also being poured. Good news, since I am a big fan of Zweigelt, but there was one varietal in particular that […]

read more …

Read More

Domaine Drouhin Wines Express Oregon Terroir

  By Melissa Pulvermacher Carrying on the cool climate conversation, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Arron Bell, the winemaker of Domaine Drouhin, a winery in the cool climate region of Willamette, Oregon. The most popular varietals produced in Oregon include Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling. We recognize most of these varietals for their ability to grow well in cooler climates. Oregon produces incredible expressions of these varietals, two of which I had the pleasure of tasting with Arron.   “I didn’t know what to do after college. So what do you do? You make wine.” […]

read more …

Read More

Miguel Torres Chilean Wines Focus on Sustainability

  By Melissa Pulvermacher During i4C (International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration), I had the opportunity to meet with producers from all around the world. My meeting with Miguel Torres of Chile’s General Manager, Jaime Valderrama was a real treat. In our market, we recognize Torres Chile as the producer of easy-drinking, incredibly affordable wines, but after speaking with Jaime, I now recognize their sustainable initiatives as a major part of who they are. We spoke of the “sustainability strategy”. In our current market, green and health products are in high demand. This does not transcend wine and in fact, the […]

read more …

Read More

Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings October 15

  You can access the 143 wines that I reviewed for October 15 as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for October 1. If you are a Paid Member, you can add my wine picks to your custom shopping list with one click and access that list on your smartphone to find the stock for each wine in your closest LCBO store. These are just some of the benefits of supporting out wine community as a Paid Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day […]

read more …

Read More

15 Sommeliers + Bloggers, 60 Wines, 700 Wine Reviews Live Posting + Tweeting Today

Heather Wall, wine columnist for the Huffington Post and a frequent contributor to our review site, talks about our tasting yesterday with 15 sommeliers, wine writers and bloggers working their way through more than 60 wines. More than 700 wine reviews will be posted online and shared on social media, including Twitter and Facebook. Stay tuned for our next tasting! Martha Kelly is the regular wine expert on the Rogers Daytime Television Show in Ottawa, as well as a regular writer for our site. She is the owner of Capital Wine School, teaching the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) […]

read more …

Read More

Thanksgiving Wines: Live Video Chat

  In this Facebook Live Video chat, we discuss terrific wines for Thanksgiving.   You can click on the arrow above to play the video.   If you’d like to read the comments, or make a comment yourself, visit:    https://www.facebook.com/natdecants/videos/10154411500734845   You’ll find the most recent live video wine tasting at the top of the timeline here:   www.facebook.com/natdecants   We taste every Sunday evening at 6 pm eastern so add us to your calendar and grab a glass of wine.    Click on Follow, Like and Signup on the page above to get notified when we go live.

read more …

Read More

Which Wine for Leftover Turkey? From Turkey Cutlets to Turkey Pizza!

Wine recommendations usually focus on Thanksgiving (or Christmas) turkey dinner. But what do you do the next day with all that leftover turkey and the dishes you make from it? Here are some wine pairing tips that Leanne and I discussed on CTV. Play the video above by clicking on the arrow. You can also watch the first part of our turkey wine pairing chat.       Turkey Tetrazinni — Florentine, meat loaf Turkey tetrazzini or florentine has an opulent, rich, creamy sauce with parmesan and mushrooms. Bring on wines of equal character.             […]

read more …

Read More

Pairing Wine with 7 Turkey Dishes from Bacon to Turducken

Yesterday, Leanne and I chatted about great wine with Thanksgiving turkey on CTV. We started with “basic” roast turkey, but went way beyond with citrus and Cajun turkey, and even that oddity turducken. Click on the arrow above to play the video. You can also watch our second chat about pairing wine with turkey left-overs from turkey tetrazzini to (oh yes) turkey pizza!     Roast Turkey               Santa Margherita Brut Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Veneto D.O.C.G., Italy                   Wits End Luna Shiraz Mclaren Vale, South Australia, […]

read more …

Read More

Catelli SuperGreens Spaghetti with Steak & Garlicky Parsley Sauce Recipe Paired with Lindeman’s Bin 50 Shiraz

Although we’re all unique, there are a few similar things that often make us smile – entertaining family and friends, enjoying good food and wine or creating moments of real connection. Whether you are looking for a recipe and wine pairing for a dinner party or simply to share with a special someone, Catelli®  and Lindeman’s wines have come together to help you create pairings you’re sure to enjoy. Unexpected guests for dinner? Grill up one great steak; then toss with tender pasta and a zesty no-cook sauce for an effortless, entertaining dish for four. The hint of peppery spice […]

read more …

Read More