Louise Wilson, author of the Wine Lover’s Colouring Book, and I chat about which wine regions she’s most passionate about now and we taste one of her favourite wines in the video above. How do you suggest wine lovers and wine students use this book to learn about wine? Why are you passionate about the wine region of Tasmania, and which wines in particular in that region? Tell me about the Errazuriz Max Reserva wines that we’re tasting today. You can also watch our first video chat about her wine book and find out where to buy the book online […]
Whistler Cornucopia Wine Festival: BC Wines and Beyond
British Columbia Wines at the Cornucopia Wine Festival By Tania Thomas Early November is a perfect time to head to Whistler, a majestic resort town nestled in the Coastal Mountains of beautiful British Columbia, and take part in Cornucopia; an 11-day annual Fall Celebration of premier food and wine. This great event, 17 years running now, offers a great variety of interactive seminars, delectable winery dinners, gala wine tastings and those famous after-parties. It is an epicurean extravaganza not to be missed for locals and visitors alike. Friday events started with the BC Wine Institute’s, VQA Trade Seminar “Unmistakably Ours,” […]
Gnarly Head Zinfandel, Cave Spring Cabernet Franc, Benjamin Bridge Nova 7: LCBO Vintages Wines December 7
Here are my top wine picks from the December 7 Vintages Release, the most quoted Canadian source of reviews in the magazine. VIP Members can access all 103 wines that I reviewed as a text shopping list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches and the stock for each bottle in their closest LCBO stores. They can also add my wine picks to their custom shopping list with one click and access that list on their smartphone. This is one of the benefits of becoming a VIP Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two […]
Poutine Recipe Paired with Australian Shiraz
Warm up to the Weather with some Afternoon Delight One thing most people don’t know about me is that I absolutely love poutine. It’s as Canadian as you can get, and it is simply delicious. Homemade fries? Yes. Fresh gravy? Yes. Melted, mouth-watering Canadian Cheddar cheese curds? Yes, yes, yes! While it’s not something I make every day, I like to make sure it’s as good as possible when I do make it. That’s why I love this simple recipe for Traditional Poutine. With Canadian Cheddar cheese curds and homemade gravy, it leaves me feeling full and happy until the […]
LCBO Best Wines: Wynns Chardonnay, Versado Malbec, Hidden Bench Pinot Noir: November 23 Vintages
Here are my top wine picks from the November 23 Vintages Release, the most quoted Canadian source of reviews in the magazine. VIP Members can access all 103 wines that I reviewed as a text shopping list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches and the stock for each bottle in their closest LCBO stores. They can also add my wine picks to their custom shopping list with one click and access that list on their smartphone. This is one of the benefits of becoming a VIP Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two […]
Brie Soup Recipe Paired With Chardonnay
Soup and Sweater Season is Here If you’re anything like me, these shorter days can leave you feeling drained and sluggish. With such uninspiring weather, it’s easy to get stuck in a recipe rut. However, sometimes all it takes to inspire me to crack out the pots and pans again is the perfect recipe. And I’ve found just the one. Not only does this Brie Soup look mouth-watering, it’ll be just the thing to warm you up during this long, cold month (along with your favourite sweater of course). With yummy seasoning, white mushrooms, and all the tasty Canadian Brie […]
Wine Quotes and Liquid Laughter
CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes had done a hilarious parody of the blockbuster movie starring Tom Hanks, “Captain Phillips” in a sequel entitled Captain Phillips 2: The Sommelier Pirates (thanks to my favourite reporter at CBC for sending this ;) Here’s the previous round of wine quotes if you’re thirsting for more. All the best stories have three things: Once Upon a Time, Happily Ever After, and a glass of wine somewhere in the Middle.
Canadian Wine and the European Trade Deal
How will the new European trade deal affect the Canadian wine industry? Here are some excerpts quoted from a recent story by Dianne Buckner, host of CBC’s Dragon Den. The story ran on CBC, Reuters and Canadian Business magazine. Unlike Canada’s cheese-makers and fisheries who find themselves disadvantaged by the new deal, some in Canada’s wine industry are thrilled by the prospect of new customers. Just ask the president of the Canadian Vintners Association. “The agreement opens preferential market access to the EU’s more than 500 million consumers,” says Dan Paszkowski. “It creates new opportunities for Canadian wine exports to […]
Yalumba Wine Tasting: A Sensory Tour of Old & New World
By Jane Staples G’day, mate ! was the friendly greeting from Yalumba’s winemaker and storyteller, Jane Ferrari. As we chatted, I asked her how she feels about the concept of “terroir” and she answered emphatically that she believes in it. When visitors come to the Yalumba vineyard, she takes small groups out to 5 different vineyards, then pulls down the back of her truck and does a comparative tasting on the spot. Jane was recently named “Wine Communicator of the Year” in Australia. A trained winemaker, she now travels the world for Yalumba Wines. Canada and the US are the […]
Joy to the World Holiday Wine Match
You can help create the ultimate holiday wine shopping list in the Joy to the World Holiday Wine Match! Nominate and/or vote for your favourite wines from around the world under $25 to pair with holiday dishes. As the first people’s choice awards for holiday wines, the competition takes a grassroots, “bottoms up” approach to get us rallying behind our favourite bottles so that we can pour like Santa, but save like Scrooge. In the video above, three festive wine lovers and I get into the spirits of the season and chat about wines to pair with […]
