The best-known wine aroma wheel above was developed by Dr. Ann Noble, while she was a professor with the renowned oenology program at the University of California at Davis. It categorized aromas broadly, splintering off into more specific sub-aromas. It was ground-breaking in that it took the obscure and confusing adjectives often used to describe wine and categorized them coherently. Here are the top 5 wine tasting secrets that Dr. Noble’s aroma wheel, and the other wheels below can tell us: 1. Describing wine doesn’t have to be vague and off-putting. Using concrete, everyday adjectives from categories of fruit, flowers […]
Sommelier Courses: French Language + Fresh Focus Video
In the video chat, Tom Vigeant, Coordinator of the Sommelier Certificate Program at La Cité Collégiale in Ottawa, talks about the courses offered in this French wine program. You can also watch our other video chat on the 5 worst questions to ask a sommelier. What makes La Cité collégiale Sommelier Program different from the George Brown or Algonquin College Sommelier Program? From the Wine and Spirits Education Trust or WSET courses? Is your sommelier program aimed at the wine enthusiast who wants to learn more about wine but not necessarily work in the industry or is it for industry […]
Wine of the Week: Kangarilla Road Shiraz Cabernet, Australia
Friday’s advice: Please drink responsibly … sit down so you don’t spill any. With this well-priced shiraz cabernet blend, you don’t need to be as cautious, but why waste a delicious drop? Sale Ends: September 15, 2013 Sale Price: $13.25 | Save: $1.00 (Usually $14.25) Natalie’s Score: 88/100 Kangarilla Road Vineyard & Winery Charlie’s Blend Shiraz Cabernet McLaren Vale, Australia Wonderfully dark, fleshy blackberries and plums with lip-smacking, full-bodied weight and a smooth texture. Some lifted dark berries and spices on the finish. Incredible quality and value for this price point! Shiraz Cabernet food pairings: burgers, meat lovers’ pizza, pasta […]
The Great Canadian Wine Match Recipe Cards
Here’s a first peak at the final designs for The Great Canadian Wine Match neck-tags with some mouth-watering recipes to pair with the winning and nominated wines in the first people’s choice awards for Canadian wine held in June with the hashtag #GCWM. You’ll start to see these neck-tags on thousands of bottles in stores across the country this fall, and we’ll be posting these recipes on the site via the links you’ll find inside the cards. This is a sample format: Here’s one of the 6 different designs and recipes, depending on the category for which the wine was […]
Canadian Wine Sites: New Ratings Worth Toasting
Update: As of December 3, 2013, our site has moved up in its ranking from 760 to 608 (the lower the number, the closer to the top), continuing to be the only Canadian wine site with more traffic than the LCBO, SAQ, BCLDB and other liquor stores in the country.August 22, 2013: Our team is thrilled with the new rankings for Canadian wine sites from Alexa, the leading provider of web metrics that measures and rates Canadian site traffic and audience engagement. Alexa is considered the Nielsen ratings for the digital world, and has been quoted frequently by those in […]
The 5 Worst Questions to ask a Sommelier Video
Tom Vigeant, the coordinator of the Sommelier Certificate Program at La Cité collégiale, answers the 5 worst questions that you can ask a sommelier. ou going to try to sell me an expensive wine? 2. Shouldn’t I just order your cheapest wine on the list, that’s the best value right? 3. I’m on a date and have a price in mind, but don’t know which wine. Are you going to make me say the price out loud to help me choose? 4. You recommended a wine to me, I’m tasting it and I don’t like it. It’s my […]
LCBO Best Wines: Stonier Pinot Noir, Emiliana Syrah Vintages August 17
Here are my top wine picks from the August 17 Vintages Release. VIP Members can access all 68 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. Stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two before the release based on the LCBO doing so. 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. I’ve […]
Campfire Chili Recipe with Banana and Cream Cheese S’mores
Camp out in Style When most of us think of camping, visions of shoddily made wieners and messy marshmallow confections come to mind. Sure they can be tasty, but they’re hardly anything to write home about. That is, until now. Try these following two recipes for Campfire Chili and Banana and Cream Cheese S’mores; with Canadian Monterey Jack and Canadian Cream Cheese, they’ll turn your carefree camping trip into a gourmet getaway. And, of course, the only other thing that a gourmand needs with good food is good wine. Here are a couple of my camping suggestions. Cave Spring Cellars […]
Wine of the Week: Cathedral Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa
Oscar Wilde observed, “Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.” However, anyone who thinks that great wine beyond their means suffers from a lack of solid wine shopping list. Start your weekend list with this robust cabernet sauvignon that’s on sale now at the liquor store. It’s perfect for barbecues and planning trips to discount warehouse outlet stores. Cheers, Natalie Sale Ends: August 18, 2013 Sale Price: $14.95 | Save: $1.00 (Usually $15.95) Natalie’s Score: 87/100 Cathedral Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Paarl, South Africa Leanings toward Bordeaux with a toasty nose and dark fruit. Good balance […]
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, Perrin: Best LCBO Wines Vintages August 3
Here are my top wine picks from the August 3 Vintages Release. Full Members can access all 75 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. (Stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two before the release based on the LCBO doing so.) 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 Full Member. You […]
