Avery Gavel, assistant manager and sommelier at The Five Fishermen restaurant in Halifax, shares his insights about pairing wine and seafood, creating historic meals with wine and his take on Nova Scotian wines. What was your first wine experience? I grew up on a dairy farm in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, the oldest of five children. Wine wasn’t part of our family traditions, not even special celebrations. Communion in church was grape juice, even. My first wine experience was at The Five Fishermen in the early 1970s when I was 24 and on a double date. We ordered the cheap German […]
Liquid Lingo of Italy: You Say Wine, I Say Vino
By: The Drink Wine and Giggle Gals Dove regna il vino non regna il silenzio. (Where wine reigns, silence does not reign.) Italian Proverb The second stop in our linguistic tour of the world’s top wine-producing countries is Italy. Whenever the Drink Wine and Giggle Gals think about Italy, we think about the Italian philosophy of living referred to as la bella figura—“the beautiful figure”—that is about much more than dressing well, looking good and admiring all forms of physical beauty. La bella figura is also defined by behaviour, specifically how one comports oneself when ordering wine. Our first Italian […]
A Wonderful Life With Wine – Ottawa At Home
Raised by a single mother in Nova Scotia, Natalie MacLean learned the value of a deal, hard work and ambition at a young age. A strong work ethic and drive, combined with study at Oxford University and in Canada, has helped to shape her into the woman she is today: An award-winning author of two best-selling books and an internationally-acclaimed writer on wines. Natalie enjoys life to the fullest, sharing a love of movies with her 14 year-old-son Rian, and engaging in the family sport of dining out on weekends. There is nothing she likes more than great conversation and […]
Wine of the Week: Summer White Blend, Ontario
This week’s bargain bottle reminds me of a quote from the writer Bill Bryson: “My first rule of consumerism is never to buy anything you can’t make your children carry.” Although I never made my young son carry wine when we were in the LCBO, I did wonder what others thought of a 4-year-old being on a first-name basis with all of the product consultants. Here’s a light white that you can easily carry out to the deck or dock this weekend. Cheers, Natalie Sale Ends: August 18, 2013 Sale Price: $13.95 | Save: $1.00 (Usually $14.95) Natalie’s Score: 90/100 […]
Wine Chicken Pairing with Le Clos Jordanne
In the video above, we chat with two Gold Medal winners in The Great Canadian Wine Match: winemaker Sebastien Jacquey and wine lover Darlene Meyers, who rallied thousands of votes for Sebastien’s Le Clos Jordanne Grand Clos Chardonnay to be named Canada’s Best Wine with Chicken. Sebastien joins me from his winery in Niagara, Ontario and Darlene from her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia: – Darlene describes how her first taste of Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Chardonnay changed her from drinking red wines all the time – Darlene and Sebastien talk about why this wine pairs well with […]
Grilled Fruit Salad, Bocconcini, Mint Recipe and Dessert Wine
Harvest in the Flavours This Season Fresh fruit abounds this summer. So when I came across this light and refreshing recipe for Grilled Fruit Salad with Bocconcini and Mint, I knew I had to try it. Jam-packed with juicy fresh fruits and fresh Canadian Bocconcini cheese, your mouth will water just thinking about it. A fruity recipe like this calls for a fruity wine. Rossignol Estate Iced Liberty Blossom is a sweet wine from Prince Edward Island that is made with three different kinds of apples. Another great match is Clos de Caveau Fruit Sauvage, a sweet, yet […]
Best Wines: Sterling Chardonnay, J Lohr Cabernet LCBO July 20
Here are my top wine picks from the July 20 Vintages Release. Full Members can access all 79 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. The […]
Wine of the Week: Cousino-Macul Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile
“A bargain is anything a customer thinks a store is losing money on.” – Kin Hubbard, American humourist and writer, 1868-1930 While I doubt that the LCBO loses money on anything it sells, this robust, delicious red is quite a deal at this price. Cheers, Natalie Sale Ends: July 21, 2013 Sale Price: $13.95 | Save: $2.00 (Usually $15.95) Natalie’s Score: 88/100 Cousino-Macul Cabernet Sauvignon Chile An amazing value on the liquor store shelf! Full-bodied and smooth with classic aromas of cassis, blackberry and blackcurrant. A nice smoky finish. Pair with grilled steak or hamburgers. Drink: Now LCBO Code: 212993 […]
Sommelier Program Graduates: Algonquin College
Although those who enroll in the Algonquin Sommelier Program are primarily from the National Capital Region, the program also has graduates who have traveled from other regions, provinces and the United States for the express purpose of taking the program, a testament to the Algonquin Sommelier Program’s wide reach and respect. Veronique Rivest, pictured above, is the double winner of ‘Canada’s Best Sommelier’, winner of ‘The Best Sommelier of the Americas’ 2012, top-12 finalist ‘The Best Sommelier of the World’ competition 2007 and 2010 and second in the 2013 ‘The Best Sommelier in the World Competition’. Véronique is also a […]
The Making of a Sommelier: Who Makes the Cut?
Algonquin College Wine Tasting Lab There’s been lots of debate lately over the definition of a sommelier: Is it someone who has taken a few courses? Graduated from a recognized program? Works full-time in a restaurant? It’s a great discussion, and one that was prompted recently by a National Post article on wine critics and their expertise in tasting wine. The Algonquin College Sommelier Program in Ottawa has played an important role in training many sommeliers, however you may define that role. The Program is the first, and still the only, sommelier program in the province sanctioned by the Ministry […]
