By Mari Kane When I got the invite to a Chardonnay Kitchen Party at the Miele appliances showroom in downtown Vancouver, I didn’t quite know what to expect. I’d heard of tastings there, but having walked by the store many times, I couldn’t work out how they’d fit so many bodies into it. The Chardonnay Kitchen Party was part of the Vancouver International Wine Festival, and organized by consultant Dana Reinhardt and wine writer Tim Pawsey. With its labyrinth of demonstration kitchens, Meile turned out to be a fantastic venue for wine and food grazing. One kitchen after another had […]
Recipe: Canadian Swiss Cheese and Roast Beef Sandwiches
Plan the Perfect Spring Picnic There’s nothing quite like finding the perfect picnic spot. However, choosing the spot is only half the battle. The other half is packing the right wine and Canadian cheese. Luckily, I found a great combination of flavours that will have you and your fellow picnicers giddy with anticipation. This Canadian Swiss Cheese and Roast Beef Sandwich is a delicious picnic treat. With melted Canadian Swiss and savoury roast beef, you will be full and satisfied while you sit and chat the afternoon away. Tote along a wine with a touch of sweetness like a Riesling […]
Wine of the Week: Henry of Pelham Sauvignon Blanc
This week’s bargain bottle is a spritely white for spring. This week’s quote is a shopping credo for life: “Veni, vidi, visa” – I came, I saw, I charged it. Cheers, Natalie Sale Ends: April 28, 2013 Sale Price: $13.95 | Save: $1.00 (Usually $14.95) Natalie’s Score: 89/100 Henry of Pelham Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc Niagara, Ontario Lovely! Fat, luscious aromas and flavours of melon. Not herbal or grassy (thank-you). I like it a lot, and the price even better. Bring on summer, bring on refreshment, bring on that bottle and top me up. Pair this wine with white-fleshed fish, […]
Swiss Wines and Sommelier at Four Seasons
Although Fabio Masi, chief sommelier at Four Seasons’ Restaurant Il Lago in Geneva was born and raised in Milano, Italy, his interest in Swiss wines is anything but neutral. He spoke to us about how the revolution in the country’s wines, his remarkable experiences in the dining room and his own path in developing a passion for wine. When did you develop a taste for wine? When I was four years old, my grandfather would dip a piece of bread in wine at dinner and let me taste it, so my passion for wine started early. My first real wine […]
Pairing Wine and Cookies Video Tips
Pairing wine and cookies? Oooh yes! In this video chat, Laura Englander and Leah Kuo, the founders of Cookies n Corks, talk about how you can match cookies and wine. They discuss the types of cookies that work best with white wine, red wine and sparkling wine — and they have great ideas on how to host a fun tasting party with friends. How did you came up with this idea? What were the challenges in starting this business? Don’t cookies make dry wine taste bitter? How did you adjust the recipes for the cookies to go well […]
Chicken Kebabs with Lemon Recipe with J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon
By Liz Pearson If you love souvlaki, then you’ll love this recipe. It’s melt-in-your mouth delicious and bursting with lemony flavour. You can serve it in whole grain pita pockets or tortillas, along with a bit of tzatziki, shredded lettuce and tomatoes. It’s also wonderful served along side brown rice and a green salad. It’s makes a great leftover meal for lunch too (served hot or cold)! Chicken Kebabs with Lemon, Oregano & Fresh Parsley Serves 4 Meat Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts (400 g/14 oz) Marinade Ingredients: Juice of one medium lemon (about 3 tbsp/45 mL) Zest of one medium […]
Ontario Wine 2012 Vintage is Great: CBC News
Last year’s drought was good for grapes, winemakers say Grape Growers of Ontario say 2012 crop was biggest and best in more than 60 years Raymond Huneault says 2012 was the best year for producing wine he’s ever had. Last summer’s drought, while bad for most of the province’s agriculture sector, turned out to be a great thing for grapes. “2012 is the best wines we’ve ever produced,” said Raymond Huneault, a winemaker in Aylmer, Que. “For us it was perfect, it was good for us to have very dry weather because the vines, they love to grow grapes in […]
Wine of the Week: Goats do Roam Shiraz
As they say, if the shoe fits, buy it in every color! And if the wine is discounted, buy it by the case. Here’s a great quaffer for that BBQ you’re going to have this weekend with the warmer weather. Cheers, Natalie Sale Ends: April 28, 2013 Sale Price: $11.95 | Save: $1.00 (Usually $12.95) Natalie’s Score: 87/100 Goats do Roam Shiraz Blend South Africa A supple, medium- to full-bodied red with attractive notes of black plums and berries. Judicious and well-integrated use of oak. This wine would please many palates at a party. Part of the Vintages Essentials Collection. […]
Mario Andretti Wines Go For The Finish
Mario Andretti talks about the blind tasting he hosted for the 100th anniversary of Ferrari in Italy in our second video chat below. He also explains the tradition of shaking and spraying champagne over race car competition winners started and why he’d want to share a glass of wine with the new pope. You can watch part one of our conversation about Andretti Wines here as well as more more celebrity wine video interviews.
Mario Andretti Wines Race to Quality: Video
Mario Andretti is the only person who to have won all the major Grand Prix car races: Formula One, Indianapolis and Daytona. After winning 111 competition over 5 decades, he retired in 1994 and started making wine in Napa Valley. In the video chat below, he talks about his two passions, and how he puts the pedal to the metal in the wine world. Was wine a big part of your family’s meals when you were growing up in Tuscany, Italy? Did your fascination with racing cars start as a boy? What was the trigger that made you […]
