Monday evening was a terrific celebration of Canadian food, wine and writing at Taste Canada―The Food Writing Awards. According to Quill & Quire, the magazine for the Canadian publishing industry, the competition drew 73 book submissions this year, “a brilliant snapshot of the vibrancy and diversity of Canadian culinary publishing.” Karen Gelbart, National Chair of Taste Canada, commenetd, “The selection and diversity of the publishing and the cuisine in this country are breathtaking. Our judges were in the unique position of spending time with each of these books — reading the narratives and studying the presentation — to finally decide […]
Empanadas with Smoky Tomato Chutney Recipe Paired with Tilia Malbec
These Argentinean pastries are packed full of flavour. The fragrant beef filling features olives, raisins and cumin. Traditionally eaten as street food, empanadas are a perfect snack with a glass of Tilia Malbec. To save on time, use purchased puff pastry that has been pre-rolled. Join us and sample Tilia wines at the Toronto Gourmet food & Wine Expo Nov 16-18th. Empanadas with Smoky Tomato Chutney Recipe Makes 36 Ingredients: For the empanadas: 2 tsp olive oil ½ cup onion, finely diced 1 clove garlic, minced ½ cup green pepper, finely diced ½ lb. lean ground beef 1 tsp fresh […]
Celebrity Athlete Wines: Which Ones Score on Price and Taste? Video with Dr. Antonia Mantonakis
In this fascinating video chat, Dr. Antonia Mantonakis reveals the insights from her research on how the fit between a celebrity athlete’s particular sport affects our perception of a wine, including golf, wrestling and speed skating. It’s not what you’d expect … find out why in this video. How does the degree of “match” between a celebrity athlete and “wine” impact our perception of its taste and how much we’re willing to pay? What are the good versus bad matches when it comes to particular sports? Is wine more prone to these extrinsic clues say than other product […]
Best Wines Under $15: Canada AM Video
In this video clip from Canada AM Monday morning, host Bev Thompson and I chat about terrific wines that cost less than $15 for holiday entertaining and gift giving. You’ll find the list of those wines below. Henry of Pelham Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario: Lovely aromas and flavours of ripe melon rather than the herbal notes in some sauvignon blancs. I like this medium-bodied wine a lot, and the price even better. Bring on refreshment as well as white-fleshed fish, oysters, goats milk cheeses and crisp fall walks. Drink: 2012-2015. Product No: 430546 12.3% […]
Pazo Pondal Leira Albarino, Pierre Amadieu La Grangeliere Vacqueyras, Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf-du-Pape : Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release November 10
By Gaby Israel Here’s my best cellar wines list for this release as a shopping list that you can print and will show you LCBO stock availability. Top picks for under $20: Choice #1 – Spain – Rias Baixas – Pazo Pondal Leira Albariño 2011 (115816)-$15.95 I have mentioned the uniqueness of this grape a few times before – it doesn’t resemble any other white grape, yet it’s absolutely delicious. The Albariño white Spanish wine is a great match with fatty sea food. This 2011 Pazo Pondal Leira Albariño receievd 95 by Decanter (I thought Decanter had a […]
Burrowing Owl Chardonnay, Marziano Abbona Cerviano Barolo, Fonseca Guimarens Vintage Port: Top LCBO Wines Vintages Release November 10
Here are my top picks from the November 10 Vintages Release. You can also get all 72 of my Best Value Wines and Top Rated Wines for red, white, rose, sparkling and dessert wines that encompass many price points, styles and regions. You can add my wine picks to your shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. You can also create a custom list just for this release that will be saved in your account. Print a text-only version of the reviews. Eradus Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Awatere Valley, South Island, New Zealand Fantastic sauvignon […]
Duck Pizza Recipe with Smoked Mozzarella, Roasted Butternut Squash and Sauteed Mushrooms Paired with Las Rocas Garnacha
A swanky pizza with smoky, sweet and savoury flavours. Choose a wine with the same bold flavours such as Las Rocas Garnacha 2009. The wine is full of ripe black cherry and raspberry notes supported by supple tannins and some very food friendly acidity. This incredible bargain should not be missed, until November 10th receive 20 Bonus Air Miles with each bottle purchased. Duck Pizza with Smoked Mozzarella, Roasted Butternut Squash and Sautéed Mushrooms Makes four 6-inch or one 12-inch pizza Pizza dough, purchased or homemade (recipe below) Ingredients: 1 whole head garlic 5 tbsp olive oil, divided 1½ cup […]
Chateau Senejac, Antinori Marchese Chianti Classico Riserva, Meandro Do Vale Meao: Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release October 27
By Gaby Israel Here’s my best cellar wines list for this release as a shopping list that you can print and will show you LCBO stock availability. This release is dedicated to the very successful 2009 vintage in Bordeaux. Many of the wines seem interesting and fairly priced, however, I tried to pick the ones that fit my palate and are “cost-effective” to my cellar. Here are my top three 2009 Bordeaux wines from this release: France – Bordeaux – Clos Des Moiselles Le Bord’eaux 2009 (191528) $16.85 This is from Cote De Bourg, which is north-west of Saint Emilion […]
Toronto Symphony Wine Auction November 8
Don’t miss this terrific event in support of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra on November 8. There will be some rare and fabulous wines on the auction block. You can find more details on my first post about the wine auction.
Dragon’s Den Wines: Breathing Fire into an Ontario Brand (Video)
In part two of our video chat below, Kevin O’Leary shares what he would consider to be the toughest questions he’d have to answer if he were pitching the idea for his own wine brand on Dragon’s Den. Plus he gives the Cold Hard Truth for the Ontario wine industry … Some would say that celebrity wines are derivative or even worse, a disservice that takes the focus off the wine region and on to the celebrity. What do you say to that? Your fellow dragon Arlene Dickinson also just launched her own wine brand: what’s your opinion […]
