There are some incredibly fascinating insights about the Ontario wine industry in this new report from the Southern Ontario Sommelier Alliance (SOSA), published exclusively here first. The top sommeliers working in Ontario’s most respected fine dining restaurants provide their opinions on the best wines in Ontario. Is your favourite wine here? If you buy wine, read on to create your insider shopping list. If you make wine, review this report to see what the top influencers are saying about your wines.This expert guide sets the bar high and the provincial wine industry is up to the challenge. Winner of the […]
First Wine Competition: Southern Ontario Sommelier Alliance
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the Southern Ontario Sommelier Alliance as well as how the competition was organized and the scoring system. I must say that I was impressed with the level of professionalism and thorough evaluation of the wines involved. Read the results of the wine competition here. I look forward to more great initiatives from this group that will support the Ontario wine industry. What would you like to see this group do? What Is SOSA? SOSA is, the Southern Ontario Sommelier Alliance. We are a group of Certified Sommeliers, educated in Ontario, certified by both the Canadian […]
Okanagan Wineries Offer Great Value and Style
By Susan Desjardins A trip to the Okanagan is always an opportunity to explore familiar and newly established wineries. And that’s exactly what we did in October this year. Tinhorn Creek Vineyards now showcases not only their wonderful wines crafted by winemaker Sandra Oldfield (“She’s been here since the beginning, 16 years ago,” said Jerralynn at the tasting bar) but also the recently ensconced restaurant, Miradoro. The restaurant flies out from the ridge, soaring over the south Okanagan valley like a bird on the wing. And the offerings to be found on the menu don’t disappoint. We enjoyed the rich […]
Wine and Food Pairing Evening with the Visa Infinite Dining Series
It was an evening of spectacular wine and food at Sidedoor Restaurant recently with the Visa Infinite Dining Series. Chef Jonathan Korecki, a contender on the Food Network’s Top Chef Canada, welcomed fellow competitors Carl Heinrich (Richmond Station, Toronto) and Trevor Bird (Fable Kitchens, Vancover) for a wonderful pairing of French wines and tasty dishes noted below. Wine expert Nick Hamilton provided lively and informative commentary on the wines and why they paired well with each dish. Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne, Champagne, France: A robust and tasty champagne that floods the senses with freshly baked bread and hazelnuts. Pair with: […]
Huffington Post Wine Column
I’m excited to be starting a new weekly wine column for the Huffington Post. This online newspaper has a broad reach and so it’ll be great to share my passion for the grape with new readers. Let me know if you have suggestions for future columns. Here’s the second one … Here’s the full text of the article… Top 5 Wine & Book Pairings for the Holidays By Natalie MacLean I’m already savouring the books I plan to dive into this holiday season as much as the wines I’ll enjoy. Just for fun, I’ve paired some of this season’s bestsellers […]
Lemongrass Acorn Squash Soup Recipe Paired with Nova 7
By Pamela Hatton My Mom microwaves pie pumpkins in pieces to speed up cooking time. Failing her instructions, I accidentally discovered all squash cook like a charm whole – as long as you poke holes deep into the flesh allowing steam to escape. A lesson quickly learned… Serves 8 first course Ingredients: 1 acorn squash 1medium onion, finely chopped 1 shallot, finely chopped 2 tablespoons butter 2-3 garlic cloves, finely diced 1 stalk lemongrass, smashed then finely chopped ½-1 tsp green curry paste 3-4 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock (1 tetra pack) or homemade ½ -3/4Cup whipping cream Salt and pepper […]
Restaurant Wine Lists: Vintage Tips Video
In this video chat, Lance Hurtubise, CEO of the Vintage Group, a collection of restaurants based in Alberta and Prince Edward Island, chats about great wine lists and service. Wine plays a central role in both Lance’s restaurants and in his life. He’s also just launched his own line of wines. Before we dive into this topic, tell me about your race-car driving mother. You were very young when you started in restaurants: how old were you and what did you do? You started Moxie’s restaurants in 1986: how did you come up with that concept? Let’s talk […]
Mediterranean Burger Recipe Paired with Gilles Louvet O Pinot Noir
Mediterranean Burgers Ingredients 4 fresh buns 4 beef burgers 1 tomato 1 onion Fresh salad leaves 2 pickles Fresh goat cheese –preferably a Languedoc Pélardon Fresh cilantro Tobasco Sauce Mayonnaise Ground cumin Ground cinnamon Ground ginger Garlic Salt and Pepper Preparation Slice the onion finely and fry at a medium heat with a splash of olive oil. Meanwhile, cut the tomato into thick slices, rinse the salad, cut the pickles into slices lengthways and slice the goat cheese. In a small bowl mix ½ cup of mayonnaise, 1 tbsp tobasco sauce, a pinch of cumin, cinnamon and ginger, 1 tsp […]
Taste Canada: Wine, Food and Books
It was a spectacular evening celebrating Canadian wine, food and books at the Taste Canada awards November 5 at the Arcadian Court in Toronto. Here are some pictures of the event courtesy of Laura Berman, Greenfuse Photography I’ve posted a short video below with Alison Pryor, owner of Canada’s best culinary book store called the Cookbook Store in Toronto near Yorkville. You can find my first post about Taste Canada here. The food that evening was terrific … a full-on, dazzling display of culinary delights by a number of the country’s top chefs. That’s Bonnie Stern above, the […]
Stratus White, Yalumba Shiraz, Messias Port: Top LCBO Wines Vintages Release November 24
Here are my top picks from the November 24 Vintages Release. You can also get all 58 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. Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay 2009, Columbia Valley, Washington State Full-bodied, straight-forward pleasure with […]
