This is one of the pieces I wrote last month for my column on the Sympatico Lifestyle site … I’m savouring the books I plan to dive into this summer as much as the wines I’ll enjoy. Just for fun, I’ve paired some of this season’s bestsellers with this season’s best cellars. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) Let’s drink to the marriage of wine and words! Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James What better way to brighten a grey title than with a pink wine? Mas Des Bressades Rosé Cuvée Tradition from the Rhone Valley in France is […]
Spanish Wines Scoring 97 Points at Incredible Prices
By: Travis Oke Week one of my own version of Euro 2012. This one involves my family and I eating our way through Spain and France. We are in Malaga, an historic city on the Costa del Sol in Spain. What is silly about this country is the price of wine. At the local grocery store – Mercadona – my brother found a Comportillo Rioja Gran Reserva 2005 for 8 Euro. This vintage year is rated a 97 by a certain Robert Parker Jr – but the vintage has still not reached its maturity date. That didn’t really concern me. […]
Grilled Steak Recipe with Monterey Jack Cheese Rollups Paired with Rose or Red Wine
Enjoy eating outdoors with this great and easy recipe. Picnics have a reputation for being fun and festive events. The truth is that they often require a lot of work behind the scenes. You have to choose menu items that can keep for a long time, accommodate large groups and of course have lots of flavour. You then have to prepare the menu, as well as choose and bring along drinks that pair nicely with the food. And let’s not forget about all the other items, such as foldable chairs, coolers and sports equipment. So this week I’ve taken it […]
Pairing Wine and Dessert with a Sommelier and Wine Importer
Andrew von Teichman This interview was published in a recent edition of my column in Homefront Maagzine. Andrew von Teichman, Toronto sommelier, winemaker and wine importer, talks about wines to pair with summer desserts. You’re a sommelier by training, but now own a winery and wine agency. Why did you go into those fields? My father was a co-founder of Pelee Island Winery in southwestern Ontario, so I had a chance to work in the vineyards and cellar during high school summers. I wasn’t forced to do this; I just decided to apply for a job there one summer and […]
Decanter Magazine Review of Unquenchable
Peter Mayle is named by Natalie MacLean in the same sentence as Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges as one of her influences. I approached Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Bottles with caution, but MacLean is actually excellent company. Brought up in poverty, the last in a long line of alcoholics and a former competitive highland dancer, she rollicks around the world’s vineyards flirting with Wolf Blass, gaping at the slopes of the Mosel, chuckling with growers in Provence, reminding us every few pages of how much she likes to drink. There are useful gobbets of history […]
Drinking and Wine Quotes Part 4: A Literary Laugh
Round three of these drinking and wine quotes is here. Dorothy Parker is standing at the open coffin of a writer who has recently passed away. A friend remarks, “Doesn’t he look wonderful?” “Why shouldn’t he?” Parker replied, “He hasn’t had a drink in three days.” “First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald “Alcohol may be man’s worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy.” ― Frank Sinatra “After the first glass, you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things […]
Benjamin Bridge Nova 7, LA Cetto Petite Sirah, Schlumberger Sparkling Wine: Top LCBO Wines Vintages Release August 4
Here are my top picks from the August 4 Vintages Release. You can also get all 65 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. 2010 Benjamin Bridge Nova 7, Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada Celebrate life! Wow […]
Taste Canada Announces Shortlist: Food & Wine Writing Awards
This news arrived this morning … can finally drop my cracker (cabernet) as it was under embargo until 2 pm for press distribution … FOR RELEASE: 1st August, 2012 Taste Canada: The Food Writing Awards 2012 Announcement of Short Lists Taste Canada―The Food Writing Awards drew 73 submissions this year, a brilliant snapshot of the vibrancy and diversity of Canadian culinary publishing. The winners will be announced, together with the names of the jurors, at the Award Ceremony and Gala Reception on Monday, 5 November, at the new Arcadian Court in Toronto. These Awards will recognize and celebrate superior writing […]
Patrizi Barolo, Benmarco Cabernet Sauvignon, McManis Family Vineyards Viognier: Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release August 4
By Gaby Israel Here’s my best cellar wines list for this release as a shopping list that you can print. Italy – Piedmont – 2008 Patrizi Barolo (653527) – $23.95 Barolo for $24? My #1 choice for this Aug 4th release. The Manfredi Family has a long history with wine. In the Second World War, they delivered wine by wagon. 2008 was an outstanding vintage in Piedmont – RP rated it 93 indicating that the wines are age worthy. Argentina – Mendoza – 2004 Cicchitti Gran Reserva Malbec (155713) – $21.95 My #2 choice of this release. Yuval, this wine […]
A Rose of a Wine from Navan, Ontario
By: Holly Bruns Navan, Ontario is a small village in the Ottawa Valley. It’s an area of the world where the wind blows and temperatures drop to well below freezing in winter, but heat and humidity can bolster the thermometer to the mid-30s in summer. This is farming country and it’s an everyday agrarian landscape that greets the eye: rather flat with a few gently rolling hills, a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees, a patchwork of fields. But something is happening in those fields. It’s a slow event, and only discernible to those who are paying attention, but grapevines […]
