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 […]
Unquenchable Paperback Published: New Chapter with Book + Wine Pairings
The paperback edition of Unquenchable has just been published and is in bookstores and online (both paperback and e-book versions). It includes a new tongue-in-cheek chapter on wine and book pairings … you can get a taste of them in this video. You can also get personalized, signed bookplates that you can affix to the book as a holiday gift for someone or for yourself. Just e-mail me your receipt for the book(s) at [email protected] and I’ll mail you the bookplates signed to the people you like … Pair it with a wine for a thoughtful book-and-bottle gift set or […]
Kevin O’Leary Wines for a Dragon: Launching a Brand Video
In this video below, Kevin O’Leary, best known as the prickly Merchant of Truth on CBC’s Dragons’ Den as well as on ABC’s Shark Tank, talks about his latest venture in launching his own wine brand. He has also built a software company that was acquired for more than $4 billion dollars and now runs O’Leary Funds, an investment firm with assets of more than $1.5 billion. It was just coincidence that Kevin’s smartphone dinged as I introduced him, but it seemed that he was instantly beamed down from the Investment Mother Ship for our conversation at the […]
Autumn Shepherd’s Pie Recipe Paired with Chardonnay or Pinot Noir
Hosting made easy? There’s a recipe for that. There’s nothing better than inviting a few friends over for a nice dinner. Unless, of course, you end up spending so much time preparing it that you’re completely drained by the time they show up at your house. With that in mind, I give you this week’s recipe suggestion: Autumn Hash. A new twist on an old classic, this shepherd’s pie 2.0 will not only wow your guests, it’ll actually leave you time to enjoy their company. The recipe calls for all sorts of yummy ingredients, including Canadian Havarti. And if that […]
Pairing Meat + Wine: Fowles Wines Australia Video
We continue our video chat below with Matt Fowles about pairing wine with game and wild meats, and how he has created wines with flavours and texture to suit these dishes. You can watch our first video conversation here. You may also enjoy these video chats: Game and Wine Pairings Viognier and Yalumba Wines Australia Canadian Cheese and Wine Tasting See all wine video chats here. Is there someone else with a fascinating wine story whom you think I should interview? Please e-mail me: [email protected].
Three Saints Chardonnay, Louis Bernard Gigondas, Offley 10 Year Old Tawny Port: Top LCBO Wines Vintages Release October 27
Here are my top picks from the October 27 Vintages Release. You can also get all 62 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. Mike Weir Sauvignon Blanc 2010, V.Q.A., Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada: Grassy fresh, herbal […]
Thalia Sauvignon Blanc: Light White Wine from Greece
By Holly Bruns Greece, you have given us so much: the Olympics, Homer and Socrates, tragedy and comedy, the beginnings of governmental process, and while you didn’t really give us wine, per say, you were definitely instrumental in passing it along to the Romans, who then passed it along to the French, who then passed it along to the New World, kai ta hetera. In a busy world where modern progress can blur our connection to the past it’s easy to forget about Greek wine. We see so little of it on our shelves here in Ontario. And indeed the […]
Free My Grapes: Ontario Sequel on Shipping Wine Across Borders
by Susan Desjardins In June 2012, Bill C-311, presented by Dan Albas, MP for Okanagan-Coquihalla, received royal assent just before the House of Commons rose for the summer. Why do we care? Laws governing the transport and sale of alcohol across provincial boundaries dated back to 1928 and the Prohibition Era. Until the passage of Bill C-311 by unanimous vote of the House, it was a criminal offense to take or ship wine across provincial boundaries. Talk to European winemakers about this and they just shake their heads – “How can this be? You are one country, are you not! […]
Importing Wine For Pleasure & Profit
Importing Wine for Pleasure & Profit Seminar (9:30 a.m.-4 p.m) Saturday November 10th – Toronto – The Old Mill Inn & Spa, 21 Old Mill Road Saturday November 17th- Ottawa – Novotel Hotel, 24 Nicholas Street Featuring C. Steven Trenholme, a 30-year veteran of the international beverage alcohol industry, with details on how to import wine, spirits and beer into the Ontario marketplace for personal use or as a career. $295.00 Pre-Registration Required Contact — C.S. Trenholme & Associates, [email protected] What Professionals Have Said About My Seminar It is refreshing to see new people excited to get into our industry. […]
