The excitement for the Ottawa Wolf Blass tasting started with a long lineup that snaked down the sidewalk in front of Restaurant 18. The great vibe from the people who attended, Wolf’s rascal humour and the tasty wines made it a wonderful evening. Here’s more on that plus two video clips from CTV News below … Wolf loves women … I couldn’t find any pictures of him with men :) I couldn’t keep up with the tweets during the event, but it was lovely to see how much people enjoyed themselves with the comments […]
Domaine De Vaugondy Vouvray, Simonsig Chenin Blanc, Catena Zapata Malbec: Top LCBO Wines Vintages Release September 29
Here are my top picks from the September 29 Vintages Release. You can also get all 40 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 Domaine De Vaugondy Dry Vouvray, Loire, France Juicy wonderful! Lemon essence […]
Grant Burge Wines Summer Chardonnay, Miamba Shiraz
We continue our discussion with Grant Burge or Grant Burge Wines Australia and his two wines the Summer Chardonnay and the Miamba Shiraz. Below you’ll also find reviews for two of the wines that we discussed. You can also watch part one of our conversation. Grant Burge Summers Chardonnay Barossa Valley, Australia Love the hazelnut richness and green apple vibrancy that mingle on the nose of this wine! The palate is a rush of white peach, nectarine and nutmeg with refreshing lime acidity on the finish. I love the back story on this wine: it was named in […]
Grant Burge Wines Australia Video Chat
In this video chat, Grant Burge recounts his most memorable winemaking experiences, the difference that old vines make to the taste of a wine and the importance of a family-owned business that now has the fifth generation of winemakers coming to the fore with Grant and his wife Helen’s three children. We’ll post part two of our conversation this week. You may also enjoy these video chats: Blue Cheese and White Wine Pairing: Video Part 3 Building a Persuasive Wine Brand: Arlene Dickinson Restaurant Wine Service: The good, the bad and the ugly with […]
Hearty Lentil, Pesto and Colby Soup with Cotes du Rhone or Pinot Noir
Take a mid-week break with fast and delicious comfort food. Hectic work days. Long commutes. Multitasking half a dozen household crises. How can parents be expected to prepare something tasty in the precious little time they have between getting home and their children’s first cries of hunger? They can’t be – not without a little help. So this week I’m suggesting a nutritious and delicious recipe that is so fast to prepare it will leave you with enough time to treat yourself to a nice glass of wine. This hearty lentil, pesto and Canadian Colby soup pairs wonderfully with Côte […]
Wolf Blass Wine Tasting: An Unforgettable Evening
What a spectacular evening we had in Toronto last week at the Wolf Blass tasting! A full-house of 90 guests packed the waterside restaurant Against the Grain. As I interviewed Wolf about his experiences, we tasted his wines and some delicious tapas. More details on the event as well as the Canada AM clip below … Here’s the clip from Canada AM … Wolf has a great sense of humour and such a long history in the wine industry. Wolf talks about the wines we’re tasting as did the current winemaker Chris Hatcher. […]
Stuffed Zucchini Recipe and Sauvignon Blanc
By Pat Anderson I’m sure most people who have grown zucchini have had the experience of finding the zucchini they missed… which has grown to a massive size, is seedy, and too big to be used in the normal way. What do you do? Here’s what I did: Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 massive overgrown zucchini… this one was 2 pounds 5 ounces. Failing that, use 4 6″ zucchini. 1 small onion 2 cloves garlic 1 oz (by weight) grated romano cheese One large roma tomato, seeded & diced 1 cup cooked arborio rice ¼ fennel bulb Handful of flat parsley, […]
Wine and Corn, Tomato, Steak Pairings: Fine Cooking Magazine
I’m not letting go of summer until the first official day of fall, which is still a few weeks away. Now is the time to enjoy luscious tomatoes, sweet corn, grilled steak, field berries and other late summer treats. I’ve paired them with wines in the latest issue of Fine Cooking magazine. Carpe diem!
An Unforgettable Evening of Wine, Laughter and Storytelling
Join Natalie MacLean and Wolf Blass in Toronto Sept 10 and Ottawa Sept 17 for a tasting of 12 Wolf Blass wines, a range of sumptuous tapas dishes prepared by Toronto’s award-winning Against the Grain Restaurant and a personally signed copy of Natalie’s book Unquenchable. Natalie MacLean, named the World’s Best Wine Writer at the World Food Media Awards, will interview one of the most witty, provocative and colourful characters from her book Unquenchable: Wolf Blass of Wolf Blass Wines Australia. Yes, this is the man who once described his Red Label Shiraz as “the leg opener,” but he’s also […]
La Font Des Grieres Gigondas, Columbia Crest, Gemma Barolo: Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release September 15
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. GPCi top 4 for up-to $22: #1 choice – Italy – Abruzzo – 2008 Barba I Vasari Old Vines Montepulciano D’Abruzzo – $18.95 It’s not every day that you see Gambero Rosso giving a high 3 out of 3 glasses rate and for a $19 (!) bottle of wine. Besides… I have a very soft spot for Montepulciano wines. Seems like an excellent QPR wine-of-the-house option. I’d buy 3-12 bottles. #2 choice – […]
