In this segment of Tasting Notes, I chat with Lorie O’Sullivan, sommelier at the Ritz-Carlton’s TOCA restaurant in Toronto about wines for barbecued meats and veggies. She also shares tips on choosing great bottles from a restaurant wine list. This interview was originally published in the luxury lifestyle magazine Homefront. Where did you study to become a sommelier? In 2006, I took the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers course at Niagara College. The course was held on Sundays, which was great because at the time I had another full time job in another profession. Two years later, I went to […]
Catena Chardonnay, Spier Creative Block 3, Rioja Bordón Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release April 14
By Gaby Israel Great Whites under $20 Here are 3 different white wines. Two from France that are more similar in their Old World style and one from Argentina that is more modern. All three are perfect for the spring. 2010 Catena Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina – $19.95 2009 Michel Picard Chardonnay Bourgogne, A.C., Burgundy, France – $17.95 2009 Saget La Perrier Marie de Beauregard Vouvray – $17.95 Great Reds Under $20 From Italy to France and Spain and all the way south to South Africa, some great reds for the spring and summer. All of these wines received very supportive […]
Canoe Restaurant Sommelier Will Predhomme Tips for Tasting Wine
In this interview, I chat with William Predhomme, Senior Sommelier Canoe Restaurant + Bar in Toronto about winter wines and pairings. This interview was originally published in the luxury lifestyle magazine Homefront. What’s the best thing about being a sommelier at Canoe? The variety of wines and spirits that I get to sample on a daily basis. I’m fortunate to taste from the weird to the wonderful and everything in between: this is my job every day. I also love the wine regions I’m invited to visit around the world. What’s the most expensive bottle in your collection at the […]
Royal York Sommelier Jimson Bienenstock Shares His Secrets for Enjoying Wine
In this interview, I chat with Jimson Bienenstock, Head Sommelier, The Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto about pairing wine with cheese and other vinous matters. This interview was originally published in the luxury lifestyle magazine Homefront. What was your first memorable wine? In 1990, I went to Paris to become bilingual in French. My first visit to a winery was to the small, artisanal Château Gobinaud in the Listrac Haut Medoc region of Bordeaux. It actually wasn’t a “château” at all—more like a big old shed. We bought one barrel of wine from Jean “Papi” Gobinaud, who then showed […]
Wine and Chocolate Pairings for Easter – Food Network Canada
Here are my top ten wine and chocolate matches for Easter for your sweet enjoyment, courtesy of the Food Network Canada. Dark Chocolate Mousse and Blackstone Winery Zinfandel Winemaker’s Select, California Mini White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecakes and Dow’s Port Late Bottled Vintage, Portugal Flourless Mini Chocolate Orange Cakes with Ganache and Quady Winery Muscat Orange, California Chocolate Almond Cake and Delaforce Port Late Bottled Vintage, Portugal Malted Milk Chocolate Cakes and Quinta Do Noval Port Tawny, Portugal Flourless Chocolate Biscotti and Fleur Du Cap Noble Late Harvest, South Africa Warm Bittersweet Chocolate Souffle and Farina Le Pezze Amarone Della Valpolicella […]
Arneis: White Wine with a Past but Little Known as a Grape Today
Nod To The Odd: Arneis By Holly Bruns A memory can rest, tucked away, until suddenly, in an instant, something unlocks it. It might be a certain song that brings back the high school gym and that first dance, it may be the scene of a particular vista that triggers thoughts of a time and place long gone, or a particular aroma may work to capture a feeling of the past. A few years ago, after a long, leisurely lunch, I tried a sip from a bottle of Arneis. At the time it reminded me of an arboreal landscape, pine […]
Michel Picard Chardonnay, Wine Men Of Gotham Shiraz Grenache, Faustino V Tempranillo: Best LCBO Wines Vintages release April 14
Here are my top picks from the April 14 Vintages Release. You can also get all 73 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. I’ve also already posted my picks for April 14. You can also add my wine picks to your custom shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. Stock up for the weekend, then enjoy! Natalie 2011 Famiglia Bianchi Chardonnay, Mendoza Lovely especially for the price. Rich and round with green apple aromas and a toasty […]
Food Lover’s Guide to Wine – Meet the Authors (also What to Drink with What You Eat)
You can meet Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg at the Ottawa Book Launch of The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine at Play Food and Wine restaurant. Come help celebrate the exciting release of their latest book with the New York-based, two-time James Beard Award Winning Authors. The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine Named “#1 Wine Book of the Year” as chosen by 195 ‘Best Of’ lists (including The Chicago Tribune, LA Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle and The Wall Street Journal) Monday, April 9, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. / $50 per person, plus HST includes: 1 signed copy of the book […]
Buying Wine at the LCBO that’s Worth the Price – Toronto Star
As do many people, I like drinking wine. But I don’t know how to assess which wines are worth the money and which aren’t. One day, I stumbled upon a book at an Indigo store and bought it right away. I liked the cartoons on the cover and the title, Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wine. I started following author Natalie MacLean, an Ottawa-based sommelier, on Twitter. I found MacLean as bubbly in person as in her videos. In a phone interview, she told me about her free mobile apps for iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. […]
Zinfandel: Tasting and Understanding America’s Great Grape and Wine
By Travis Oke When it comes to American wine I think you need to understand Zinfandel. It’s as misunderstood as how Al Gore invented the internet. Zinfandel used to be your Grandmother’s pink sweet wine. In fact, I had somebody at a party recently ask me, “How is this red wine a Zinfandel, I thought it was a pink wine.” I had the owner of a café recently ask me not to select a Zinfandel for their wine list because people wouldn’t buy it. I am here to sing the praises of Zin as the great American grape – which […]
