Muscat is an ancient grape poised for new attention from adventurous wine lovers looking for a fragrant wine that comes in a wide range of styles from dry to sweet. Chicago-area retailers have seen the wine growing in popularity. Tracy Lewis Liang, wine and spirits director at Treasure Island Foods stores, has noticed a recent uptick in sales. She said the renewed interest is because people are getting over the idea that fruity means sweet and unsophisticated. “Muscat is one of those grapes like riesling and chenin blanc that can make any style of wine from bubblies to dry dinner […]
Wine Snobbery 2
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always found the world of wine just a tad bit pretentious. Perhaps I label it so because it is a universe of which I am not a citizen. Fermented grapes have never done much for me, even in the days when hops and barley did. My latest contact with the wine world came the other day at the Westnedge Avenue Meijer store, of all places. I’m walking down the wine aisle strictly as a shortcut to the Oreos, and a well-dressed woman felt the need to impart her wine wisdom on me. “This […]
Braille Labels
Many people rely heavily on the information on wine labels to help them in making a purchasing decision, but what if the consumer is sight-impaired? An item on wine writer Natalie MacLean’s Web site calls attention to several producers who are using Braille on their labels to feature the winemaker, appellation, name of the wine, vintage and whether the wine is red or white. Interestingly, none of the wineries mentioned are in the U.S.The senses of sight, smell and taste all play a role in wine tasting, but this adds another dimension — touch. MacLean also said that a blind […]
Canadian Wine Lists
Which restaurant boasts the largest collection of Amarone wines in the world? Here’s a clue: It’s not in Italy, or even New York. It’s an old-style Italian joint called Via Allegro Ristorante, in a generic strip mall across from a Home Depot in western Toronto. Top Restaurants For Canadian Wine-Lovers Don’t let the plebian locale fool you. Its wine list–which, at 5,000 selections, is one of largest in the world–has earned the prestigious Grand Award from Wine Spectator each year since 2003. Bistro a Champlain, about an hour outside of Montreal on the road to Mont Tremblant, easily boasts the […]
Custom Wine Cellar Consultant Rolf Thohauge
What began as a home-improvement project has turned into a small business for Rolf and Charlene Thorhauge, who design and build about four cellars a year. When Rolf Thorhauge retired from the RCMP in 1993, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with his new-found freedom: build himself a wine cellar. The keep-busy, home-improvement project soon morphed into a full-time, home-based business for Thorhauge and his wife Charlene. Now in operation for 12 years, the owners of Rolf’s Wine Cellars design and build on average three to four basement cellars a year for customers across the city. “It is […]
Wine Cellar Trends, Options and Designs
Forget meaningless one-night stands. An increasing number of Canadians are having a hot and heavy love affair with wine — a passion that rages on, long after the red roses have wilted and the Valentine chocolates are gone. According to Statistics Canada, “the intake of wine has continued to increase over the last 10 years reaching 13.9 litres (per person) in 2006.” Ottawa wine writer Natalie MacLean says in the last two years alone, wine consumption has increased seven to eight per cent, edging out beer as the alcoholic drink of choice. “Definitely, it’s trending up,” says MacLean, author of […]
Chocolate & Wine 3
Oops, it’s Valentine’s Day and you’ve forgotten to get a booking at your partner’s favourite restaurant, which now has more reservations than a nervous bungee jumper. You are, in common parlance, dead, or you will be if you don’t act fast. You could just take him or her somewhere that doesn’t take bookings, such as Longrain in the city or Cicciolina in St Kilda, or go for oysters and champagne at the bar at Oyster Little Bourke or the Melbourne Wine Room. The danger with this is that your valentine might want to know why you didn’t book somewhere proper […]
Food & Wine 2
Natalie MacLean didn’t start out with a love of wine. Meals with her husband, who enjoyed having a bottle of wine with dinner, are where MacLean first discovered wine. “I always say that I didn’t start drinking until I met my husband,” said MacLean. “And now that I am writing about wine for a living, I don’t have a reason to stop.” Editor of a free wine newsletter at www.nataliemaclean.com, MacLean took her love of wine and turned it into a career. Starting off by writing about wine on the Internet, she was picked up by a local food magazine […]
Chocolate & Wine 2
Think of Valentine’s Day, and what color comes to mind? Not white. Maybe pink. Certainly red. Many will pop the cork on a bottle of bubbly in a romantic gesture. Champagne and other sparklers do, indeed, pair nicely with almost anything. Romance is almost inherent in serving sparkling wine. But, being a contrarian and lover of all wines red, I’m opting for a red Valentine’s Day. Just to bolster my case, I turned to a renowned expert, columnist, accredited sommelier, writer, wine judge, author, raconteur and lovely person, Natalie MacLean (her free Internet newsletter is at www.nataliemaclean.com). We’re both fans […]
Chocolate & Wine 5
Nearly half of Americans are expected to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special night out. If money is no object and the finest wines are available which vintage should you select? Wine experts reveal what they will be sipping on Feb 14. Richard Brierley, the head of wine sales in the Americas for Christie’s auction house, said he could opt for Champagne. “I don’t want to be predictable and go down that Champagne route, but if I did, it would be Salon 1996. It is just exceptional, alluring, full of verve and there’s so much energy about it,” he said […]
