Gena Nonini pops open her favorite French oak barrel and siphons off a little brandy. She cuts it with a little water, gives a swirl and then offers a drink. It’s smooth on the palate, with a pleasing hint of caramel, or maple, as Nonini likes to say. She talks of the flavor imparted by barrels with light, medium and heavy toasts. She shows her copper still, which lends a better taste to brandy than a still made of stainless steel, she says. All common talk for a brandy maker, but Nonini isn’t typical at all. This Fresno-area farmer is […]
Champagne 2
Rappers pay homage to it. Marilyn Monroe was rumored to have bathed in it. And it’s probably what’s in your glass when you’re toasting the new year, your anniversary or any other special occasion. Champagne has long been synonymous with luxury. Although it is a sparkling wine, make no mistake — not all sparkling wines are Champagne. The only wines that can bear the name are those produced in the Champagne region of France — an area particularly primed (thanks to cold weather and chalky soil) for creating the more earthy taste that Champagne is known for. (Other types of […]
Raspberry Cocktails
Leave it to Ottawa wine writer Natalie MacLean to advocate vino elbowing out liquor. On a book tour stop in Toronto recently, she asked superstar chef Jamie Kennedy, who is a resident of the budding wine region of Prince Edward County, to whip up a couple of wine-based cocktails to celebrate the launch of her new memoir, Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass. MacLean, who publishes an online newsletter called Nat Decants, collected stories for the book about vineyards from Burgundy to California. She worked as a sommelier in the haute-est of restaurants, […]
Winter Wines
You call it fall but Brian Rosen knows this time of year as red wine season. “Last night, I’m not ashamed to say, I had two bottles of red wine. If it was two months earlier, it could have just as easily been a Gewurztraiminer or a Riesling,” said the 36-year-old Rosen, who shared the bounty with three others. Rosen, owner of Sam’s Wines and Spirits, a longtime family business in Chicago and its suburbs, knows wines. He also knows the Midwest weather. Like Rosen, for a lot of us here, the turning leaves signal more than winter is on […]
Africa Uncorked
Africa Uncorked by John and Erica Platter Africa Uncorked won the coveted Glenfiddich Award. The husband and wife team chronicled their trek across Africa visiting vineyards and meeting winemakers who deal with severe droughts, elephants and antelopes and tribesmen packing AK-47s. A beautifully written travelogue that will make you want to pack your bags and go. Buy it from Amazon Canada: CDN $15.72 Buy it from Chapters/Indigo Canada: CDN $20.96 Buy it from Amazon U.S.: US $24.95 Buy it from Barnes & Noble: US $24.95
World Atlas of Wine
World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson An excellent reference book that should be part of any wine library is the World Atlas of Wine, which has sold more than four million copies since it was first published in 1971. Buy it from Amazon Canada: CDN $59.00 Buy it from Chapters/Indigo Canada: CDN $59.00 Buy it from Amazon U.S.: US $50.00 Buy it from Barnes & Noble: US $50.00
Wine with Food
Wine with Food by Joanna Simon Wine with Food suggests wines to serve with spicy, hot and sweet dishes, as well as the less-challenging, everyday fare. The summary charts at the back of the book are worth the price alone. Buy it from Amazon Canada: CDN $23.80 Buy it from Chapters/Indigo Canada: CDN $22.44 Buy it from Amazon U.S.: US $17.50 Buy it from Barnes & Noble: US $25.00
Wine into Words:
Wine into Words: A History and Bibliography of Wine Books in the English Language, Second Edition by James Gabler is a history and bibliography of wine books—a marvelous resource for anyone who wants to start a library. Buy it from Amazon Canada: CDN $69.86 Buy it from Chapters/Indigo Canada: CDN $55.77 Buy it from Amazon U.S.: US $75 Buy it from Barnes & Noble: US $60.00
Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking:Uncork Your Creative Juices
Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking:Uncork Your Creative Juices Michaell J. Gelb Michael Gelb takes a mind-altering, life-changing approach to wine and the mind in this wonderful book. Drink deeply from his delightful perspective and savor life fully lived. Buy it from Amazon Canada: (CDN$ 15.68) Buy it from Chapters/Indigo Canada: (CDN$16.50) Buy it from Amazon U.S.: (US$13.57) Buy it from Barnes & Noble: (CDN$15.39)
Windows on the World Wine Course: 2008 Edition
Windows on the World Wine Course: 2008 Edition by Kevin Zraly, Peter M. F. Sichel(Introduction) If you’re just starting to learn about wine, I recommend Windows on the World Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly. It covers all of the major wine regions, styles and terms without bogging down in the mind-numbing jargon that can discourage a novice. His book is filled with lively anecdotes, pictures and charts. Buy it from Amazon Canada: CDN $29.95 Buy it from Chapters/Indigo Canada: CDN $29.95 Buy it from Amazon U.S.: US $24.95 Buy it from Barnes & Noble: US $24.95
