Introduction Why does wine make such an ideal holiday gift? Which wines are the best to give, especially when you don’t know the personal taste of the recipient? Are there some wines you should never give as a gift beyond Two Buck Chuck? How can you match the gift wine to the personality of the giftee? We’re always talking about pairing wine and food, but how about pairing wine with the people on your holiday gift list? After all, when you give the gift of wine, doubles are fine unlike toaster ovens, there are no wrong sizes unlike that ugly sweater and […]
Bring Your Own (Wine) Bottle (BYOB) Etiquette
Top Fan Paul E Hollander · Don’t often visit chain restaurants preferring more the locally owned ones. But Coopers Hawk Winery and Ruth’s Chris have excellent lists. Guyanne Desforges · 15:29 I find that good restaurant don’t allow or charge too much…the last time I brought wine at a restaurant was at Vieux Dulude in Quebec. (it’s been a while). however after tonight’s discussion, I will call around and choose a restaurant where we can bring it. Jenn Havers · 8:11 We “over bought” some wine in California on our honeymoon, so ended up enjoying a few in restaurants over the last few days of our trip! […]
What’s Minerality in Wine? Plus California Wildfires
Introduction What it minerality mean when it comes to wine? Is it a taste? A feeling? Or some bogus concept meant to keep wine mysterious? What’s the latest with the devastating wildfires in Sonoma wine country? Why are winemakers wary of cannabis producers? It’s not what you might think. And what is a new wine group doing to help with a balanced life? On today’s episode of Unreserved Wine Talk, I’m taking a deep dive into the controversial concept of minerality, assessing the impact of recent wildfires on California wine country, discussing the controversy between cannabis producers and winemakers and […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings December 7
You can access the 124 wines that I reviewed as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. If you are a Paid Member, you can add my wine picks to your custom shopping list with one click and access that list on your smartphone to find the stock for each wine in your closest LCBO store. You can also see my wine reviews for November 23, 2019 These are just some of the benefits of supporting out wine community as a Paid Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day […]
Festive Wines with the Globe & Mail’s Christine Sismondo
Introduction In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, we’re chatting with Christine Sismondo, writer, teacher and barfly who, when not teaching literature at York University, is tracking down the city’s best drinks and the bars in which they’re served for her columns. She also writes wine and cocktail articles for the Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest national newspaper. Enjoy! Highlights Why shouldn’t you lump Cava, Prosecco and Champagne together? Why did Lambrusco have a bad reputation in the 70s and 80s? What is the Charmat Method for producing sparkling wine? How did Lambrusco become popular in North […]
Wildfires in California Wine Country and Cannabis Wines Video
Why are winemkers wary of cannabis producers? What exactly is minerality in wine? What’s the latest on the Sonoma wildfires? You can watch previous episodes here. Peter Neilson · 31:32 Our son just messaged us from San Francisco. They just lifted the evacuation orders from Healdsburg to the coast, so most of the wine areas have been spared. Great news! Tom Dean · 43:49 I say I’m a “one glass at dinner” French-Canadian, but my wife seems to drink my last-half of the glass before I notice. That must be my “moderation” plan. Darryn Varey · 25:39 Both a taste and a mouthfeel to me. If […]
Visiting Burgundy and Tasting Barolo with Matt Cauz
Introduction On today’s episode, I’m chatting with Matt Cauz, on his excellent podcast called Matt Talks Wine and Stuff with Interesting People. Matt interviews sommeliers, winemakers and wine writers so this is a bit of a turnaround from my usual format because Matt is interviewing me. I wanted to share this episode with you because we dig into lots of great wine tips, like how to make sense of the wine region Burgundy, how social media has changed the way we think about wine and a sneak peek at some of the topics in my third book, including the issues […]
Video: Wine Tasting, But Not The Usual
On Sunday, Canada’s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered in our nation’s capital to review 86 wines. However, it wasn’t the usual group of wines… many are just coming on to the market or will be launched in the new year. So it was exciting for our team to try them and post the first reviews for these wines in this market. Be sure to check out the reviews here and put your faves in your virtual shopping list that you can access on our mobile app for iPhone or Android. The tasting took place from 1 to 6 pm […]
