5 wine drinking tips to prepare you for the holidays

 The holidays are all about getting together with family, sharing your love for one another, and of course, enjoying good wine and food. While things might be a little different this year due to the pandemic, there no reason you can’t enjoy the latter. In this article, we are going

Wine Lingo: The Foundation of any Winery Tour

 Wine tasting is not just a fun hobby – it’s a distinctive and challenging art. Before taking a trip to a vineyard and participating in your first tasting, it’s a good idea to learn some of the fundamental terms of the process. From understanding how to distinguish one flavor from

A Matched Pair from New Zealand

 People are always asking me for a pair of wines they can bring to a BBQ, or over to a friend’s house, that won’t embarrass them but make them look like they know something about wine and food matching. I’m always intrigued as to why people think they have to

The Rosé That Might Just Change Your Mind…

 Back in 2008, I went to a lunch for a tasting of Château d’Esclans wines… the centerpiece of this tasting were four rosés and that might come as a surprise to many. First off, you don’t usually see a winery centering its production around pink wine, and secondly, they were

One This Afternoon, One This Evening

 People often ask me if there really is such a thing as afternoon wines and evening wines.  The simple answer is no, you can drink whatever you like at any time you want, but there are some wines that make better sense at certain times of the day. For instance,

The Two Faces of Grigio

 The buzz-grape in the world of wine over the past few years has been Pinot Grigio... but Grigio is a style and one that has been bastardized in favor of the trend. Pinot Grigio is Pinot Gris in an Italian style, which means crisp and citrusy. Pinot Gris is a

Another Spanish Kiss

 I know I promised you some New Zealand wine this week, and I now promise you that next week I will deliver… but last week I gave you a little kiss from Spain and just a day after I wrote that piece, someone reminded me of an even deeper kiss

A Wickedly Good Rhone Wine

 One of my favorite parts of my job is teaching. I like giving seminars and talking to/with people about wine, answering their questions and giving them the straight goods about wine. I don’t believe in couching wine in terms people don’t understand or giving descriptors that only a handful of

Climbing the Ladder of Torres

                           Torres is a name you should recognize – a very prominent wine producer out of Spain with many parcels of land growing different and sometimes unique varieties – especially for Spain (Pinot Noir anyone?). My parents don't

California’s Last Hurrah

 I’ll be quite honest with you here. I’m a little tired of California and her wines at the moment.  That’s because, at this time of year, they do a big push at the LCBO leading up to the California Wine Fair held across Canada. The California wine fairs in Ottawa

Through All the Bad-Mouthing, Merlot Still Makes a Great Wine

 It’s the grape that takes the brunt of all the bad jokes about wine – culminating in that famous line from Sideways when Miles proclaims: “I’m not drinking any fuckin’ Merlot” … they say that movie single-handedly brought the sale of California Pinot Noir up and tanked those of Merlot.

California Chardonnays: Magic on the Palate!

 It’s going to be all California all the time at the LCBO this month. You’ll hear radio ads, see billboards and be confronted by all things California at your local liquor store. It’s a good thing for all you California wine fans, bad if you like drinking your wine from

March Wines for All Weather Conditions!

 As we pull into March, it’s time to look at some wines that are good for cool weather and yet are diverse enough to handle what lies ahead. My friend used to say “March is a b*t*h” – he went on to explain that March was the only month where

Looking to Western Canada for Chardonnay

 I know we’re in the depths of winter here in Ontario – coming out of one of the worst snowstorms in more than a decade… which is why I thought it best to look ahead to the warm days of spring – or at least talk about wines that’ll put

Valentine’s Day Sparkles for Not a Lot of Bread

 For those aware of traditional bubbly, the title of this blog should give them a little chuckle… for those who are unaware, allow me to let you in on the secret: traditional method bubbly (that has its secondary fermentation in the bottle, can often smell like fresh-baked goods, especially bread;

Abbotts & Delaunay Wines Are Worth Seeking Out

 There’s a myth in Ontario that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario is the only place to buy imported wines… while it’s true the LCBO owns the monopoly on single-bottle buying, there are these guys (and gals) in flannel suits called agents who also bring booze into the province –

Less Cash . . . Here’s What to Stash

 There is a handful of great discoveries to be found among the ruins of LCBO’s leftovers from the pre- Christmas push. Some of these wines should be purchased in bulk (three or more), starting with a lovely German Sekt, Schloss Wachenheim Riesling Trocken Traditionelle Flaschengarung ($16.95 - #301366). It’s unusual

A Taste of Oregon — Sort of . . .

 Sadly, we don’t see a lot of Oregon wine here in Ontario. If you go to the LCBO website and type “Oregon” into the search box, you’ll find a grand total of six wines; if you refine this product search with an “advanced search” for “USA – Oregon” you’ll come

A Hidden Chilean Gem Left Over from the Holidays

 Ninquen is the second property that was acquired by Montgras between 1998 and 1999, but let’s back up a bit and talk about the main company first, before we find out what Ninquen is about. Montgras was founded by Hernan Gras in 1993… and as it turns out Mr. Gras

Something “Completely Yummy”: 2011 Montes Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

 I’m going back to Chile for the second week in a row and once you put your lips on a glass of this wine, you’ll realize why I am recommending it. You see, just recently in Toronto, the Chileans came to town and held their annual Grand Tasting, which they call Discover

Thirst Impressions: Piedmont or Bust

 As usual, we'll look back at a few releases before we sample the newest bottles on Vintages’ shelves. The October 13 release had one for those of you who like sparkling wine but aren't big fans of the price of Champagne. Head a little south of Champagne to Burgundy for

An Amazing Wine Well Worth Its Price: Regali 2008 La Lus Albarossa

 This week, I’m struggling about the wine I am about to recommend, not because I don’t like it, or I’m on the fence about it. Au contraire mon frère, I’m a big fan of this wine.  My struggles are for much more selfish reasons: if I tell you about it,

A Very Good Pinot Gets Even Better for a Few Weeks: Chanson 2010 Le Bourgogne

 This week, we'll swing on down to France and look at the signature red grape of Burgundy. Pinot Noir is a seemingly love-it or hate-it grape. Some dig the earthy, barnyard, almost musky scents of a good Pinot Noir can give off – others shy away, saying that the wine

Pink Bubbles with a Cause: Bottega Il Vino dei Poeti Rosé

 It’s October and that means that the colour pink is all the rage… it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month and from football players’ shoes to towels, candles and Five Hour Energy drinks, everybody jumps on the “Breast Cancer Awareness” bandwagon by tinting their product pink. I’m a guy. I like wine and I

A Simple Pleasure: Portuguese Red

 Portugal is one of those region in the world that is the most misunderstood ... quite simply it's because the average consumer does not recognize the grape varieties on the label, that is if there is a grape variety listed on the label at all.  Portugal is known more for