A New Zealand Riesling that Really Packs in the Flavour

 When most people think of New Zealand wines they think of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir - in fact New Zealand's second biggest imported wine is Pinot Noir - but you probably don't think of Riesling coming from the little island nation south of Australia, but New Zealand is doing

An Italian Gem from Banfi at Under $16.00

 Did you miss the September 1st release of the Castello Banfi 2010 Centine, I sure did, but I'm glad I got a chance to taste it now.  I was at a Banfi tasting seminar earlier this week and amongst the 40 and 60-plus dollar bottles of wine was this gem

Fall Back on an Old Favourite or Find a New One…

 As we head into fall, we swap those light and fruity whites for the heavier, warming appeal of reds. I like to give you the latest releases available, but it’s always good to step back a few weeks to see if certain faves are still kicking around the LCBO. We’re

Thirst impressions: Summer’s Here & the Time is Right for Wine and the BBQ

 I have a few selections for you based on the July 21 release, but there are also a couple that come from previous releases you might want to still search out as they offer great value for the taste buds. Let’s start with a new wine into Vintages from an

Real Class in the Glass!

 The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has released its May 12 line-up. I would have to say that although we are entering the hot weather months – which usually means white wine season – there was a rather unimpressive selection of whites to choose from. In this release there

Thirst Impressions: You Can’t Go Wrong with the Fizz

 Those looking for their wine fix in March are in luck. The LCBO has got some real winners hitting the shelves this month. The focus is Spain and bubbly. The Spanish wine was run-of-the-mill so the bubbly is where I am going to focus my picks. You just can’t to

Thirst Impressions: Big Wines… Small Prices

 Another year begins and with it comes a bunch of new wines to look forward to enjoying. The LCBO always starts the year off right by giving us its release of “Smart Buys”, inexpensive wines that take the sting out of the post-Christmas blues of having little (or no) money.

Niagara's Best Comes to Town

 We are less than 2 weeks away from one of the premier Ontario wine events to hit the Ottawa market.  This February 6, 2012 at the National Gallery of Canada (380 Sussex Drive) between 6:30 and 9:00pm 46+ Ontario wineries will be pouring their wares from diverse vintages ranging from

Niagara’s Best Comes to Town

 We are less than 2 weeks away from one of the premier Ontario wine events to hit the Ottawa market.  This February 6, 2012 at the National Gallery of Canada (380 Sussex Drive) between 6:30 and 9:00pm 46+ Ontario wineries will be pouring their wares from diverse vintages ranging from

Wines to Look Forward to….

 From time to time, I am going to take the opportunity to tell you about exciting wines that are coming to Ontario.  I always like to share insider information with my readers particularly because sometimes I know about wines coming into the marketplace long before the folks at Vintages put

How a Trip to California Opened My Eyes – Part 2

 California, for those who have not been, is a different beast when it comes to wine culture, much more different than my beloved Ontario. First, Californians are fiercely proud of what they make and it shows everywhere you go.  Second, California wines appear prominently on wine lists: in restaurants you

How a Trip to California Opened My Eyes – Part 1

 Just recently I returned from California, the Mecca of wine in North America and I am still pining over the amount of wine I left behind that I would have loved to bring home.  As you may or may not know you are not restricted from buying wine abroad, I

Monterey, California – Part 2

 Hopefully you have all read part one of my tour through the Carmel Valley in California.  This second part took place after lunch at a place called Will's Fargo in Carmel Valley Village - we visited another four tasting rooms but this time we had to do a little driving,

Thirst Impressions: To Give and/or Receive

 It's holiday season and I've sipped and slurped on quite a few more (than usual) drinks to give you the low down on good holiday packs, gift ideas and other goodies that help make the holidays joyful. I can definitely tell you that there's not a lot of innovation or

Monterey, California – Part 1

 For those of you who think about touring California (or any other) wine countries, but find the task too daunting, here is some advice: take it slow,  you'll never get all of California done in a week but you can get a good overview of a region or two if

How to Import Wine into Ontario

 Have you ever wondered how one becomes a wine agent - better yet, how one gets wines, that are not available in the LCBO, into the province?  You're not alone.  I get at least an email a week asking me how one goes about acquiring a wine that someone tried

It’s All Just Greek to Me

 Unless you're a fan of Greek wine, then words such as Robola, Roditis, Savatiano, Kotsifali, Liatiko, Mandilara or Xinomavro probably don't mean much.  Many are unfamiliar with the Greek wine selection and there is a reason for that. Greeks make wine from unusual (to us) and unfamiliar grape varieties and many

A Visit to the County

 A few weeks into the summer I found myself, in "The County".  The County refers to Prince Edward County (not to be confused with Prince Edward Island), Ontario's newest wine region which itself is a little island south of Belleville.  I was there to experience one of my favourite winery

Another Promise for Change

 The hot political topic these days is the New Democratic Party.  We saw them sweep through Quebec in the federal election after which their illustrious and charismatic leader passed away, leaving most of the country in mourning.  Despite the recent events, which have raised the popularity of the party, it

Sip & Savour

 I hate to say it but summer is coming to a close. Labour Day has passed, the kids are ensconced in school and we close up the cottage for another season. For wine, it’s shoulder season, a confusing time. Do we begin to stock up on winter warmers or do

Argentina, More than just Malbec

 By now most consumers have seen the signage announcing the LCBO's Argentina promotions - the word Malbec is, after all, displayed all throughout.  The Argentineans have made a name for themselves from this French grape, which can also be found in its traditional home of Cahors, France, and is also

Counting on the Drinkers’ Vote

 A few weeks ago I sat down at my computer and opened an email  that had a link to a special interview with the leader of the Provincial Conservatives, Tim Hudak. With an election only weeks away the rhetoric and the promises are flowing like water. However, in terms of the

Learn to Love Local

 There is nothing more exciting in this world than the opening of a new thing, be it a store, a present, a box of cereal or a bag of cookies or chips.  From the minor (chips) to the major (store) the grand opening is a big deal - that's why

Did You Get the Memo?

 During a recent tasting in my home of a variety of new wines, soon to be appearing at an LCBO near you, I was struck by a certain sameness about these wines.  I don’t mean they all tasted the same, but what I did notice was they all had an

Canadian Wine Laws Stink

 [caption id="" align="alignright" width="125" caption="Symbol of the ACWC"][/caption] Over the past 5 months I have found myself pouring over the results of both the Canadian Wine Awards and the All Canadian Wine Championships - the two major cross-Canada wine awards that pit region against region to find out who's best