The dining room at Marcus, in Montréal’s Four Seasons Hotel, gleams with marble and brass. Light streams through floor-to-ceiling windows, catching on polished glassware and the curve of plush banquettes. There’s a soft hum from the open kitchen. In…
Yesterday was a gloriously sunny fall day. One of those echos of summer that puts you in a celebratory mood. And, happily for me, I was headed to lunch with the charming Giacomo Marzotto, a member of the wine…
It’s been a rough few years for British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley wine producers. A region once defined by boundless promise is now navigating a new normal marked by climate volatility, crop loss, and uncertainty. And yet, in the glass,…
Exploring Niepoort’s Portuguese dry wine, their love of indigenous grapes, and the future of a wine powerhouse. Mention Portuguese wine, and most enthusiasts today will nod knowingly — Vinho Verde for crisp whites, Alentejo for bold reds, Dão and…
What happens when you mix philosophy with farming? You get Johan Reyneke — one of South Africa’s true pioneers in organic and biodynamic viticulture. In my latest YouTube interview, I sit down with Johan in Montreal to talk about…
Let’s be honest—wine terminology can be confusing. In fact, some wine vocabulary is so esoteric and contensious that even connoisseurs argue about its meaning. Whether you’re new to wine or just faking your way through tastings, you’re not alone.…
Twenty years ago, when I first started out in the wine trade, organic wines were a rare find. In viticulture classes, I was taught the importance of regular chemical fungicide spraying regimes. Vines were carefully tended to pristine, bare…
How to choose sparkling wines for the holidays in 2024? Every year I get asked for my top picks. Happily, over the past couple of months, I have tasted a wide range of great sparkling wines, at all price…
Nearly a decade in the making, the Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles Premier Cru terroirs are finally approved. From the 2024 vintage onwards, four climats can proudly bear the 1er Cru mention on their labels. In an exciting development for the…
Ornellaia 2021 is as powerful and generous a vintage as its cuvée name suggests. Over the years, this iconic Super Tuscan house has achieved a the fine balancing act of consistency and evolution. I recently sat down to taste…