Photo credit: Gérard Bertrand Wines A couple of months back, I had the pleasure of (virtually) attending a tasting of Gérard Bertrand wines. This flourishing southern French winery possesses a multitude of certifications. These cover everything from organic conversion,…
Photo credit: Rías Baixas Wines (Spanish White Wines of Rías Baixas) When most people think of Spanish wine, they imagine sun-drenched vineyards and bold, spicy red wines. Few consider the exciting Spanish white wines being made throughout the country today.…
In the 1970s, the Tuscan municipality of Montalcino was home to some 30 wineries producing DOC-level red wines sold primarily within Italy. Now, the region boasts well over 200 producers and bottlers. Elevated to the coveted DOCG status in 1980,…
Photo credit: German Pinot Noir vineyard, Ahr Valley Tourism Germany is the third largest producer of Pinot Noir world-wide. This fact surprises many wine lovers, more familiar with its racy, aromatic white wines. Pinot Noir, referred to as Spätburgunder…
Photo credit: Biological ageing in wine, Vinos de Jerez Flor is the Spanish or Portuguese word for flower. In wine terms, flor refers to a layer or film of yeast that forms on the surface of wines after alcoholic…
Photo credit: Misha’s Vineyard/ NZ Winegrowers The Central Otago on New Zealand’s South Island is famous for Pinot Noir. Wine has been produced in this rugged, mountainous region since the heady days of the 1860s Gold Rush. Today, as…
Georgian wine qvevri photo credit: Wines of Georgia The history of Georgian wine is a fascinating tale… Archeological evidence to date suggests that Georgia has the most ancient winemaking traditions in the world. Researchers uncovered 8000-year-old clay vessels at a…
Vegan wines… You would be forgiven for finding this idea puzzling. After all, wine is just fermented grape juice. How could it not be vegan friendly? Well, it’s a little bit more complicated than that. Side note: I have also…
Photo credit: Sacred Hill Wine Picture a crisp, steely, cool climate style of Chardonnay. Now, dial up the fruit ripeness several notches. Add a little more mid-palate weight and richness. Et voila, you have the basic outline of Hawkes…
The Canadian sparkling wines produced today are a far cry from the bad old days of Baby Duck. Quality sparkling wine producers are cropping up from Nova Scotia to British Columbia at an impressive rate. And what really sets…