Reviews Wines

SIX WINES FOR THE WEEK-END

SIX WINES FOR THE WEEK-END! The week-end is here, and yes, you may be thinking to yourself…meh, week day, week-end, what difference does it make? Wine. Wine is the difference. We can’t go out to restaurants at the moment,…

wines of gary farrell
Reviews Wines

TASTING THE WINES OF GARY FARRELL

Photo credit: Gary Farrell Vineyards (winery, eagle’s nest view) The wines of Gary Farrell are a testament to the unique and contrasting climate of the Russian River Valley. Plunging your nose in a glass of the 2017 Chardonnay, the…

regional appellations of burgundy
Education Reviews

WITHIN THE REGIONAL APPELLATIONS OF BURGUNDY

The Regional Appellations of Burgundy Revised. Photo credit: Charnay-les-Mâcon, BIVB / Aurélien Ibanez When the notion of terroir is evoked, Burgundy is often top of mind for wine lovers.  The painstaking work of the Cistercian monks in the Middle Ages…

the wines of flat rock cellars
Producers Reviews

TASTING THE WINES OF FLAT ROCK CELLARS

Photo credit: Flat Rock Cellars Vintage after vintage, the wines of Flat Rock Cellars stand out for their approachable style and fine value for money. One could be forgiven for assuming that such consistency must be the result of formulaic…

Thanksgiving 2020 Wines
Life Reviews Wines

Thanksgiving 2020 Wines & Reasons to Celebrate

It is Turkey time! So let’s pick out some Thanksgiving 2020 wines. No, international readers, Thanksgiving is not solely an American holiday. We Canadians celebrate the bounty of harvest and the blessings of the year on the second Monday…

Understanding the wine list
Life

WILL UNDERSTANDING THE WINE LIST EVER BE POSSIBLE?

Understanding the wine list, or even a sommelier’s spiel about a restaurant’s offerings, has long driven fear into the hearts of diners. Wine is a complex subject that has impressed and intimidated its drinkers since time immemorial. The number…

wine tasters sense of smell
Education Reviews Wines

A WINE TASTER’S SENSE OF SMELL

A wine taster’s sense of smell is their most vital faculty. I remember reading once that Robert Parker’s nose was insured to the tune of one million dollars. Fan or not, it is hard to deny the global influence…

Southbrook Vineyards
Producers Reviews

THE SUSTAINABLE STORY OF SOUTHBROOK VINEYARDS

Photo credit: Southbrook Vineyards Re-printing of an article published on JancisRobinson.com  Bill Redelmeier does not believe in half measures. “When I was a kid, I loved collecting things like baseball cards and fossils. Now, I collect certifications” he chuckles. Indeed,…

cool climate wines
Education Reviews Wines

COOL CLIMATE WINES…WHAT ARE THEY?

Photo credit: Domaine St. Jacques If you have spent any time chatting with wine geeks lately you may have heard them refer to certain wines as being “cool climate” in style. Perhaps you found yourself wondering, what are cool…

drink south african wine
Education Reviews Wines

IT’S TIME TO DRINK SOUTH AFRICAN WINE

It’s Time to Drink South African Wine The Covid lock-down has been hard on wineries all across the globe. Months of sale revenues from winery tasting rooms and restaurant clients lost, stocks of unsold wines piling up. The situation…