Locally here in Toronto on a particular channel are a continuous slew of Harlequin Films celebrating Christmas. Everything is perfect. True love blossoms at the end. For some it may be so cute. For lovers of serious cinema it may be flotsam.
“Twas the Night” is no sickly-sweet Christmas film. But does it have the roots to be one of those elusive Christmas films? It might be on the edge of the precipice of being a classic? How much “It’s a Wonderful Life” can anyone withstand!
Holly (Nicole Pringle) and Nick (David Steven Perez) are engaged and about to be married and they have invited their parents to their home for Christmas.
Holly has been caught in a bad mood dissing a charitable Santa by a television crew and is seen as a “nasty bitch” in town which is somewhere in New York State.
She realizes her bad mood and apologizes to the local charitable Santa inviting him in for a hot chocolate and some cookies. Before he leaves, he is asked by Holly to adjust a decoration up on a ladder and he does so then takes a terrible tumble becoming unconscious and leaving a trail of blood. Holly and Nick believe he is dead and given that Holly has dissed this Santa they believe they will be charged with murder. So they haul the body upstairs and eventually to the attic.
Parents and in laws arrive for Christmas Eve dinner as Holly and Nick try to drag the dead Santa around so the snooping parents will not discover him in their house tour which after 5 bottles of wine seems unstoppable.
There is a lot of tension in the film like “Christmas Carol”, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, National Lampoon’s” A “Christmas Vacation” or “Home Alone” yet it is not filled with sentimentality like ”It’s a Wonderful Life”: or “ A Christmas Carol”.
Will it be a Christmas Classic? That may take years to determine. In the meantime worth a view. The parents played by Cynthia D. Perry, James Lee Fronck, Lisa Panagopoulos and Paul Van Scott are priceless.
The film was released on December 3rd in theatres and on demand.
This 83-minute film was written and directed by The Ro Bros.
On occasion a film is not so easily described. I might fall short by calling it a romantic comedy as amongst all the characters romance has failed. Given the high divorce rate in North America added to couples still married and living in misery humans never seem to renounce romance completely. The film makes it quite clear romance is fluid. One can fall out and into romance even with the same partner.
In “Are You Happy Now” Adam (Josh Ruben) is in a relationship with Gina (Ismenia Mendes) that eventually progresses to marriage seemingly for the reason of making each other happy. They both seem to fall in an and out of love and as the credits role at the conclusion of the film one might query are they in or out of love? I rather enjoy these uncertain endings.
As Alanis Morissette sang “Jagged Little Pill” I would borrow on that and call this a “Jagged Little Film” because it is not linear and smooth and may throw you for a loop now and then.
There is the the issue of mental illness. Adam has spent a couple of weeks in a “mental centre” as he has suffered from depression and impulsiveness. He has low self esteem claiming everything he does is a “fuck up”. Gina may be mentally scarred from the divorce of her parents vowing she would never get married calling marriage the biggest Ponzi scheme ever! In fact when Gina and Adam get married Gina’s father gives a $2,800 cheque as a gift payable in 20 years to see just how long their marriage lasts.
There is also familial dysfunctionality involved. Adam’s friend Walter and Adam himself have what one can only call abusive older brothers. Both confront their brothers and regain some self dignity.
Other issues dealt with are loneliness, jealousy, fear of relationship commitment, respect, compromise, being able to express emotions, honesty, friendship, reconciliation and the death oof a loved one.
One must not forget a few comedic moments most involving chickens and one strange 7-year-old prone to public belching.
So is it a good movie? It is well directed and produced and I will say as it is not a simplistic linear movie. I enjoyed it.
The movie was released on digital platforms on December 7th.
The 95-minute film was written and directed by first time filmmaker David Beinstein and you can see the trailer here https://vimeo.com/640986051
Canada’s Entertainment Capital Rings in 2022 with the Ultimate Line-up of 10+ Live Music Events, including Blue Rodeo Concert at the Scotiabank Convention Centre
(Niagara Falls, ON) Niagara Falls is the place to be on New Year’s Eve for an unforgettable countdown to 2022 with the ultimate line-up of live music events, shows and dining experiences across the city. Music lovers planning a memorable New Year’s Eve can experience multiple live shows plus the year-round attractions and award-winning culinary scene during their visit to Niagara Falls, Ontario’s most iconic location.
Canada’s entertainment capital offers up a spectacular setting plus a diverse line-up of New Year’s Eve celebrations from major concert events, dinner dance parties, Brazilian Carnival and DJ parties, and lively performances in bars and lounges to intimate award-winning dining with live musicians as well as the memorable ambiance of New Year’s Eve dinner at one of the famous Niagara Falls restaurants with breathtaking views of the Falls.
“Niagara Falls is Canada’s entertainment capital and an internationally renowned New Year’s Eve destination and we’re thrilled to welcome visitors back to ring in 2022 with the most exciting lineup of memorable options to celebrate,” said Janice Thomson, President and CEO of Niagara Falls Tourism.
NEW YEAR’S EVE 2021
INDOOR CONCERT EVENT
Blue Rodeo, Serena Ryder, Crown Lands (Scotiabank Convention Centre)
Celebrate 2022 with iconic Canadian artists Blue Rodeo and special guests Serena Ryder and Crown Lands (Juno Awards’ 2021 Breakthrough Group of the Year). Blue Rodeo’s first new album in five years – Many A Mile – is being released on December 3rd and this New Year’s Eve concert kicks off their 2022 National Tour!
Ring in the New Year in style at the Hilton Fallsview Hotel & Suites! You’ll be treated to a four-course dinner, champagne toast and late-night buffet, plus live music by Sandy Vine & the Midnights
Tickets start at $149/person
Hotel packages available
Call to reserve 1-888-370-0700
SHOWS
Greg Frewin New Year’s Eve Gala & Show
A spectacular evening featuring a performance by international grand champion of magic Greg Frewin followed by dancing to a popular live dance band to ring in the New Year.
RESTAURANTS WITH LIVE MUSIC FOR NEW YEAR’S EVE DINING
Celebrate New Year’s Eve with a memorable meal at one of Niagara Fall’s finest restaurants, featuring live music:
Find all live music, events, and dining experiences in Niagara Falls on New Year’s Eve here
Live music events on New Year’s Eve are part of Niagara Falls Music Live from December 27, 2021 to January 1, 2022. Niagara Falls is celebrating the return of live music in a big way with more than 75 performances at 20 venues over 6 nights. From concerts in theatres and convention centres to intimate performances at restaurants and bars, the city will be showcasing talented local, Ontario and Canadian artists in Ontario’s most iconic location. Concerts include live performances by Chantal Kreviazuk, Tyler Shaw, David Wilcox, The Trews, Jim Cuddy, Great Lake Swimmers, Spoons and more!
Niagara Falls Music Live is presented by Niagara Falls Tourism in partnership with the Tourism Partnership of Niagara and funding provided by the Government of Ontario.
Robert K. Stephen and Fotini Stephen: Toronto: December 7, 2021: Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario has mounted an exhibit entitled “Picasso: Painting the Blue Period” which will continue until January 16, 2022. There are over 100 artworks on display covering Picasso’s Blue Period (1901-1904). Picasso was a very young man in his late teens and early twenties during the Blue Period painting both in Barcelona and Paris. Why the Blue? Quite simple he favoured the colour blue during this period.
In this Blue Period you’ll see Picasso’s work reflect social and political events and that he borrowed or was influenced by other artists such as El Greco, Edgar Degas and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. So it is not simply nature or flowers in a bowl depicted but rather poverty, social unrest gender inequality and war. You may be more familiar with Picasso’s cubes, triangles and odd geometric patterns of his later works, But the Blue Period reflects a less abstract approach by Picasso. I have seen many of his works in Barcelona, Paris and in the United States but at the AGO we are presented with a wealth of paintings you might only see at the Musée national Picasso-Paris. Put bluntly grab this exhibit now as you might never see such a powerful and focussed collection assembled in Canada again.
The exhibition is the first exhibition in Canada to focus on Picasso’s early years
Picasso is seen during the Blue Period as a “painter of modern life” with his representations of street scenes, café-concerts and sex workers. Perhaps one of the most striking pictures is “Crouching Beggarwoman” painted in 1902 Barcelona which reflects his social activism as an artist. Here was an artist that painted disease ravaged prostitutes, beggars and the poor and oppressed.
There are also a few paintings from Picasso’s Rose Period (1905-1906) where he was in a small village Gósol in the Spanish countryside and was moved to painting with warm terracotta hues. There are also two Spanish master paintings by El Greco whom many claim had an influence on Picasso.
This is a rich exhibit and almost too overwhelming to take in on one visit. We think it is necessary for it to settle in and go for another viewing in a couple of weeks
In addition to the exhibit there are also talks, courses and events.
The exhibition is important for aficionados of Picasso wanting to focus on the early works of an artist that would emerge as one of the world’s most renowned painters.
The AGO is one of the largest art museums in North America attracting close to one million visitors annually and its collection of more than 120,000 works of art.
Droolpoop’s police force stormed onto the McSwill University grounds trashing the exhibits and clubbing both mutants and visitors. It so happened a Montreal television crew was there doing a story on the exhibit and captured the vicious police assault. Droolpoop had miscalculated, not like he continually did with his Olympic budgets but with his reputation. The intellectual community was in a furor and the general population disgusted with a brutal attack on a group of artists peacefully protesting the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics.
At a press conference held by his Eminence after the attack Droolpoop proudly proclaimed “The Olympics have been saved!” but the media scrum wasn’t buying in instead asking how Droolpoop could justify such grand violations of civil liberties. The international media feasted on the bloody faces of the wounded and the savage beatings by the police.
Montreal’s legionnaire mutants who were maimed and injured protecting the world against the type of Droolpoop actions the world had witnessed were in an uproar. Droolpoop faced their wrath. Why had their comrades died in World War Two? Defending democracy against tyrants who used brute force to silence opposition. Droolpoop’s actions were an affront to those killed and wounded! These vets, many of the hospitalized, were a weak political group and at the mercy of hospital administrators. Hollywood had in essence mocked their experiences in war movies full of clean kills never showing the severed heads, chunks of flesh hanging on trees, botched field hospital operations, the horrible bloodcurdling screams of the wounded and starving and terrified civilians.
Gathering in a mass force they walked, limped and wheeled themselves to Montreal City Hall where they smashed windows and splattered the exterior with red paint. Paddy wagons arrived carting away the vets.
The vets at their Queen Fairy Hospital too ill to participate in the actions at City Hall trashed their wards and one vet bit off the finger of an orderly who called the agitators “commie assholes”. Doctors and nurses responded to the situation with sedatives.
Meanwhile Droolpoop was sitting at the opening ceremonies beaming like a peacock sitting beside the Queen of England. It was a moment he dreamt about all his life. Mutants distributing pamphlets outside the stadium where the opening ceremonies were taking place were quickly arrested for “disturbing the peace”. Since when is one arrested for handing out pamphlets critical of politicians? None were granted bail and trial dates were extended past the conclusion of the Olympics. This was a horrific sham on democracy and the legal system! Every day pamphlets were handed out more mutants were arrested. All charges were quashed on an expedited appeal and the mutants were set free. Another blow to Droolpoop as he sat with the Queen of England eating fresh burgers made with American Mustang horsemeat!
One hears often that Pinot Noir is a “heartbreak grape” due to its thin skin making it more susceptible to rot and frost. Canada’s Baco Noir in my experience might deserve the moniker of a heartbreak grape because much of it is of poor quality. Pinotage from South Africa can also be dicey. I have had some superbly aged Pinotage but on the other hand have had a few bottles that revealed a rubber tire smelling wine. It’s been a while since I had a Pinotage so perhaps South African winemakers have cleaned up their game.
We try a Pinotage called “The Bean” from the Western Cape of South Africa. No this is not some gimmicky flavoured wine tainted by coffee beans! No it’s flavour “creates an unusual expression for wine, with deep mocha and roasted coffee bean flavours derived from French oak” claims its label.
I have often said that many South African wines have a very earthy aspect to them and this Pinotage shouts out this South African identifier on its nose. Quite frankly one might say it has a funky aroma but decant it and give it some time to breathe and that off-putting funkiness starts to dissipate giving rise to some intense blackberry, black cherry, root beer and yes a hint of espresso. Fresh air is a blessing for this wine! The funk might still be there but it has moved to a tertiary characteristic.
On the palate there are some broad based and even tannins. But there is a pervasive presence of black fruit that is well integrated into the wine creating can I say a unified taste where it is difficult to precisely identify any particular fruit. Its grippy but full of life with lots of juicy ripe fruit that is just a bit difficult to identify. While I can pick out the mocha I can’t pick out the coffee which is fine with me. I see beer infused with all sorts of fruit and coffee and being a traditionalist, I see that as a it of heresy. I certainly don’t want my wine tasting of coffee! I almost did not want to purchase the wine when I saw a coffee bean on its label. There may be many wine drinkers sharing my reluctance. I note as well the oak influence is minimal and my guess this is not new French oak.
You want my opinion. This is a slightly quirky but perfectly drinkable on its own. In its soul I see it as proudly South African. Unfortunately, I have not been in South Africa so I have not seen Pinotage in the context of South African food. Domestically I say good with beef or for vegheads a Mushroom Wellington that is devilishly time consuming to make but worth the effort.
You can drink now and enjoy but I think this might improve in the next two years so consume by the end of 2024.
(The Bean 2020 Coffee Pinotage, Ross Family Vineyards, Stellenbosch, South Africa, $15.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario #251165, 750 ml, 14.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 91/100).
On Earth Montenez was in a lonely state as some of his closest friends and his brother Squid had left for Zortixia several weeks ago in their mission to bring down Redbeard the evil ruler of Zorollia. His sagging spirits were boosted after being contacted by Squid who informed him of the downfall of Redbeard and the election of Ergot as the President of Zorollia and that Garth Reseudo had been appointed Zorollian ambassador to Zortixia.
The 1976 Montreal Olympics were to start today. Bertie Foonbean had done his best to organize mutant protests against the Montreal Olympics but lacked the energy and drive of Squid. The mutants had published mountains of pamphlets in 12 different languages and had been distributed at Dorval International Airport and many hotels in the Montreal area. Several artistic mutants had created an art exhibition on the grounds of McSwill University patiently explaining the meaning of their art to curious onlookers. Most of the pieces were uncomplimentary of the lavish Olympic expenditures whilst mases of humanity were living and dying in the gutters in poverty. Many pieces criticized the mayor of Montreal Jean Droolpoop and his expensive and grandiose plans. Droolpoop, never one to appreciate attacks on his imperialness called the art exhibit an act of “civil disobedience”. Droolpoop was the city and to criticize him was interpreted as a slap in the face of all inhabitants of his fiefdom. This disgraceful exhibition must be squashed and complete moral obedience restored.
Droolpoop’s slum clearance, rather relocation of the impoverished to distant suburbs, had progressed on time and on budget. Droolpoop’s estimation of the cost to the city of Montreal of the Olympic Games had only been off by several hundred million dollars. Montreal would look so much prettier in all the camera lenses of the tourists. The tension of holding the Olympic Games was taking its toll on Droolpoop and the mutants were driving him over the edge. Why were the groups such as the mutants attacking him now? Why didn’t these narrow-minded fools see the benefits to Montreal from the Olympics? There was a call throughout even the established media outlets to establish an investigative committee to determine why the Olympics were massively over budget. Some of these media outlets were calling him an incompetent administrator and some were brazened enough to call him a liar. His contractor friends were becoming so concerned they even replaced the tainted horsemeat used for burgers at Olympic venues with untainted Mustang horse meat that otherwise would have been converted into dogfood. If this criticism continued what would those rich tourists who could afford such a touristic trip think of the city? The Olympic games would make Montreal a truly international city so what was a little overspend of millions of dollars! The world would enjoy a non-stop party. All the citizens of Montreal, except those relocated during the slum clearance project, would financially and morally benefit from the Olympic games. What would happen to international peace if the Olympic games did not take place! These Marxist mutants were easy targets in comparison to powerful and established media outlets. There was only one logical alternative!
I have been invited to the 108th Grey Cup in Hamilton of Ontario on December 12. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invited me as his guest along with Dylan the Westie, Bob and Fay. We start off with high tea at the regal Imperial Hotel in Hamilton for High Tea with Justin and Sophie Trudeau and their children. We will then visit the dressing room of the Hamilton Tiger Cats and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are the teams competing for the Grey Cup. At the beginning of the game Bob and Fay will walk out to centre field and we dogs will sit by Lola Larue as she sings the national anthem of Canada. Then Dylan the Westie and I will will take a small flag and run around the field. Dylan the Westie will carry the Hamilton Tiger Cats flag and me the Winnipeg Blue Bombers flag. Dylan the Westie carried the gay pride flag once at the Gay Pride Day parade in Toronto years ago and says it will be easy. We will be practicing on Saturday afternoon.
Bob and Dylan the Westie have watched almost every Grey Cup since Dylan the Westie was born 13 years ago. There was always a small family party with potato chips, cheesies, BBQ wings, fajitas and corn chips and salsa and of course beer.
Bob loves the Hamilton Tiger Cats and is excited but he has struck a deal that the 50/50 draw charitable cut will go to Reggie’s Dogs Foundation.
I will be watched on national television by millions and 25,000 noisy and excited fans most likely in winter conditions. Canada as been suffering with COVID for too long and although I am very nervous it is time for Canada to party like its 1967! Bob has promised that Dylan the Westie and I can split a cheeseburger and a few French Fries at the game. WE DOGS LOVE MEAT! And yes GO BOMBERS GO!
Bob also says to us dogs he has a big secret. It is a BIG SECRET and it involves Joe and Jill Biden! What could it be?
I have travelled the world helping to promote the Disney film “Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog”, receiving a Nobel Peace Prize and meeting the Pope and all sorts of politicos. I think Dylan the Westie and I have peed and pooped all over the world. But at times it is a blur and it is always very tiring and sometimes stressful. But I have never been on vacation! Well Bob and Fay decided during this silly COVID mess to take Dylan the Westie and I on a real vacation. No paparazzi, no television shows or hours long photo shoots. And we are going to Niagara-on-the-Lake to a fancy inn called the Oban Inn and Spa.
It is about 90 minutes away from Toronto on some busy highways but I love a good car ride especially when I have something to look forward to! Off the highway we had to stop at a drawbridge and watch a huge ship pass through the Welland Canal. A massive ship! Then the bridge lowers and we cross it. I am not at Niagara-on-the-Lake but am so excited already to see that ship! As we pass through some town called St Catherine’s I think it is called, the scenery gets very nice and I feel like I am in the country.
I hear Bob reciting the name of the wineries we pass. Humans like to drink wine and Bob writes about wine as a hobby and he says this and that winery make good or mediocre wine. There are so many wineries here!
We arrive at the Oban Inn and Spa which is a small but really comfy and they have a couple of dog friendly rooms which have a nice backyard and Dylan the Westie and I go for a badly needed pee there when we arrive. It is so peaceful and quiet here and after checking in we go for a walk along the waterfront and meet a Westie called Tucker. It is December and it is cold but Dylan the Westie and I have coats that Fay has given us with fancy collars and leashes so we are prancing and bobbing around like kings oblivious to the cold. Dylan the Westie even has a Gucchi sweater! Fay loves her fashion!
Dylan the Westie at The Oban Inn and Spa: Photo Fotini Stephen
We are tired from the trip and our waterfront walk so Bob and Fay decide they will eat in our room and Bob goes to pick up a pizza at some bistro called Bistro Six One and some wine as after all we are in wine country. Bob is tired from the stressful drive so he sits outside and has a cold local beer from Oast called “Farmbrew” while we go outside and sniff and run about. The pizza smells so good! And after our kibble Dylan the Westie and I have a small piece of pizza and is it ever grand!!!! Bob has a glass of Malivoire Farmstead Gamay and Fay a glass of Malivoire Lady Bug Rosé. They really like it and say we are having a special dinner tomorrow night with Martin Malivoire and his wife Moira Saganski. Bob knows Moira from when he was a lawyer and helped her set up something called mutual funds. It has been at least a decade since they have met but Moira liked Bob’s book about me and they reconnected on something called Bookface? So Bob and Moira decided to arrange a dinner. You humans are strange forgetting and remembering about each other!
We have a very good sleep but Dylan the Westie barked to go pee at 4 in the morning. He had taken his monthly anti-parasitical medication before we left which makes him tired and very thirsty and what water comes in must go out. I am sleepy but go out with Dylan the Westie to keep him company and since I am out in the backyard have a pee myself!
In the morning Bob figures out the coffee machine and makes some coffee for Fay and grabs a tea and pastry a few minutes from the Oban and we are off to Niagara Falls! I have seen the Falls on a BBC documentary but seeing them up close is terrifying and exhilarating! The roar. The mist. The power. I will not forget this wonder ever! Then we go to the Botanical Gardens for short walk and stop at various scenic lookouts and see the power of the river.
Bob and Dylan the Westie at an Historic Fort at Niagara-on-the-Lake: Photo Fotini Stephen
We come home and Bob tells us there is going to be a short reception at the Oban restaurant with local dignitaries wanting to meet me, Bob, Fay and Dylan the Westie. Bob had insisted all the wines being served are Malivoire wines because as he said, “They make damn good wine!” Fay loves the Moira Chardonnay and Bob says the Analog red is amazing. Thank goodness there are some children there and we get lots of pets. And Bob slips us a bit of delicious crab cakes. Who is the chef at this place? He knows his food for sure.
We have an hour before dinner with Moira and Martin so Bob and Fay catch up with their phones and e-mail. You humans spend too much time looking at your phones! I have seen it all over the world. More than a dozen times I have seen couples at restaurants not talking to each other and instead looking at their phones? Bob and Fay never do that.
The restaurant has been closed to the public just for our special dinner so Martin and Moira arrive and Dylan the Westie and I are allowed to stay at the restaurant. Bob is right about Moira when he says she is friendly, easy going and a very nice person. They have a dog and Bob apologizes for not saying to Moira and Martin that they could have brought their dog Penny a super cute girl dog called Penny. She is a mini golden doodle.
Bob meets Martin Malivoire for the first time. Martin is a “special effects” guy having done special effects for over 300 films including one of my favourites “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. Bob and Martin talk a lot about wine. And Martin aside from being a winemaker is a pilot and flies a helicopter to create a downdraft to scare away robins so they will not eat his grapes. Boy I sure hope I can go on a helicopter ride with Martin one day.
The food comes and there are crab cakes, shrimp and scallops, chicken with mushroom and truffle risotto and confit of duck. Moira gives us a small piece of duck. We dogs LOVE MEAT! And boy it is really fantastic!
Disney will soon be releasing an animated sequel to “Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog” and Marvel Entertainment is thinking of creating a live action film about me which will involve special effects. Bob would like to get Martin involved in that project which is a couple of years away. Moira has suggested perhaps a Reggie’s Rosé might be in the cards with all proceeds going to Reggie’s Dog’s Foundation. She has also suggested there be a Dylan the Westie White Wine and even a PPG (Penny’s Pinot Gris). Man we are going places us dogs!
We are finished the dinner and dessert are you kidding! I like Martin and Moira. They have had and are having great success in their life but are down to earth people unlike so many Hollywood types and politicians I have met. I feel so comfortable with them like I do with Jill and Joe Biden and Mr. Gordon Lightfoot.
We say good-bye and I truly hope we can all meet again and meet their dog Penny. I wonder does she drink wine instead of water being a Beamsville dog!
After dinner Bob and Fay watch the CBC news and more unrelenting COVID crap.
It has been a long day but you know I feel like I am on my first real vacation! Good food, interesting people and a nice quiet sleep without planes flying overhead. After the duck confit and crab cakes I am so sleepy and doze off missing most of the news.
If you want to see the Malivoire website go ahead. Malivoire is available in some states in the United States https://malivoire.com/
There are countless states in the United States that produce wine but what we are flooded with here in Ontario is mostly Californian. Pity.
The Washington I am discussing is not the home of the January 6th coup attempt. That was Washington in the District of Columbia. This is Washington State south of British Columbia in Canada. Although across from D.C. is the state of Virginia with a wine industry.
We see Chateau Ste. Michelle wines on occasion at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and also wines from Washington’s Columbia Crest which is Washington’s largest winery with close to 8 million cases sold a year.
Why not try the Chateau Ste. Michelle 2020 Columbia Valley Chardonnay?
It has a light gold colour. As with many Chardonnays it is apple and pear on the nose. There is also some guava, honey and cantaloupe. There is a good density of aromas. On the palate there is a bit of heat not surprising considering the 14% alcohol. There is some tangerine, vanilla ice cream and baked apple on the palate. If you like a forceful and even aggressive Chardonnay here is an example. Yes the acids are in check as well as the oak but it has more power than character. I would say having had crab cakes with a spicy sauce recently at the Oban Inn and Spa in Niagara-on-the-Lake this wine would have tamed the spice but it might have overpowered my main a Chicken Supreme with a mushroom and truffle risotto. The finish is short and nondescript. Not mincing words but a ho-hum entry level Chardonnay.
(Chateau Ste. Michelle 2020 Columbia Valley Chardonnay, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Paterson & Woodinville, Washington, $19.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 232439, 14%, 750 mL, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 84/100).
Next up is a sparkling white from Domaine Ste. Michelle made by the traditional method which is the way Champagne is made. On the nose loads of pear, baked apple, lime and guava with a sweet spot right in the middle like a bit of honey. On the palate a good cleansing bite with good minerality. There is pear, applesauce with a hint of honey so it doesn’t come across as an overly dry Brut making it a good match for Greek Roast chicken with roast potatoes cooked with a drizzle of olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon and oregano. This is a sparkler with character and something a bit different being the influence of honey on the palate and on the aromatics. A nice way to bring in the New Year!
(Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut Columbia Valley (Non-Vintage), Domaine Ste. Michelle, Paterson, Washington, $19.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 557637, 750 mL, 11.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 90/100).
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 