Category Archives: Wine

RKS 2023 Wine: Will Red Tractor 2021 Chardonnay Stall in the Mud?

Red Tractor is a “Creekside Brand” and I reviewed their 2017 Cabernet Franc and it made my best wine list of 2022. Their Cabernet Merlot I tried this year was absolutely dreadful. What will happen with the Red Tractor 2021 Chardonnay from St. David’s Bench in Niagara. Will its wheels get stuck in the mud?Continue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Will Red Tractor 2021 Chardonnay Stall in the Mud?”

RKS 2023 Wine: An Argentinian in the Shadow of Côte Rôtie: Escaping Mendozian Malbecian Tyranny

In the Northern Rhône in France there is a tiny appellation Côte Rôtie where a small amount of Viognier white is added to Syrah to create some magic. In this El Enemigo Syrah-Viognier from Mendoza in Argentina do we have an imitator? Is imitation the best form of flattery? 10% Viognier has been added toContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: An Argentinian in the Shadow of Côte Rôtie: Escaping Mendozian Malbecian Tyranny”

RKS 2023 Wine: A CS from SA: Eminent Quality at a Reasonable Price!

Some 15 years ago I attended the New York Wine Expo at a bunker called the Jacob Javitz Convention Centre in Manhattan. After a long afternoon in my exit I made a last valiant effort to try a few South African red wines. The majority of them had an earthy-gamey streak to them. South AfricanContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: A CS from SA: Eminent Quality at a Reasonable Price!”

RKS 2023 Wine: Hot Pinot Noir and a Blank Stare from the Waiter

In Niagara-on-the-Lake this week we had a dinner on the patio of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Course. A bit of a hidden secret. What a view of Lake Ontario and Toronto 135 kilometres in the distance. Yes and even Fort Niagara in Youngstown New York. A very good burger and coconut shrimp but the Reif EstateContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Hot Pinot Noir and a Blank Stare from the Waiter”

RKS 2023 Wine: 2018 Barrel Aged Chardonnay from Niagara’s Locust Lane: Escaping the Plague of Over Oaked Chards

Locusts and agriculture do not mix. The last thing winemakers in the Niagara region of Ontario want are swarms of locusts devouring their grapes. God may have been angry with Egypt but with Niagara, Ontario? Bad enough they have to deal with swarms of grape loving birds and waterlogged peaches! Is my negative focused mindContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: 2018 Barrel Aged Chardonnay from Niagara’s Locust Lane: Escaping the Plague of Over Oaked Chards”

RKS 2023 Wine: The Man with the Big Head Releases Big Head Red # 8

The Big Red at Big Head Wines, about 15 minutes from St Davids, Ontario (on 823 Line 6 Road) in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region was sold out of Big Red # 7 when I last visited the winery in November 2022 but they had a half bottle left and poured a glass for me. It leftContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: The Man with the Big Head Releases Big Head Red # 8”

RKS 2023 Wine: Tiring of Argentinian Malbec Yet?

How long has Argentinian Malbec been a darling of the wine drinking masses? When you have a good thing going well then keep it going! But on occasion when there is “too much of a good thing” selling so well there is overproduction and cutting corners sacrificing quality for profit. Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Lambrusco andContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Tiring of Argentinian Malbec Yet?”

RKS 2023 Wine: My 25 Cent Spanish Cava Memory?

I recall being in Torremolinos, Spain in 1972 and Spanish Cava at the Supermercado was 25 cents a bottle. I was too young to consume alcohol then but for some reason I remember the price perhaps I was travelling my late mother and we had rented a fully equipped apartment for a couple of weeksContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: My 25 Cent Spanish Cava Memory?”

RKS 2023 Wine: A Cab Franc from Quai du Vin in St. Thomas Ontario

Cabernet Franc is Ontario’s top red wine. Putting my mouth where my money is or is it putting my money where my mouth is? The Sparta Moraine isn’t exactly crammed with wineries just cornfields and a lonely Quai du Vin. What can Quai du Vin do with Cab Franc? Aroma: Ah yes those bright andContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: A Cab Franc from Quai du Vin in St. Thomas Ontario”

RKS 2023 Wine: Cornfield After Cornfield: Then Quai du Vin Estate Winery in St. Thomas

While taking a bit of R&R in Port Stanley, Ontario I discover Quai du Vin Estate Winery in St. Thomas, Ontario quite near to the tiny town of Sparta. Yes there is signage to direct you there but don’t expect any concentration of wineries on Fruit Ridge Line. Instead you’ll see cornfields galore and damnContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Cornfield After Cornfield: Then Quai du Vin Estate Winery in St. Thomas”