Prior to COVID-19 life for a wine writer in Toronto was a busy one. Wine shows, tutored tastings, lunches and dinners with winemakers and trips abroad. First let me dispel a myth that all these events are a glorious fun filled romp. Not so. It takes time to get to and from your destination. YouContinue reading “The Futility of Virtual Wine Tastings”
Category Archives: Wine
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario $15 and under corner: Gérard Bertrand Réserve Spéciale Viognier 2018
Viognier when done right makes me think of peaches and honey. This Viognier is from a well-known producer of moderately priced wine. On the nose a solid hit of apricot, peach and mango. On the palate almost silky and restrained acidity. It has a full mouth feel with notes of apricot, peach and of courseContinue reading “The Liquor Control Board of Ontario $15 and under corner: Gérard Bertrand Réserve Spéciale Viognier 2018”
Robert Stephen’s Best Red Wines of 2020
Robert K. Stephen’s Best Red Wines for 2020 Fogolar 2016 Picone Vineyard Cabernet Franc $44.20, Ontario (94) Pentage Winery GSM 2015, $28.61, British Columbia (94) Pentage Winery Gamay 2017, $20, British Columbia (94) Crescent Hill Winery 2017 Mad Medusa Merlot, $29.95, British Columbia, (94) Fogolar 2016 Cabernet Franc, $22.20, Ontario (93) Mayhem Wines 2017 CabernetContinue reading “Robert Stephen’s Best Red Wines of 2020”
Robert K. Stephen’s Best White Wines of 2020: British Columbia rules
Robert K. Stephen’s Best White Wines for 2020 British Columbia cleans up in 2020. In fact this is the first time ever my best white list does not include non-Canadian wines. And the top rated white is; Whites Crescent Hill Winery Glennallyn Private Reserve Gewürztraminer 2017, British Columbia $16.99 (95) Mayhem Wines 2018 Gewurztraminer 2018,Continue reading “Robert K. Stephen’s Best White Wines of 2020: British Columbia rules”
Dipping into Dalva at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario: Double Douro Product
It is not easy to dip below $14.95 for Liquor Control Board of Ontario Vintage releases. For example, there are only three in the December 12th Vintages release. In this case from the Douro we have both a red and a white Dalva. Let us start with the red 2017 Dalva. In colour black cherryContinue reading “Dipping into Dalva at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario: Double Douro Product”
LBV not LBJ!
I remember attending Port Wine Day in Porto a few years ago and A Parisian marketing guru I was sitting next to on the media bus said to me that Port is a luxury product at a bargain price. One may debate if Vintage Ports are available at bargain prices but Late Bottled Vintage PortContinue reading “LBV not LBJ!”
Cork Away # 1: Australian Wine at The Liquor Control Board of Ontario The Australian Winery Yalumba makes an excellent “Y Series Viognier” at a very reasonable price. This time we try an organic Shiraz available at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. It has a black cherry colour. As for aromatics black cherry, blackberryContinue reading
Burmester 10-Year-Old Tawny Port: A Slice of Mincemeat Pie Please
As we are now in a lockdown in Toronto and Peel is going out and buying a mincemeat pie for Christmas from my favourite pie shop going to get me arrested and sentenced to hard labour by the Ontario COVID Imperial Tribunal? Of course I make a bold assumption that while big box stores likeContinue reading “Burmester 10-Year-Old Tawny Port: A Slice of Mincemeat Pie Please”
Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery Red Wines: Lake Erie North Shore Wines From Ontario
Sprucewood Shores is a well-known family Lake Erie North Shore winery and we go back at least a decade. But through time we lost touch. However samples arrived and its fantastic to be back. With the most heat units in Ontario one hopes for some interesting red wines. Of course, it is not so hotContinue reading “Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery Red Wines: Lake Erie North Shore Wines From Ontario”
Uncorked: The Liquor Control Board of Ontario Vintages $14.95 and Under Corner: And The Winners
Here is a red wine called Hécula from the Yecla appellation in Spain. Black cherry in colour. Aroma of black cherry, blackberry, lavender and ripe strawberries. On the palate fairly solid tannins that leave a nice fruity ring encapsulated around the tannins. No doubt about it. This is a full-bodied wine but being a bigContinue reading “Uncorked: The Liquor Control Board of Ontario Vintages $14.95 and Under Corner: And The Winners”
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