Gamay was hot a decade ago in Ontario full of promise and hope but as “fads” go they can fade. Gamay seemed to fade but in the past few years it would appear to be gaining steam. Cave Spring Vineyards is well known internationally for its Rieslings that receive generous ratings in the Wine SpectatorContinue reading “RKS Wine: Is Gamay on the Comeback Trail in Ontario?”
Tag Archives: RKS Wine
RKS Wine: Niagara Red Blends: Nyarai Cellars Soars Above the Mundane
In Niagara to review an inn and some restaurants this month I managed to speak with a few people in the wine trade and it was empowering to hear they agreed with a fundamental point I have with Niagara red blends. In Niagara Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are almost best retired as incapable of makingContinue reading “RKS Wine: Niagara Red Blends: Nyarai Cellars Soars Above the Mundane”
RKS Wine: Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer 2020 Grand Réserve
Many will say Alsace vints the best Gewurztraminer. A few years ago I may have agreed with that statement until I tried Gewurztraminer from Mayhem Wines and Meyer Family Vineyards in British Columbia’s Okanagan. The trouble is that the British Columbia wines are small batch hence reach a small audience. Pierre Sparr is a bigContinue reading “RKS Wine: Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer 2020 Grand Réserve”
RKS Wine: Not a Corporate Lawyer, Accountant, Neurosurgeon, Corporate Executive, Overpaid Professional Athlete or Cardiologist? Welcome to Delicious Brutality!
If you are not a “hot shot” it is certainly possible to discover a quality wine at a proletarian price. I mean my friend the Penniless Pensioner would guzzle Chateau Latour with his Boulud Burger in Manhattan and think nothing of paying $1500 as “chump change” for a bottle of Bordeaux First Growth. With aContinue reading “RKS Wine: Not a Corporate Lawyer, Accountant, Neurosurgeon, Corporate Executive, Overpaid Professional Athlete or Cardiologist? Welcome to Delicious Brutality!”
RKS Wine: Listening to Customers: Canada Pricing Itself Out?
A couple of months ago at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario I encountered two gentleman shopping for a backyard wedding reception. They asked me what might go with the salmon which was one of the foods for the backyard wedding barbeque. Earlier in the year I had received some samples from a BC wineryContinue reading “RKS Wine: Listening to Customers: Canada Pricing Itself Out?”
RKS Wine: A Tidal Wave of Price Increases for Wine: Chile Remaining Affordable
If you have seen the latest Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s October 22 Vintages release catalogue you may say WTF has just happened! Prices are obscene. This makes the wines of Chile most compelling from a price and quality perspective. Most Chilean wines appear to be rated by James Suckling a hero it seems toContinue reading “RKS Wine: A Tidal Wave of Price Increases for Wine: Chile Remaining Affordable”
RKS Wine: A Glass of Freakshow with “Nightmare Alley”?
Does being politically correct make you nauseous? Being averse to dig into this subject let me give you an example. I was waiting to board an Air Canada flight in Athens headed for Toronto on September 20th. I talked to a father and daughter from Ohio who lived a couple of hours south of ClevelandContinue reading “RKS Wine: A Glass of Freakshow with “Nightmare Alley”?”
RKS Wine: The Greatest Wine Since Sliced Bread? How Do We Deal with an Argentinian Monster?
After I review a wine, I may look what other reviewers have to say about it. Some critics I take seriously and others not so and then there is Luca Maroni who often scores wines in the 90’s when they deserve to be in the 80’s. What would you deduce from insanely high ratings? ForContinue reading “RKS Wine: The Greatest Wine Since Sliced Bread? How Do We Deal with an Argentinian Monster?”
RKS Wine: The Velvet Devil Merlot: Avoiding Dancing with the Devil
The label for The Velvet Devil Merlot 2019 is stark yet catchy as most wine labels from Charles Smith are. So it grabs your attention stylistically but what about after the bottle is opened and reality sets in? Yes, it is also cheaper than many Washington State Merlots but can it match their quality? OnContinue reading “RKS Wine: The Velvet Devil Merlot: Avoiding Dancing with the Devil”
RKS Wine: Stratus Wildass 2019 Merlot: Giving Ontario Merlot Another Chance
In the past few years I have given up on Ontario Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon as a single varietal wine. Could it be that Ontario doesn’t have the terroir and climate for these two grapes? However earlier this year I spent a few days at Niagara-on-the-Lake and discovered a Two Sisters Merlot that impressed atContinue reading “RKS Wine: Stratus Wildass 2019 Merlot: Giving Ontario Merlot Another Chance”
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