PP told me recently his small 25 lawyer Toronto Bay Street law firm used to hold a blowout Christmas Party primarily designed for support staff and articling students who were given the 24th off to put them in a celebratory mood for the party that night. PP says we held it over the years atContinue reading “RKS Wine: The Penniless Pensioner’s Blowout Christmas Parties of Yesteryear”
Tag Archives: Robert K. Stephen Wine reviews
RKS Wine: The Lure That Attracts the Fish? Rousanne and Viognier?
As a wine writer swimming in a school of wine reviewers the reality is that every wine bottled can’t be reviewed. But this fish likes the Viognier grape on its lonesome and in a blend. It tends to give white wine a noticeable presence with apricots, tangerines and honey. Of course, if you do notContinue reading “RKS Wine: The Lure That Attracts the Fish? Rousanne and Viognier?”
RKS Wine: The Penniless Pensioner, Tuscan Wine and Bernie Madoff Golf Balls
When PP had dough he wasn’t shy on parting with it to purchase to classified Chiantis and the Super Tuscans. Despite their fantastic quality and high prices the Super Tuscan’s did not adhere to Italian appellation laws so they were categorized as ordinary table wine. While appellation rules protect quality they can stunt innovation. ThisContinue reading “RKS Wine: The Penniless Pensioner, Tuscan Wine and Bernie Madoff Golf Balls”
RKS Wine: Did I Hear The Penniless Pensioner Snicker? A White from Languedoc
I could swear I heard PP snicker when I suggested we try a white wine from Languedoc in Southern France. I started getting a lecture about how this area was a huge wine lake providing wine for the working class of Paris and most likely even cheapened by the addition of Algerian wine but PPContinue reading “RKS Wine: Did I Hear The Penniless Pensioner Snicker? A White from Languedoc”
Lambrusco’s Comeback: Labrusca Lini 910 Disappoints
Maligned for many years as cheap Italian fizz Lambrusco is making a comeback in the past few years. Is it because we are seeing more of it in Canada or has quality dramatically improved? That is a difficult question as we see so little Lambrusco who knows the reality. But the rare bottle that driftsContinue reading “Lambrusco’s Comeback: Labrusca Lini 910 Disappoints”
A Couple of Aglianicos From Campania: Stuck in the Tyranny of 89 Point Wines
Aglianico might well be one of Campania’s signature red grapes. Ontario receives very little Campanian wine. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario prefers other Italian wine regions particularly Tuscany. Aglianico was brought from Greece to Italy by the Phoenicians. In fact Aglianico is the corruption of the Italian word for Hellenic “Ellenico”. Our first AglianicoContinue reading “A Couple of Aglianicos From Campania: Stuck in the Tyranny of 89 Point Wines”
RKS Wine: The Penniless Pensioner Falls for the Rating Game and the Label
PP wanted me to try, on my own nickel may I add, a Réserve de La Roncière Cuvée Traditionelle Côtes du Rhône. PP is excited as he saw a little seal on the bottle saying the esteemed James Suckling rated this $15.95 wine a robust 90 points. I pointed out to PP Suckling is aContinue reading “RKS Wine: The Penniless Pensioner Falls for the Rating Game and the Label”
RKS Wine: The Penniless Pensioner Wants a Portuguese Pinkie!
PP often waxes about the great wines of Portugal which for him means trophy table wines and Port from the Douro region. At one point, before his cellar was sold off to pay for his criminal trial defence in New York for being a co-conspirator with Bernie Madoff, he had over two hundred bottles ofContinue reading “RKS Wine: The Penniless Pensioner Wants a Portuguese Pinkie!”
Stag’s Hollow From Beautiful British Columbia; A Yappy Wine Writer Yaps Away!
I miss those fabulous Stag’s Hollow Reds! Not communists but red wine! British Columbia the land of Social Democrats, NDP’ers and Greens all escaping a Vancouver radio host Pat Burns past who greeted female callers with was it “Hello Doll!” And Ben Gitner’s Tartan Brewing in Prince George sticking his finger up at the bigContinue reading “Stag’s Hollow From Beautiful British Columbia; A Yappy Wine Writer Yaps Away!”
RKS WINE: The Penniless Pensioner Wants to Relive His Croatian Memories
In his younger days as a student when he had lots of hair he visited Croatia which then was part of Yugoslavia before it became an independent country. Boy he loved the islands off its coast and Dubrovnik was a quaint old town. But he returned a few years ago for a vacation and wasContinue reading “RKS WINE: The Penniless Pensioner Wants to Relive His Croatian Memories”
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