For the second annual Ontario’s Ultimate Wine Competition, we invited wineries from across the province to submit one wine – the bottle they believe is their very best. Eighteen wineries answered the call, giving us everything from Chardonnay and Riesling to Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and sparkling wine. The...
Tasting Together Season 4 Episode 1 – Rioja was one of Miroki’s first glimpses into what terroir meant in winemaking. After speaking with Clément Gallois, the Canadian Rioja DOCa representative, both her and André learn that the meaning of terroir has taken on a whole new meaning in recent years...
The dog days of summer may be behind us, but André and Michael are already thinking about whisky. This week they’re joined by Cooper Sleeman, General Manager of Spring Mill Distillery in Guelph and part of the family behind one of Canada’s best-known names in beer. Cooper shares the wild...
Tasting Together Season 3 Episode 25 – Most of us have had some sort of adversial relationship with tequila, but both Miroki and André have discovered its magic over the years. Far from the bad stuff pounded back in university, tequila, like all fine spirits, can be the complex result...
Michael and André head to southern Italy for a look at Feudi di San Gregorio in Campania, with Italian brand curator Ophelia joining the conversation to help make sense of the region, the grapes and the people behind the winery. They talk Fiano, Greco and Aglianico, the growing impact of...
Tasting Together Season 3 Episode 24 – Miroki is away, so André is joined by guest host Guillaume Frénéhard — his business partner at 80x Wine Company, local foodie and snobby Frenchman. Guillaume recently made an annual pilgrimage to the CNE, and armed with blogTO’s rundown of the wildest new...
We are joined by Beatrice Contini Bonacossi, co-owner, sales manager, and global brand ambassador of Tenuta di Capezzana in Carmignano, Tuscany who joined Michael for a rooftop chat. Beatrice walks the guys through the winery’s remarkable 1,200-plus-year history, the family’s century of ownership (1925–2025), and how four generations – now...
Tasting Together Season 3 Episode 23 – She didn’t necessarily traverse many galaxies to smuggle in goods, but when Miroki spotted a bottle of one of André’s beloved bourbons during a trip in the states, she agreed to cart it back for him. But perhaps her efforts mean little, as...
Michael and André sit down outside on a hot summer day with Aveleda head winemaker Diogo Campilho to explore Vinho Verde — one of the wine world’s last great unsung values. Diogo breaks down the region’s fantastic and easy drinking whites, the rapid rise in red wine quality over the...
Tasting Together Season 3 Episode 22 – André and Miroki are joined by André’s younger brother Gilbert – and his two young sons Tristan and Kylin – to talk about the challenges and surprises of travelling through Europe with a self-described picky eater. Gilbert explains how his family balances adventurous...
Michael and Andre sit down outside in 33°C heat with geophysicist-turned-wine-educator Diana Khandilyan to explore Armenia — home to the world’s oldest known winery (the Areni-1 cave, dated ~6,100 years). Diana breaks down Armenia’s geography (landlocked between the Caspian and Black Seas, bordering Turkey, Georgia, and Iran), the Soviet-era gap...
Tasting Together Season 3 Episode 21 – André joins Miroki diving into his recent trip to Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where he put Canada’s 100 Best Bars list to the test. He visited two spots on the list – The Narrows Public House (#12) and Dear Friend (#15) –...
