This past weekend Ontario wine arrived into the city of Toronto with remarkable flair. Into the Vine was presented by Wine Country Ontario and Toronto Life as a “deconstructed” look at tasting wine. I’m not sure I knew what a deconstructed approach to wine tasting would look like but I...
The Nouveau wines are released today. I still look forward to this release every year. This year feels a little exciting and there is definitely something a little different about the 2017 vintage, especially from France. The wines this year are a little more austere and this may be a...
André and Michael sit down with Derek Barnett – winemaker of Southbrook, Lailey, Karlo and now Meldville fame.
Blue Mountain Gold Label Brut Sparkling – Vintages 206326 – $30.95 – **** – This is the second visit to vintages for 2017 and I’m excited to see this hitting the shelf heading into fall. The price has crept up by a couple dollars but this is still outstanding value....
A couple years ago I had the opportunity to sit down with Pieter Badenhorst or Fleur du Cap. So I was thrilled to have an opportunity to sit down with him again this year. The wines from Fleur du Cap always offer great value and high quality. The Chardonnay and...
It can be a challenge to redefine yourselves. One of the largest challenges facing the Canadian wine industry is gaining recognition on the world stage for more than just Icewine. The wineries of South Africa are facing a similar dilemma in that they are recognized internationally for great affordable bottles...
Once again Michael is raiding his cellar and using André as a guinea pig to taste through some old wines.
2015 Southbrook Triomphe Chardonnay – Vintages 172338 – $24.95 – **** – The short note – this is the best Triomphe Chardonnay that I can remember. The long – Aromas are spicy and layered over apples and peach. This wine opens up on the palate with nice weight and texture....
Since this wine was tasted Norman Hardie has been accused of sexual misconduct. The article can be found here – https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canadian-winemaker-norman-hardie-accused-of-sexual-misconduct/ 2016 Norman Hardie Niagara Pinot Noir – $45.00 – ****½ – 2016 was a very hot vintage. A lot of wine glasses are waiting in anticipation for great Ontario...
Michael and André take a look at some discussions that have arisen with regards to the VQA.
2015 Trius Red – Vintages 303800 – $24.95 – **** – This continues to be a benchmark for Bordeaux varietals in Ontario. It offers fantastic value and continues to be a staple to build a cellar. The nose on this bottle offers up raspberry, blackberry and a nice cocoa note....
2015 La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir – Vintages 719435 – $29.95 – **** – This brings a signature of California on the nose and on the palate. However, this does retain a nice acidity that keeps this from being a little too heavy and overbearing. The flavours are dark...
