2016 Southbrook Laundry Vineyard Pinot Noir – $34.80 – ****+ – The lineup at Southbrook has been very interesting over the past few vintages with the addition of Riesling and Gamay – so this Pinot was something I was very looking forward to opening. I was not disappointed – the...
It’s been a little while since I have re-proclaimed my love for Organized Crime. I have to admit that I still have dreams about the 2016 Pipe Down – it’s hard to top any bottle in Ontario in terms of quality and value across the board for a wine like...
2017 Pelee Island Cabernet Franc – LCBO 433714 – $13.45 – ***½+ – If I had to give one criticism to this bottle it’s the packaging that is in bad need of a facelift. I have a rule in my house that I won’t cook with anything I won’t drink...
2017 Drea’s Sauvignon Blanc – (Available at Reif) – $26.70 – **** – It’s great when a wine can tell a great story. This bottle is made in memory of Karl Kaiser by his daughter Andrea. She tells the story on the bottle of her father making this wine in...
Our last winery visit in Beaujolais was at Domaine de Thulon. We made the stop on a recommendation from another producer. When I took a look at their website (http://thulon.com) I was once again sucked in by a great label – with names like “La Cerise Sur Le Gateau” and...
On my second visit to Beaujolais I made sure to stop at Chateau Thivin. I know it probably surprises people – but I chose to visit them because of their labels. I had a list of great suggestions from a few people on who to visit in Beaujolais, but there...
This trip to France I made my second visit to Dominique Piron. When I arrived at the winery I had an opportunity to sit down with Dominique, and there was also some students studying wine at a university nearby. It was interesting to get a perspective of Beaujolais from young...
Sometimes I need to take a break from wine – and I’ve had a few interesting beverages cross my table in the past few weeks. There’s a saying in Niagara that it takes a lot of beer to make good wine – but I wonder if anyone is starting to...
I recently took some time to visit Sue-Ann Staff’s winery. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Brix – the friendliest door greeter at any winery in Niagara – and this fact is undisputed. It has been great to see the Fancy Farm Girl bottles on the shelves of local LCBO’s...
I try to sneak my way into Legends Estates a few times a summer to see what Derek Barnett is up to. He makes his Meldville wines here – and it’s always fun to taste through the wines with Derek. The portfolio is on solid footing with his Chardonnay and...
I have been a fan of Kevin Panagapka’s wines since the first time I tasted them. His Chardonnay – from any of the vineyards he works with – is always among the best in Ontario. The best part about the portfolio at 2027 Cellars is that it is so affordable....
I recently got an email from a publicist talking about Bonterra wines and Earth Day. I last had a chance to taste through the Bonterra wines in 2015, but I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about them since then. Entry level for California is a tricky place...
