2011

Hidden Bench – December 2014 Visit

For this year one thing I will be adding to www.andrewinereview.ca are expanded tastings from my visits to wine country.  I am very pleased to have Hidden Bench be the first winery to be profiled.  The owner of the winery is Harald Thiel.  I have had the pleasure of bumping...

A Farewell to Semillon (2003-2013)

The 2013-14 winter was brutal in Ontario.  Many vineyards lost Syrah and Merlot and my heart goes out to the wineries who lost vines.  The light at the end of the tunnel is that events like that cold winter will continue to help define the Ontario wine industry as a...

You Should Drink Ontario Sparkling Wine tonight.

You Should Drink Ontario Sparkling Wine tonight.

I was recently asked by a friend what Sparkling wine should I get for New Years… I have a sixty dollar budget.  The great news about a sixty dollar budget is there are A LOT of options on what you can pick up.  Champagne can get quite expensive.  A bottle...

Eye on Charles Baker

Eye on Charles Baker

2011 Charles Baker Picone Riesling – Vintages 241182 – $35.20 – There aren’t many wines that head north of thirty dollars that I write about … but right from your first sniff of the wine in the glass you know you’ve got something special in front of you.  Perfectly balanced,...

Eye on Mer Soleil

Eye on Mer Soleil

2012 Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay – Vintages 958975 – $34.95 (currently the 2011 is available) – What would happen if hot buttered popcorn had a love child with a sweet christmas orange?  There’s a good chance you would end up with the Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay.  Very rich and complex...

Eye on Taste Local – VQApalooza

Eye on Taste Local – VQApalooza

[huge_it_slider id=”2″] The LCBO has been working over the past couple years to tweak the campaign that was once known as “Go Local”.  Last year the promotion was called “Shine On”, and let’s face it the name just didn’t quite pop even though the wine selection was very good.  This...

Eye on Sparkling Wine

Eye on Sparkling Wine

2011 Featherstone Joy – Vintages 310334 – $34.95 – I have been eagerly waiting the release of this wine as the 2009 was easily the best Sparkling wine from Ontario I sampled last year … and that is saying a lot in a province loaded with world class sparkling wine...

Eye on Domaine Queylus

Eye on Domaine Queylus

Domaine Queylus is a new winery in Niagara.  I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peak at some of the portfolio at Cuvée in February this year.  Winemakers Thomas Bachelder and Kelly Baker were pouring two pinot noirs that evening, but the current Queylus portfolio has 5 PInots.  They...

Eye on Wildass 3

Eye on Wildass 3

This review wraps up a tour through the Wildass portfolio that delivers hits with no misses.  While people know that I’m a fan of VQA Sauvignon Blanc it’s no secret that I am an open skeptic towards Merlot.  This Merlot does not disappoint as it’s very ripe and juicy with...