2012 Tragically Hip Fully Completely Grand Reserve Red (Stoney Ridge) – Vintages 411595 – $24.95 – **** – The label is immediately recognizable as this wine was co-created with the Tragically Hip. A Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc right off the nose you get a little...
2011 Big Bluff Red – LCBO 404046 – $12.95 – ***1/2 – Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot and Merlot make for an interesting blend. The back of the bottle says the mission is “to Showcase the character and quality of Essex Region wines.” Priced very well you have a...
I recently had the chance to taste through some upcoming releases from Southbrook with winemaker Ann Sperling. You can consider this blog post to be your shopping list for the summer. The great news is that Southbrook frequently makes appearances at local farmers markets in Toronto (to keep tabs you...
2012 Pondview Reserve Cabernet/Merlot – Vintages 307561 – $18.95 – ***1/2 – As the weather outside warms it’s time to start thinking about wines to eat with grilled meats. This is one that will do the trick. Fruit flavours in your glass will be Plum, Blackberry, and Blueberry with a nice...
2013 Lailey Unfiltered Cabernet Franc – ****+ – (Price TBD) – This is an elegant follow up to big 2012 vintage. This wine is made from a block of thirty year old vines and is only made in years that winemaker Derek Barnett feels worthy. There are layers of Raspberry,...
I love Pelee Island wines. As much as I love reviewing and tasting the new released from the Vintages section as they come out, I do remember that for most people the regular list is where they do most of their shopping. Quality VQA products are essential in the regular...
On January 28th I was given the opportunity to attend a tasting in Downtown Toronto putting Italian and Ontario wines side by side. We had the opportunity to taste through 37 wines. It is amazing to see how well the Ontario wines hold up to the Italian wines. I still...
2013 White House Wine Co. Riesling/Pinot Grigio – LCBO 219022 – $12.95 – ***1/2 – Bright, crisp and easy drinking. I will follow the rules as set out on the back of this bottle by not talking about the specific ratios of the grapes in this bottle. I opened this...
2013 Burnt Ship Bay Cabernet Merlot – Vintages 404947 – $14.95 – ***1/2+ – This was a pleasant surprise when I opened the bottle. Very fruit driven loaded with all sorts of blackberry, plum, and hints of black currant. The tannin is soft and approachable right from the bottle....
Let’s face it. Valentine’s Day can be a pain if you don’t know how to cook. If you didn’t make reservations ahead of time you could be stuck waiting for a table for a very long time. I am here to save you… Not to mention if you eat at...
This is a special review this week… and not Ontario as you can see. But they still have Canadian connections. 2012 Bachelder Bourgogne Chardonnay (France) – Vintages 272005 – $35.95 – ****1/2 – This is very nice Chardonnay. Both on the nose and in the glass this is perfect harmony...
2013 Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling – Vintages 80234 – $16.95 – ****1/2 – This wine is nothing short of exceptional. It would seem that regardless of vintage Featherstone continues to deliver an exceptional wine at a fantastic price. Perfectly balanced between sugar and acidity making this a perfect mate to...
