I had the pleasure of visiting Tantalus at the end of August. It was just the beginning of veraison. I got to walk the vineyards and pick out the few berries that had started to turn red. It was clear that the Okanagan valley had gotten an early start on...
It has been a little while since I visited Megalomaniac. I still maintain that Frank Cabernet is one of the best value wines in the province. I did need to make time to stop by as many of the 2012 wines have been released. It should also be noted that...
One of my first stops in the Okanagan was to Sperling Estates. I have long been a fan of Ann Sperling’s work at Southbrook. So, as soon as I knew I was heading out west my first point of order was to make sure I got a chance to visit...
2009 Flat Rock Cellars Riddled Sparkling – Vintages 383315 – $29.95 – **** – Let me introduce this wine into evidence for my mounting case that we should be drinking sparkling wine all year round and without any special occasions. Thirty dollars may push the wine out of every day...
After five years of free beer in the dressing room you get tired of it. So the logical step (obviously) is to move to Grand Cru Bordeaux. This is what Jim Cuddy told me when I recently connected with him to talk about his new wines released through Tawse. In...
2014 Canadian Oak Chardonnay – Vintages TBD – $21.95 – ****1/2 – The nose is rich and complex there is Pineapple, Peach, Vanilla and a hint of something funky. It really doesn’t get more local than this wine. The barrel is made with Canadian Oak and the grapes are fermented...
2015 Effervescence – $29.95 – **** – It’s great to see Kacaba include a sparkling wine in the portfolio. The aromas on this wine are very strong green apple with a bit of lime zest. The flavours on this wine very much match the nose but bring a nice layer...
I had the chance to finally visit Lighthall Vineyards this spring. I have tasted the wines on several occasions at events in Toronto and have always been a big fan. Needless to say my visit to the winery is one that was long overdue. There are many reasons to get...
Here’s a couple reviews for wines that were sent to me to taste recently. Neither one of these are among what I usually taste (being that they are not from Ontario). NV Yellow Tail Moscato – LCBO 443713 – $10.95 – ***1/2 – Low alcohol and easy drinking this wine...
2014 Tawse Spark Limestone Ridge Sparkling Riesling – Vintages 370361 – $19.95 – **** – This is a “serious” wine at a very “not serious” price. This is a traditional method sparkling wine which means that the fermentation giving it bubbles takes place in the bottle. The nose is bright...
2011 Jackson-Triggs Enotourage Grand Reserve Brut – Vintages 234161 – $24.95 – **** – Another very solid sparkling wine from the province at an amazing price. A bottle like this is something I will drink for no reason, other than I want to. It’s time to stop saving bubbles for...
The Wine Writers Circle of Canada recently hosted a Rosé tasting. We had over fifty wines available to taste from various growing regions. France, Italy, Australia, Spain, New Zealand and Ontario were all present. There were a lot of great wines on the table. The table was full of surprises...
