What’s a ‘Wine’? Part III: Why Bother With Wine Tasting?
One of the most recurring comments I get about wine is “what’s the point of wine tasting? Isn’t it all a bit…silly?” Some of these concerns I addressed in my post Wine Tasting: Less Bullshit Than You’d Think, but I thought I’d go one step further…
Welcoming 2015 With 2004 Laurent-Perrier Vintage Champagne
It’s become a personal tradition to celebrate the New Year with a bottle of fine champagne. No, not the “champagne” that costs $11.99 and the liquor store keeps near the registers during the holidays, but rather champagne from the region for which it is named. No matter…
Quality Rings True: The Rich, Delicious Ringbolt Cabernet Sauvignon
There are a few wines that hold a special place in my heart for introducing me to the finest of fluids — wines that transcended my beginner palate, and appealed to me before I could even stand the smell of whiskey. Inevitably, not all of…
Sipping With Smoth: A Fine Wine Tasting at Toronto’s Fine Wine Reserve
When I turned 19 (the legal drinking age in Ontario) I wanted to celebrate like any normal person: by doing my first legal wine tasting. Thankfully, close family friends presented me with this opportunity, by purchasing two tickets for a “global wine tasting” at the…
A Worthy Celebration After a Long Absence: The 2010 Chateau Fleur Cardinale
It’s been a while since my last post, an unfortunate product of being in South East Asia for four months. While I did drink lots of extremely cheap (and rather rudimentary) lager, it wasn’t really worth writing about. I missed wine dearly over my absence,…
What’s a ‘Wine’? Part II: The ABCs of Wine Terms
One of the most daunting aspects of pursuing wine is the dense and often confusing terminology. What is a “bouquet?” Why do I care about “terroir?” And what the hell does a Sommelier do? In the spirit of my first What’s a Wine, here is…
Jackson-Triggs Grand Reserve Sauvignon Blanc: A World Class White
The snow drifts and ice patches hardly conjure the desire for a crisp glass of white wine, but for those who just can’t wait for summer, the Jackson-Triggs Grand Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is one hell of a bottle. It’s hard to believe it comes from…
Sipping With Smoth: Veuve Clicquot and the Perfect Risotto
The new year has long been an excuse for me to spend too much money on a bottle of champagne, and this year was no exception. The only difference was, I intended to share it with my girlfriend Christine, who had the terrible misfortune of…
What’s a ‘Wine’? Part I: Getting to Know Your Grapes
I started ‘Sipping With Smoth’ in large part to answer many of the questions I was receiving regarding alcoholic beverages, wine in particular. Thus, in the same vein of my earlier post What’s a ‘Whiskey’? I’m going to start an informational series on the intricacies of wine. Approaching wine…
Jackson-Triggs Meritage Reserve: Bordeaux on a Budget
There are those magical bottles of wine. The inexpensive ones that taste like they cost a fortune. The ones universally appreciated, that you can share with friends, or bring to a fancier dinner party. The ones that have patriotic appeal, something you can be proud…