What Happens When You Age Wine? Comparing 2 Reviews of the Same Wine 8 Years Apart
Take a trip back in time with me. All the way to the hyper distant world of 2014. My then-girlfriend (now wife) and I had just come back from a 5 month soujourn in South East Asia, and my parents (presumably grateful their feckless son…
Krug Grand Cuvée Champagne: Joining the Cult of Krug
The first time I ever heard of Krug Champagne was in novelist and wine writer Jay McInerney’s collection of wine essays Bacchus and Me. In an essay on Krug, McInerney shares an account of a man at an open champagne bar asking for another glass…
Cave Spring Pinot Gris is a More than an Alright White
Quietly, without a great deal of fanfare, inexpensive Ontario wines have been getting really quite good. The majority of them are still only available from the vineyards directly (which is why I make routine pilgrimages to Prince Edward County) but more than a few are…
Taittinger is a Tasty, Entry-Level Champagne
When I picked Taittinger (pronounced “Tay-ton-zshay”) to be my New Year’s Eve champagne, it was for simple reasons — it cost under $70, was on sale, and wasn’t Veuve Clicquot, a bubbly I have mixed feelings about. While a non-vintage champagne (not a bad thing…
Erath Pinot Noir is a Perfect, Light, Fall Red Wine
The cold weather cometh — and while that can be a bit of a rocky transition for everyone, I don’t think anyone is hit harder than white wine drinkers. Ok that might be an exaggeration, but seriously one day you’re reaching for that bracingly cold…
13th Street Premier Cuvée Is a Brilliant Vintage Bubbly
Alright, so, I realize that reviewing a sparkling wine during the apex of pandemic pandemonium might be on the odd side of decisions to make, but having recently tried the phenomenally good 13th Street Premier Cuvée, (2013), I simply had to share. And since we can’t…
Ridge Three Valleys Sonoma County Is a Magnificent Zinfandel Blend
My Dad is one of the reasons I fell in love with wine. Not only is it his pure and earnest enjoyment of a good glass or his devotion to St- Emilions, but it’s the fact that every once in a while he’ll get a…
Santa Rita Wine Tour: Vineyard Biking and Vino Sipping in Chile
One of my favourite things to do when travelling is find a nearby wine region and explore it a bit. So far my partner Christine and I have been to Sonoma and Napa in California, and Prince Edward County right at home in Ontario. So…
A Portrait of the Modern Sommelier: An Interview With Kat Woods from Winebox Valparaiso
In February, my partner and I went on the trip of a lifetime to Chile for food, hiking and — of course — wine. While trips to vineyards and many bottles of vino stood out, no wine experience was more profound than our guided tasting…
Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene Prosecco: A Beautiful Bubbly
Every New Years Eve I like to treat myself to a nice bottle of sparkling wine. Many years it has taken the form of champagne (delicious when vintage and even when not.) But unfortunately I live in a bizarre reality where my partner Christine DOESN’T…