What’s a ‘Wine’? IV: European Growing Regions
In my past What’s a ‘Wine’? posts we’ve gotten to know some popular grapes and learned some basic wine terminology. But where does it all come from? Who exactly is growing all this wine? The next step is to learn about some of the world’s most…
Catena Makes a Magnificent Malbec
Sometimes you find a wine, so delicious, so affordable, so consistent you can’t help recommending it for nearly every occasion, regardless of a person’s personal preference or snootiness level. Catena Malbec is that wine and more — it could arguably be my favorite “$20 and under” in…
The Importance of Aeration: 2006 Brunello Di Montalcino Principesco
Most people opening a wine are about as concerned with aeration as they are with the shape of the glass they’re drinking from — which is to say, very little. Sometimes, it’s not overly important, if you’re just popping a cheap-and-cheerful “drink now” wine. It’s…
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…