Sipping With Smoth: Visiting Nicholson Ranch Winery in Sonoma
Let’s say you’re vacationing in California. A trip to the vineyards of Napa and Sonoma is basically a foregone conclusion, so the only real question is, “Where do I go to drink some damn good wine?” Let me help you out with one solid tip:…
How Volcanoes Make the Most Interesting Wine — Green Moxie
The islands of the Azores lie just off the European coast and present a series of experiences unlike any other you will find in the world. These nine Portuguese islands are linked by culture and language, but they each have their own little unique quirks….
Decoding the Decanting Process – Fix.com
Check out the below graphic, and the excellent article written by Zachary Sussman to which it links for a thorough introduction about the process of decanting wine. Source: Fix.com
‘The Show’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a Wine That Shows Off
It’s rare to find a universally appreciable wine. Some prefer reds, some prefer whites and some prefer beverages other than wine. But The Show 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon challenges this notion by providing a wine so well-balanced and accessible, it’s able to be enjoyed by an incredibly diverse audience. I…
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…
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…
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,…