A Worthy Syrah, Albariño and Riesling that Won’t Break the Bank
A few new releases to ponder today from the other side of Earth—each worth the mild dent in your pocketbook. Wakefield Estate Riesling 2019 —...
Get Your New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Before it’s Gone!
As Chris Waters noted in the Globe & Mail last week, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is headed for a big shortfall in the coming year. What...
‘RIPASSING’ YOUR TIME AWAY
When you have a wine culture as old as Italy’s, you tend to learn a few tricks of the trade. Considering they’ve been producing wine...
MEET THE SOMM: James Peden, BlueBlood Steakhouse
Living through the pandemic as a member of the Ontario restaurant industry has not been a pleasant experience. And those on the management side have...
TAKING YOU TO SCHOOL: La Escuela is a Worthy Malbec
Tinto Negro Finca La Escuela La Grava 2017 Malbec — Mendoza, Argentina ($24.95) (Releasing May 1) Tinto Negro has an intriguing line of five Malbecs...
THINK PINK: A Bang-for-the-Buck Argentinian Rosé
I’m trying to stay positive during this latest Ontario COVID-19 lockdown, knowing that spring will have eventually sprung and we’ll be sharing wine with friends...
VINTAGE ACHIEVEMENTS: The Decorated Past and Daunting Present of Donald Ziraldo
“It was the only time I remember getting drunk,” Donald Ziraldo recalls. The owner of Ziraldo Estate Wines is speaking of an exclusive reception at...
Tempranillo Time: Lealtanza Reserva 2015
Located on a beautiful 740-acre estate (including 220 acres of vineyards and a huge olive grove) in the township of Fuenmayor in northern Spain, Bodegas Altanza...
HOT CHILE: Laura Hartwig Offers a Spicy Carménère with Canadian Content
There’s a Canadian connection to this newly released Carménère, with the Hartwig family having lived in Toronto and Montreal throughout most of the 1970s. Alejandro...
An Organic Red? For $10? That’s Actually Good?
Here’s another winner if the $10 realm. I’m not the biggest fan of Fantini’s regular Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, but this organic version is quite well balanced...
