First Families of Wine Tasting: Primum Familiae Vini Bring Family and Place to the Glass

By Mymi Myriam At 11:30 a.m. on a windy Thursday, I walked into a sumptuous room at the Four Seasons Hotel.  Immaculately decorated, it had high ceilings and an incredible view of Toronto’s affluent Yorkville neighbourhood. In the center of the room was a very large and beautifully dressed… dining room table! I was at the right place: the long-awaited Primum Familiae Vini (PFV) luncheon. The PFV is an international association of some of the world’s finest wine producing families from France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain. It was created in 1992 by Robert Drouhin and Miguel Torres as they […]

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LCBO Wines on Sale: Bargains and Best Buys May 2015

Sponsored Post by Philippe Dandurand Wine Agency You can get the complete shopping list of these wines in your closest liquor stores here.   [yellow tail] Big Bold Red 2014 New South Wales, Australia Regular Price: $13.95 Sale Price: $11.95 May 1 to May 25           Georges Duboeuf Gamay 2013 Beaujolais-Villages, France Regular Price: $13.95  Sale Price: $12.95  May 1 to May 25         Frescobaldi Remole 2013 Tuscany, Italy Regular Price: $12.95  Sale Price: $10.95  May 1 to May 25         Roodeberg 2013 Western Cape W.O., South Africa Regular Price: […]

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Wolf Blass Yellow Label Wines Go Regional

Wolf Blass Yellow Label Sparkling Brut Sparkling White South East Australia Green apple fresh with zesty lime. Terrific bubbly for this price. Perfect for any large festive gathering. Alcohol: 11% Sweetness: Extra Dry Drink: 2015-2017 Score: 88 Price: $17.95 LCBO #: 708290   Smoked Chicken, Pancetta and Roasted Pear Pizza Recipe Makes:  2 pizzas Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 2 brown pears (Beurre  Bosc) ½ cup Wolf Blass Yellow Label Padthaway Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 1 tablespoon brown sugar 50g butter 2 large par-baked plain pizza bases 250g grated mozzarella cheese 8 thin slices pancetta 1 smoked […]

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LCBO Wines on Sale: Bargains and Best Buys April 2015

Sponsored Post by Philippe Dandurand Wine Agency You can get the complete shopping list of these wines in your closest liquor stores here.   Trapiche Broquel Malbec 2012 Mendoza, Argentina Regular Price: $14.95 Sale Price: $12.95 April 1 to April 30            Yellow Tail Merlot 2013 South Australia Regular Price: $11.95 Sale Price: $10.95 April 1 to April 30           35 South Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2012 Chile Regular Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $10.95  April 1 to April 30            Errazuriz Max Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Valle de Aconcagua, […]

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LCBO Wines on Sale: Bargains and Best Buys March 2015

Sponsored Post by Philippe Dandurand Wine Agency You can get the complete shopping list of these wines in your closest liquor stores here.       Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir 2012 Marlborough, New Zealand Regular Price: $21.95   Sale Price: $19.95  March 1 to March 28         Folonari Valpolicella 2012 Vénétie, Italy Regular Price: $14.45   Sale Price: $12.45  March 1 to March 28         Les Jamelles Merlot 2012 Vin de Pays d’Oc, France Regular Price: $12.95   Sale Price: $10.95  March 1 to March 28         Folie À Deux Menage A […]

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Dominus + Napanook Wine Tasting 2011 to 1991 Vertical

Dominus Estate  By Olivier deMaisonneuve Montreal Passion Vin is the annual rendez-vous when the Fondation de l’Hopital Maisonneuve-Rosemont invites wine lovers to open their wallets for a good cause. They also get the unique chance to taste world renowned wines and meet the actors behind those famous labels. This year funds were raised for a new integrated cancer treatment center. Tod Mostero, director of viticulture and winemaking at Dominus Estate, was presenting  a few vintages of the two wines produced by this domaine, born by the joint venture of Christian Moueix and the heiresses of the Inglenook Estate, one of […]

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Villa Maria Stays True to its Roots: New Zealand Winery Focuses on the Field

Villa Maria By Julia Kelada Often, decanting a wine for an hour gives it time to breathe and reveal its true character. That was exactly the time I was fortunate to spend recently talking with Sir George Fistonich, founder and owner of Villa Maria Wines in New Zealand, who has been making wines for more than 50 years. Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Private Bin Pinot Gris 2013 Private Bin Pinot Noir 2011 Cellar selection Pinot Noir 2010 Private Bin Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2010 Although I had researched a long list […]

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Recipes from Wine Country: Warm Mushroom Salad with Reif Estate Cabernet Merlot

Warm Wild and Domestic Mushroom Salad Sponsored Post Falling for Cabernet Merlot Autumn is the perfect time for you to start living the Reifstyle, an ideal time to enjoy the bounty of the fall harvest with Reif Estate’s VQA wines.  Chef Robin Howe from Wine Country Catering makes it easy with his warm mushroom salad that will pair expertly with a medium bodied rich red wine like Reif Estate Winery’s 2012 Cabernet Merlot. A perfectly balanced blend of two classic red Bordeaux varietals with black berry and sweet spiced oaky flavours on the palate. You can find this great recipe […]

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10 Best Ripasso Wines to Buy Now + 5 Surprising Facts about Ripasso

Ripasso is not a grape variety, but rather a winemaking process, made famous in Italy. This sends the wine into a second fermentation and gives the wine more tannins, body, flavour, and alcohol. You’ll find my top 10 Ripasso reviews and ratings here. 5 Surprising Facts about Ripasso: 1. The wine of Valpolicella, made from a combination of native Italian grapes most commonly Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, is re-passed over the leftover grape skins and seeds of the wine, also known as its pomace. 2. Some refer to the Ripasso style of wine as a “baby amarone,” more powerful than […]

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10 Best Valpolicella Wines to Buy Now + 5 Surprising Facts about Valpolicella

Valpolicella, like Chianti, is a style of wine from a specific region of Italy bearing the name Valpolicella. Valpolicella is not an actual grape variety. You’ll find my most recent Valpolicella  reviews and ratings here. 5 Surprising Facts about Valpolicella: The grapes that are typically used to make Valpolicella include Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. The area known as Valpolicella is a part of the greater wine region known as the Veneto and is inside the province of Verona, in the North East of Italy. Valpolicella labels can give you clues as to what wine you can expect from the wine […]

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