Tania’s Magical Matches: Wine Pairing for Canadian Gouda

By Tania Thomas Gouda, one of the oldest and most popular cheeses in the world dates back to 1100’s in its native Holland and is still made today. It is named after the city of Gouda as it has historically been traded there for centuries. Today, the name describes general style of cheese made similar to the old traditional Dutch way, as well as the Dutch original. Brought to Canada with the skilled Dutch cheese-making immigrants who used their centuries-old secret recipes and their native cultures, Canada’s Goudas are every bit as delicious and as high in quality as the […]

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Gift Wines to Make Your Holidays Sparkle

Team member Matt Steeves above, chats about his favourite holiday gift wines on CTV’s Morning Show above. Click the arrow to play.       Team member Tania Thomas recommends her favourite holiday sparkling wines on Rogers Daytime Television.   Gift Wines to Make Your Holidays Sparkle 1st video Leanne: Well you don’t need to spend a lot to get great wines. In fact when it comes to entertaining often the best wines are some of the least expensive and the most appealing. So here with his top picks and tips on how to serve wine at your holiday party, we […]

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Holiday Wine Team Tasting: Your Wines for Gift Giving and Entertaining

On Sunday, 22 wine-loving, football-sacrificing souls (it was Grey Cup) gathered to taste more than 70 spectacular wines. Click on the arrow above to hear about Jennifer’s favourite wine from the tasting, a Chilean Carmenere with bright acidity, nice little spice, great for a wide variety of foods. Jennifer MacDonald Havers Wine Columnist, Ottawa Citizen                   Monique explains her reasons for picking Taittinger Champagne to toast her celebration events.         Monique Ippolito Wine Columnist, Ottawa Living Magazine               Craig’s take on Beringer Quantum […]

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Jane’s Gems: A Festive Lineup of 90 Point Wines in Vintages November 14, 2015

By Jane Staples With the holiday season right around the corner, it’s time to pick out some special wines. For parties, to give as gifts, and to stock up on classic favourites for entertaining with family and friends. Some of the sections at the LCBO will expand at this time of year with a wonderful selection of sparkling wines, liqueurs, cognac and specialty products. So many choices! Not to worry! Many of the larger LCBO’s have an in-store Product Consultant with extensive wine knowledge and training. These individuals are a goldmine of information on the latest Vintages release wines and […]

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Ferrari: Mountain Sparkling Wine of the Alps

Canada’s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered in the nation’s capital recently for an extraordinary tasting of Ferrari wines, Italy’s benchmark sparkling wine producer. Matteo Lunelli, president of Ferrari, explains in the video above how the Ferarri winery survived unscathed during World War II and out of that fortunate chaos, founder Giulio Ferrari discovered longer aged vintages. Click on the arrow to play the video.         With the help of a slide show, Matteo shares the beauty of the countryside at Villa Margon. As well as being a wine growing area during the summer months, there is […]

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Tania’s Magical Matches: Wine Pairing for Creamy Cheese Fondue

By Tania Thomas Wine and cheese are a truly perfect pair. An especially satisfying experience is to enjoy the two together after a hard day of playing in the snow. Imagine a roaring fireplace, snowed-in mountain lodge and a pot of warm and gooey cheese fondue. Heaven! As a national dish of Switzerland, fondue was associated with rustic mountain life from the lowlands of western, French-speaking, Switzerland. A rich and expensive Gruyère cheese was used for its preparation with the addition of wine and seasoning. If you feel inspired; get started by rubbing the pot with a halved garlic clove. […]

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

By Lesley Quinn Acronyms are everywhere. LOL, AWOL, CSI, BFF, all the major sports leagues use them as do most major news stations. They are used in all walks of life and the wine industry certainly isn’t immune to the convenience of shortening a term. The problem arises when you have no idea what those letters actually stand for, so lets get one thing straight right off the bat, GSM stands for a blend of the following three grapes: Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. A wine blend is like a dinner entrée. It’s rare we eat a single thing all alone. […]

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Jane’s Gems: Tuscan and Chilean Treats > 90 Point Wines in the LCBO Vintages October 31

By Jane Staples The October 31 release from Vintages features sophisticated Tuscan wines. A food lover’s paradise with centuries of winemaking tradition, Tuscany is a favourite travel destination and the darling of the wine lover’s world. Tuscan wines are diverse, from the well-known Chianti to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Sassicaia. Tuscany is blessed with a temperate warm Mediterranean climate that provides ideal growing conditions for a wide range of varietals. The signature grape is Sangiovese, but Cabernet Sauvignon has been grown there since the 18th century. Super Tuscans such as the Sangiovese and Cabernet-based Tignanello celebrate this delicious blend. […]

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Toronto Wine Tasting Shows Wide Diversity of Styles

By Mymi Myriam The wow factor as I walked into the sumptuous lobby of the Governor’s Room in the heart of the Exhibition Place is high. This is not just any room, it is a lavish, opulent and enormous ballroom. I proceeded through the enormous ornate wooden doors. Upon entering, I was warmly welcomed by a lovely lady who handed me an empty wine glass and my journey started. The Profile Wine Group is a coalition of three wine merchants: Barrique Wine Imports, VinVino Wine Merchants, and Du Chasse Wines and Spirits. They are one of Canada’s premier wine and […]

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