Photo: Andrea Shapiro Jane Staples Wine, Food &Travel Writer,Accredited Sommelier Viña Tarapacá and San Pedro 1865 Winetasting at ZOE’S LOUNGE Exciting things are happening in Chile’s winemaking industry! The world is recognizing the fine craftsmanship and distinctive personality of Chilean wines. Chile is also becoming a world leader in organic and sustainable viticulture. I recently attended a tutored tasting with two award-winning winemakers, Sebastian Ruiz from Viña Tarapacá and Matias Cruzat from San Pedro 1865. Our team of wine writers happily gathered at the comfortable Zoe’s Lounge in Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier. Matias Cruzat Photo: Jane Staples Each winemaker led highly […]
Chile Wines
San Pedro Winery: An Overnight Success 150 Years in the Making (of Wine)
Tania Thomas Wine Expert, Rogers Daytime Television Our wine writing team was treated to an engaging guided tasting, expertly led by Viña San Pedro’s passionate Enologist of 1865 Single Vineyard and Castillo de Molina labels, Matias Cruzat. After perfecting his craft in the wineries across California, USA and South Africa, Matias returned home to Chile and was soon recruited as a winemaker for the winery’s Premium brands. Photo: Tania Thomas The winery was established in the Curicó Valley in 1865 by the Correa Albano brothers and started with varieties brought over from Europe. Today, with 1,200 […]
Errazuriz Winery Puts Chile on the Wine Map with Cool Climate Viticulture
By Melissa Pulvermacher On October 31, I had the pleasure of joining Eduardo Chadwick and fellow industry professionals for lunch at the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto. Bosk restaurant catered the intimate meal and Eduardo spoke about the wines that we tasted from Errázuriz Vineyards. Eduardo Chadwick Aconcagua Costa The majority of the wines tasted at the luncheon were from a relatively new wine region –Aconcagua Costa. About 12 km from the cool Pacific Ocean, Chile is able to successfully grow and harvest in a cool-climate zone that is very well suited to white varieties, as well as Syrah and Pinot […]
Mother’s Day Gifts, Wines and Pairings
By Natalie MacLean How to thank Mom for all those kisses, compliments and band-aids? Try a great bottle of wine with Mother’s Day gift, brunch or dinner pairing. As a mother myself now, I call my glass of wine at 5 p.m. “Mommy’s little helper.” Here’s to you Mom! Here are my Top 20 Wines for Mother’s Day, either made by women or named for them. Often the latter were originally made by women. Try these wines that I recommended on the Conde Nast site Epicurious.com or more choices on Canada AM and in More Magazine: Veuve Clicquot Champagne France […]
Winemaker Eduardo Chadwick: Errazuriz Wine Tasting
By Mymi Myriam On a beautiful, warm and sunny fall day, I rode my bicycle to the Ritz Carlton for the extraordinary opportunity to sit down with Mr. Eduardo Chadwick, the President of Vina Errazuriz and iconic ambassador of premium Chilean wines. I walked into the Ritz’s sumptuous, modern lobby and headed up a staircase towards TOCA, one of the hotel’s restaurants where our luncheon was taking place. Mr. Chadwick stood in a magnificent dining room and welcomed me with a warm smile and handshake. I joined the few selected guests at the dining room table and kept […]
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. […]
LCBO Wines on Sale: February 2015 Bargains and Best Buys
Sponsored Post by Philippe Dandurand Wine Agency You can get the complete shopping list of these wines in your closest liquor stores here. Trapiche Reserve Syrah 2013 Argentina Regular Price: $11.95 Sale Price: $10.95 February 1 to February 28 [yellow tail] Shiraz 2013 New South Wales, Australia Regular Price: $23.75 Sale Price: $21.75 February 1 to February 28 HobNob Wine Company George Duboeuf Pinot Noir 2009 Languedoc, France Regular Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $11.95 February 1 to February 28 Yellow Tail Bubbles Sparkling Wine 2010 South Eastern Australia Regular […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews and Ratings: Vintages January 24
You can access the 56 wines that I reviewed for January 24 as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for January 10. If you are a Paid Member, you can add my wine picks to your custom shopping list with one click and access that list on your smartphone to find the stock for each wine in your closest LCBO store. These are just some of the benefits of supporting out wine community as a Paid Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews and Ratings: Vintages Release October 25
You can access the 68 wines that I reviewed for October 25 as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for October 11. If you are a Paid Member, you can add my wine picks to your custom shopping list with one click and access that list on your smartphone to find the stock for each wine in your closest LCBO store. These are just some of the benefits of supporting out wine community as a Paid Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day […]
Wine Events and Tastings in Canada
Here is my Top 10 List of Wine Shows in Canada: 1. Vancouver Playhouse Festival: January 2016 2. La Grande Dégustation de Montréal: November 5-7, 2015 Montreal, Quebec 3. World Wine & Food Expo: October 30 – November 7, 2015 Moncton 4. Californian Wine Fair (5 cities): April-May 2016 5. Winnipeg Wine Festival 6. Port of Wines Festival: Halifax Dates change, so register online with the event to get alerts on the most current information. You’ll find tips on getting the most from wine shows here. I find that the larger shows that attract 20,000+ attendees are designed more […]
