We had so much fun pairing wine with fast food this past Friday on The Social, CTV’s new national talk show in the video. Think “The View”, but with smarter hosts and a much stronger social media angle. Hosts Melissa Grelo, Lainey Lui, Traci Melchor and Cynthia Loyst all have impressive backgrounds with other successful shows. I’m honoured to be their new wine go-to gal on the show. Jackson-Triggs Entourage Grand Reserve Brut Sparkling Niagara Peninsula, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada You can also watch our second episode where we do a […]
Chilean Wines
Books & Wines With Great Structure & Finish
We often chat about pairing wine and food, but what about pairing bottles with books? You can also watch part two of our book and bottle pairings from CTV yesterday. What’s the first pairing you recommend? We’re starting with one of my favorite wine books, The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil. It’s sold more than a half a million copies worldwide and is a go-to reference book that’s also engagingly well-written. Karen lives in Napa Valley, so I’d pair this book with this full-bodied, complex Cabernet Sauvignon from Charles Krug, Napa Valley’s oldest winery […]
Malbec Day: A Tale of Tango and Taste
World Malbec Day on April 17 (#MalbecWorldDay) reminds me of both a recent Argentine tasting with the Opimian Wine Club as well as a trip I took to Buenos Aires several years ago. The tasting featured a terrific range of Latin American wines. It was an evening of Latin music, food, friends, and yes, tango! We gathered at a local restaurant, El Gusto Mazzola, where the husband-and-wife owners, Elena Mazzola and chef Victor Mazzola treated us to an authentic Argentine tapas dinner paired with the Malbec and other wines. Rounding out the feeling of an Argentine bistro, Réjean Simard and Diane Clément offered superb demonstrations of the three forms of […]
Wine and Comfort Food Pairing: Revel in Your Rut
Yes, I know that I’m supposed to be forward-looking to spring with a chirpy article about zesty white wines to pair with fresh vegetables, but it’s so cold outside … and I’m tired of writing seasonally-appropriate editorial content. So let’s make wallowing fun, and turn to comfort wines paired with comfort food. In our continuing video series with Canadian Press, we look at quick tips on pairing those old favourites, from braised meat to pasta in cream sauce with wine. It’ll make you (almost) care what time of year it is when you have bottled sunshine. Here are my favourite […]
Video > Best Wines Under $20 Plus Food Pairings
CTV host Marci and I chat about the best wines under $20 that are in liquor stores now. You can click on the arrow above to watch the video. Here are the wines we featured: Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc Cathedral Cellar Kwv Cabernet Sauvignon Trapiche Fincas Las Palmas Malbec Henry of Pelham Winery Baco Noir Henry of Pelham Winery Family Tree Sibling Rivalry Pink Remy Pannier Sevre & Maine Sur Lie Muscadet Pascual Toso Malbec Santa Alicia Tierra Sur Brut Sparkling Santa Alicia Reserva Carmenere You can watch us play wine version of The Price is Right on CTV’s The Social. […]
San Pedro Tasting Past and Present
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 […]
5 Tips to Pick the Best Thanksgiving Wines: Gobbling Good
In the CTV News video above, we chat about how no other holiday celebrates the gift of wine like Thanksgiving. Wine is a taste of the harvest along with all the delicious dishes on the table. But actually choosing a bottle can feel like a thankless task, especially with so many flavors to match. Relax. Have a drink. Try some of my suggestions for great wines to pair with Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings. These are some of my favourite wines for Thanksgiving. Here are my five quick tips for choosing a terrific Thanksgiving wine: 1. Start with bubbly. […]
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 […]
Win $500 Wine Pack with Casas del Bosque Wines on Instagram
Enter the #hotandcool Photo Contest to Win a $500 Wine Pack Featuring the wines of Casas del Bosque, Chile Some like their wines from cool regions and others like them hot. From the vibrant tropical and citrus notes of Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc (Cool Casablanca Valley) to the dark fruit, chocolate and cooking spice flavours of the Casas del Bosque Reserva Carmenère (Hot Rapel Valley), these wines suit your every mood. What do I win? The grand prize winner of this contest will receive a $250 gift certificate to the LCBO and matching his and her Casas del Bosque […]
Miguel Torres Chilean Wines Focus on Sustainability
By Melissa Pulvermacher During i4C (International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration), I had the opportunity to meet with producers from all around the world. My meeting with Miguel Torres of Chile’s General Manager, Jaime Valderrama was a real treat. In our market, we recognize Torres Chile as the producer of easy-drinking, incredibly affordable wines, but after speaking with Jaime, I now recognize their sustainable initiatives as a major part of who they are. We spoke of the “sustainability strategy”. In our current market, green and health products are in high demand. This does not transcend wine and in fact, the […]
