Our guest this evening is a Canadian winemaking superstar. Not only does he make wine here in Ontario, but he also has vineyards in Burgundy and Oregon. This is a man on a mission when it comes to cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Bachelder project started with the 2009 vintage with the three terroirs series: Three regions; Three wines. As he describes it, the hands, techniques and the palates remain the same, only the terroirs change. And he joins me live now from his home in Niagara: Welcome to the Sunday Sipper Club Thomas Bachelder! Here are just some […]
Ontario Wine
Henry of Pelham’s Paul Speck on Cool Climate Chardonnay
By Melissa Pulvermacher To kick off the annual International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) in Niagara, Ontario, I visited Paul Speck of Henry of Pelham Winery on the Short Hills Bench in St. Catharines. The Henry of Pelham winery has been owned by the Speck family since 1988. While tasting the wines, we explored this concept of cool climate viticulture. Ontario’s weather can be somewhat unpredictable from year-to-year, which is why our local wines tend to have a lot of vintage variance. Beginning with some of my favourite Niagara bubbles, the Cuvee Catharine Carte Blanche had me salivating right […]
Canadian Wine and BBQ Food Pairings Video
Leanne and I chat about the great Canadian wines nominated to pair with grilled food in The Great Canadian Wine Match: BBQ Edition. Find out why these wines are great matches for barbecued chicken, pork, beef, seafood, vegetables and dessert. The wines hail from all of Canada’s major wine producing wine regions, including: Okanagan Valley, BC Niagara, Pelee Island, Lake Erie and Prince Edward County in Ontario Eastern Townships in Quebec Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia Just 4 days left to vote for your favourite Canadian wines! Hashtag #GCWM Canadian Wine and BBQ Food Pairings Video […]
Henry of Pelham Wine Tasting Reveals Deep Roots in Niagara
Jennifer MacDonald Havers Wine Columnist, Ottawa Citizen What a lovely opportunity to sit down with the Speck Brothers (well, two of three – Paul and Daniel) from Henry of Pelham winery to learn more about their family’s winemaking as well to taste across their portfolio of wines. Their Henry of Pelham portfolio is generally set up along three tiers; Classic, Estate, and the Speck Family Reserve. Photo by Jennifer MacDonald Havers By adhering to rigorous quality standards and keeping production at modest levels for the higher tier (Speck Brothers Reserve), the resulting high quality wines trickle down to […]
How to Taste Wine Like a Pro at a Winery or Restaurant
On CTV’s The Social yesterday, we chatted about how to get the most from your winery visit, including what to bring, what to ask and how to spit your wine. You can watch the full video here. However, when you’re at home, please don’t spit the two lovely wines that I selected for this show: Rosehall Run Pinot Noir and Viewpointe Auxerrois ;) I absolutely love it when there’s a strong reaction to any segment we do on The Social: it means we’re engaged and passionate about wine! When I mention that there shouldn’t be sediment floating around in your […]
The Wine that Came in from the Cold: Icewine
Not a breath of wind caresses the snow-blanketed vineyards. The tar-black sky is pin-pricked with stars, and a full moon sends shadows slithering out between the scarecrow vines. Stooped figures in Arctic gear coax their bare fingers to snap off bunches of frozen grapes. That’s what the annual icewine harvest looks like in Niagara at this time of the year. It results in a wine that combines the sweetness of lusciously ripe fruit with a silver edge of acidity that’s as crisp as the winter wind. Despite its modern association with Canada, icewine was actually discovered in Germany, by accident, […]
Balderson Cheddar Cheese and Canadian Wine: A Natural Pairing
Leanne and I chat about pairing Balderson Cheddar Cheeses with Canadian wines on CTV News. You can discover more terrific wine pairings for Balderson. Posted with permission of CTV
Ontario Sparkling Wine for New Year’s and All Year
On CBC’s Metro Morning we chat about terrific Ontario sparkling wines for New Year’s Eve, plus one splurge-worthy Champagne. More sparkling wine chats here. Plus, why is sparkling wine the most food-friendly wine on the planet? Shabby-chic pairings, from potato chips to buttered popcorn. Natalie MacLean, editor of Canada’s largest wine review site, picks her favourite sparkling wines for New Year’s Eve: Henry Of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Blancs De Blanc Short Hills Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada Zesty, refreshing and balanced Niagara sparkling wine with crisp notes of green apple and baked bread. Superb quality. Great persistence of beaded […]
Find Your Holiday Gift Wine from Our Team Tasting Top Picks
Our last big team tasting for the year had 150 bottles on the tables, along a variety of Balderson Cheddar Cheeses in preparation for our pairing contest. . You can watch the video reviews below of our team’s favourite discoveries. Matt Steeves Wine Expert, CTV Morning Live Jennifer MacDonald Havers Wine Columnist, Ottawa Citizen Rachelle O’Connor Wine Blogger & Judge Photo by Cherie Cole Cherie Cole Restaurant Wine Consultant Sharon […]
Wine Tripping and Sipping in Prince Edward County
By Alex and Priya, A Vine Romance Move over Niagara, Prince Edward County is coming of age as a wine country area in Ontario! Whether it’s the big names like Norm Hardie, Closson Chase and Karlo Estates, or the smaller ones like Domaine Darius or Trail Estates, we’ve spent many a weekend exploring the wineries of this region and wanted to share some of our favourite spots with you. Priya: First things first is finding a great home base for all your County experiences. We were lucky to get a spot at The Ferg, a beautiful boutique property co-owned by our very good […]
