Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings February 5

You can access the wines that I reviewed as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. 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. You can also see my wine reviews for January 22nd. 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 or two before the release based on the LCBO doing so. Curious about […]

read more …

Read More

The First Sale is Based on the Wine Label; the Second on What’s in the Bottle – Global TV

It’s never too early to talk wine! I enjoyed chatting with Steve and Sophie on Global TV’s BC Morning Show. Click on the arrow above above to play the video clip. We chatted about tips on how to spot great wines in the liquor store in general, as well as about four terrific bargain wines, including Quails Gate Riesling, Okanagan Valley; Goats do Roam, South Africa; Sumac Ridge Tribute Sparkling Wine, Okanagan Valley; and Alamos Malbec, Argentina. You can buy Unquenchable wherever books are sold as well as online from these book retailers. Stay tuned next Thursday when we chat […]

read more …

Read More

Best Bargain Wines Under $20 (Video Tips)

We all love a bargain, that’s why those designer outlet stores are so popular. But can you find bargains when it comes to wine? On CTV News, I share my best tips for finding them.   Natalie, can we really find bargains in the liquor store? Yes and no. The two questions I’m asked most frequently is, “Can you recommend a great wine that costs less than $5?” The answer is: “no, unless all you want is a wet tongue.” The second is: “What is your favorite wine?” The answer: “The one someone else pays for.”   But you can […]

read more …

Read More

A Day in the Life of Toro Malbec from Argentina

Our team recently tasted Toro Centenario Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. We’re sharing our reviews of this terrific, value-priced wine here, plus photos we took with the wine below. Taking our inspiration from photo essays and books that focus on one topic for a day, we’ve assembled our pictorial interpretation of California’s Toro Malbec. We’re also sharing these photos on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and LinkedIn. The hashtag is Bodega Toro Winery Centenario Malbec 2019Mendoza, Argentina Like tango, soccer or a grilled steak, Argentines love the wines of their beautiful country, but their undisputed favourite is Toro. One out of […]

read more …

Read More

Dr. Laura Catena on Malbec, Wine’s Health Benefits and Winemaking in Argentina

Introduction Have you tasted an Argentine Malbec? Which foods pair best with Malbec? Why is Malbec more like Pinot Noir than Cabernet? What are the health benefits of wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, we’re chatting with Dr. Laura Catena, a fourth-generation Argentine vintner, physician and author. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Highlights How does Laura’s scientific approach to winemaking improve the taste of the Malbecs you drink? What is the significance of the pyramid-style of the Catena winery? Why is Malbec the flagship grape of Argentina? What differences can you see […]

read more …

Read More

Celebrate Malbec World Day with These Wines (Video)

Even before she graduated from South America’s most prestigious school of viticulture and enology Don Bosco, our guest this evening began working for the Catena Family wineries in Mendoza, Argentina. In 2010, she began making wine at Alamos before taking over as head of winemaking in 2016. She lives her her husband, who is also a winemaker, and four young daughters who are all growing up and working on their family vineyard as she did. And she joins me live now from the Alamos Winery, Argentina: Welcome to the Sunday Sipper Club Marnie and Lucía Vaieretti! Want to know when […]

read more …

Read More

Tasting Trapiche Wines from the Mountaintop to the Skytop

  Recently, Canada’s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered in the nation’s capital for a portfolio tasting with Sergio Case, head winemaker with Trapiche Winery in Argentina. Not only did he take us through a spectacular lineup of upcoming releases, but the event was also hosted at Ottawa’s newest event space, the glass-encased ballroom in the sky on the 22nd floor of the Westin Hotel. It’s a 3,200 square foot ballroom with a 270 degree view of downtown Ottawa, the Parliament buildings, the Ottawa River, and the Gatineau Hills, with the leaves starting to turn colour. You can watch the entire […]

read more …

Read More

Video: Blending Wine & Medicine with Argentina’s Dr. Laura Catena

What a terrific chat with Dr. Laura Catena, a fourth generation Argentine vintner, physician and author! Click on the arrow above to watch the video. Listen to Laura’s stories about why Catena wines are so special. Discover more juicy tips that will make you wine smart. Cheers, Natalie We’ll be simultaneously broadcasting on Facebook Live, YouTube Live Stream and Twitter Live Video via Periscope. Watch previous episodes of the Wednesday Wining Show (WWS)  and find out who’s coming up next. If you’d like to read the comments for this tasting, or make a comment yourself, visit: https://www.facebook.com/natdecants/videos/10155436261769845/ Here’s a sampling […]

read more …

Read More

Tasting the Cool Climate Wines of Argentina’s Secreto Patagonico

  By Melissa Pulvermacher Another tasting during my time at the 2016 i4C Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration was with Secreto Patagonico’s Production and Sales Manager, Tomas Groppo Parisi. Secreto Patagonico is in the southern hemisphere in Patagonia, Argentina. A lot of us immediately think of Mendoza, heat and Malbec when we think of Argentina, which may leave us a bit confused with the relevance to cool climate wines in this situation. Patagonia is actually in the south of Argentina and remember that in the southern hemisphere, the south is a lot cooler than the northern regions. Mendoza, the Malbec-famous region, […]

read more …

Read More

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, […]

read more …

Read More