On CTV News, Leanne and I chat about the most difficult wine and grape names to pronounce. Click the arrows to watch the videos both above and below. As anglophones, we find many of these names difficult since their origins are often European, with accents and inflections that are new to us. Tip: often e and i are pronounced in the reverse when in the middle of a word, and an e at the end of a name often sounds like a long a. Why bother? We often overlook these terrific wines, and don’t ask for them in liquor stores […]
Mourvedre
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. […]
Tania’s Magical Matches: Wine Pairings for the Late Summer Bounty
By Tania Thomas With so many choices in an array of dazzling, vibrant colours, late summer at the farmers’ market is a true sensory overload. I can never resist the urge to buy a little bit of everything and then try to come up with some creative ways to use it all up before it passes its prime. Golden corn, juicy red tomatoes, shiny plump eggplants, sunny-yellow squash and sunset-hued ripe peaches, it’s hard to choose. Summer is the time for effortless entertaining and relaxed patio dinners, and the wine that accompanies it should be exactly that; simple and effortless. […]
10 Best Mourvedre Wines to Buy Now + 5 Surprising Facts about Mourvedre
Mourvedre (Mourvèdre) is a warm-climate red wine grape grown in many regions, including the Rhone Valley and Provence in France, Valencia and Jumilla in Spain, California, Washington State and Australia. You’ll find my Top 10 Mourvèdre reviews and ratings here. 5 Surprising Facts about Mourvèdre: 1. Mourvedre is a Spanish vitis vinifera grape, first grown in Murviedro, a small town near Valencia. Mourvedre is easier to grow in Spain than in the cooler region of southern France where it is more susceptible to disease. 2. Mourvedre, or Monastrell as it is known in Spain, is declining in plantings there, but is […]
