Holiday Wine
17/11/09 09:43
If you are having a family gathering (hosting or attending) you’ll probably be picking up a bottle or two of wine to go with these meals - and for most people the act of choosing and buying wine can be very stressful.
So enjoy this video series on Wine for Holiday Entertaining, and then head on over to our Wine Video section to help make your holiday wine selection that much easier.
0 Comments
Approachable Wine
21/07/09 07:43
Wine can be so confusing.
As I’ve said in the past, one of the reasons for embarking on this project was to learn more about food, cooking, whisky, and wine.
I kind of knew that I liked wine, but I didn’t know why I liked certain wines or how to read a label or anything about growing regions etc. In short I was (still am) like 95%+ of the population - totally clueless when it comes to choosing wine. I find myself constantly looking back at the interviews with wine experts we’ve done over the last couple of years, to try and glean some new info that maybe I’ve missed.
One thing that I have discovered is that I like wines from pretty much the whole spectrum; giant complex mouth filling reds, to subtle whites - in all price ranges, from all regions. So when I’m asked by friends or family about what wine they should buy for an upcoming event / party / dinner, I’m usually at a loss. I really don’t know, I’m still struggling myself; but they think I know something they don’t... seems I’m the closest person to an ‘expert’ that they know.
Well, I now have a go-to suggestion for all my friends:
OPEN Wines.
This is a range of three VQA Ontario wines, with a fairly low price point ($11.95 at the LCBO) they show exceptional quality and value. I’ve tried two; the Cab2 Merlot (which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot), and the Riesling‐Gewürztraminer blend. Gotta say that these were approachable, and easy drinking wines. Great for people who just want to kick back with some friends on the deck and enjoy a glass of wine without food. If you do want dinner... well they are easy to pair with a wide range of foods; pizza to BBQ, burgers to something maybe a little more sophisticated, they are that good.
In fact I have some friends coming over tonight for dinner, and these will be on the table.
Robert Mondavi Discover Wine Tour
28/06/09 10:29
When we found the tent, all of my apprehension dissolved. Picture this: beautiful sunny Saturday + Free wine + Central location = Small crowd and no line-up. We were there for about an hour, 1:30-2:30 pm and each time we ‘lined-up’ for a re-fill there was maybe 1 or 2 people in front of us.
- Started off with ‘Private Selection Cali Sauvignon Blanc’, this is their mid range Sauv Blanc and it didn’t work for me...
- Next up ‘Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley Fumé Blanc, this is from their top level range and I found it intriguing. Fumé Blanc is a type of wine that I need to explore more.
- I then moved on to the reds with their entry level Cab Sauv, not big or bold enough for me, but I completely understand that most people who are afraid of reds would enjoy this.
- Last up was their top level ‘Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cab Sauv’ This had the tannic, mouth sucking pucker that I love.
Jules tried 4 wines on the list that I didn’t... but I was only able to grab the Pinot Grigio glass out of her hands. This is another white variety that I need to explore further as well.
Now if you’re reading this in Toronto, you’re out of luck; they’ve rolled up the tent and moved on. This was the only stop in Canada, but if you live in Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, or San Diego check out the schedule here to see when this will be in your town.
You might be interested in our interview with sommelier Taylor Thompson about Fumé Blanc.
Wine Tours
08/06/09 07:57
There is a discussion in the Le Gourmet TV Food Forum about wine tours. One of the reasons I started this project was to learn more about food, and by extension wine. I knew that I liked wine, but I had never really explored - the choice was red or white - so by picking up a camera I gained access to the back rooms of wineries where I could taste and talk to wine makers.
So maybe you aren’t very good with a video camera, and the idea of running a website full time doesn’t excite you, but you still want to learn about wine... Organised wine tours may just be the thing for you.
Our friends over at iYellow Wine Club run some great tours out of Toronto to the Niagara wine region. On these tours you get great access to the wineries, and structured tastings. You get to ‘feel’ what the wine is all about, and learn more than just what is written on the label. At a lot of the stops you can talk to the winemaker, and find out what they are hoping you will taste in their wines. Ange and Pax run their tours focusing on emerging oeniphiles, that’s not to say that if you have a bit more ‘experience’ you won’t learn anything - but the crowd skews a bit younger.
Just about every wine region has regular wine tours, just do a little digging and ask questions to make sure that the tour suits your personality.
Not into organised tours? Well, there are a lot of great guide books to the worlds wine regions, my current fave for the local area is: ‘Crush on Niagara’. The book details directions to the wineries, history and back-story, types of wine they produce, best buys, and of course the hours that they are open.
My copy isn’t that old - a month or two - and already it’s dog eared with lot’s of notes in the margins. I’m looking forward to a great summer of touring and tasting wine.
So maybe you aren’t very good with a video camera, and the idea of running a website full time doesn’t excite you, but you still want to learn about wine... Organised wine tours may just be the thing for you.
Our friends over at iYellow Wine Club run some great tours out of Toronto to the Niagara wine region. On these tours you get great access to the wineries, and structured tastings. You get to ‘feel’ what the wine is all about, and learn more than just what is written on the label. At a lot of the stops you can talk to the winemaker, and find out what they are hoping you will taste in their wines. Ange and Pax run their tours focusing on emerging oeniphiles, that’s not to say that if you have a bit more ‘experience’ you won’t learn anything - but the crowd skews a bit younger.
Just about every wine region has regular wine tours, just do a little digging and ask questions to make sure that the tour suits your personality.
Not into organised tours? Well, there are a lot of great guide books to the worlds wine regions, my current fave for the local area is: ‘Crush on Niagara’. The book details directions to the wineries, history and back-story, types of wine they produce, best buys, and of course the hours that they are open.My copy isn’t that old - a month or two - and already it’s dog eared with lot’s of notes in the margins. I’m looking forward to a great summer of touring and tasting wine.