Category Archives: General Wine Information

Viansa: A Little Bit of Italy in the Heart of Sonoma

On the last day of my visit to Napa/Sonoma, I stopped in at Viansa winery located in Carneros, within Sonoma County.  I was told that there were many Italian varieties being planted here such as Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and … Continue reading

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Riesling and Me on the Beach

One of my favourite beach spots in Ontario happens to be Sandbanks Provincial Park.  It’s hard to believe you are swimming in Lake Ontario since the water is so warm and clean.  This amazing beach spot is also in the … Continue reading

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How To Have A Great Experience At Summerlicious: Order A Bottle Of Wine!

It’s that dreaded time of year in the Toronto, so to speak, with diners coming to some truly fine dining restaurants in the City for Applebee’s prices.   What upsets us in the industry is that the majority of the … Continue reading

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The Enchanting Gaia Gaja

Angelo Gaja’s daughter’s first name is also Gaia and I had the pleasure of meeting her at the National Golf Club in Woodbridge, Ontario this week.  She is very much involved in the family business and tells me that her … Continue reading

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Sherry: Not Just For Cooking Anymore

When you think of Sherry, a few things come to mind.  It might have been your Great-Aunt Matilda’s favorite drink (does Harvey’s Bristol Cream come to mind?).  You may love to cook with it or you may associate it with … Continue reading

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When In Doubt, Ask The Sommelier!

It is truly wonderful to see more and more people using sommeliers in restaurants. A growing number of us are here to help guests find a great value wine on a wine list, not just the expensive stuff. What I … Continue reading

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A Perfect Pairing, Part Deux…

So, last night I decided to recreate the same meal, but pair the food with a white wine.  I decided to go with a Chardonnay from Le Clos Jordanne, ‘Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard’ and it was the 2004 vintage. The … Continue reading

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A Perfect Pairing…

I love it when I find the perfect pairing.  Last night I had smoked chicken from Beretta Organic Farms located in King City, Ontario.  With that, I made parmesan risotto and grilled zucchini (courtesy of my husband). All day I … Continue reading

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Red, Red Wine…goes to my head…

We all know how the song goes but why do some people get headaches from red wine and others do not?   Some say it’s from the tannins in the wine.  Tannins come from the skins and the seeds and are … Continue reading

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Who’s picking Icewine early this year?

While most of us were getting buried under snow this past weekend in Ontario, did you know that it was actually cold enough to pick Icewine?   Yes, we hit that magic number last weekend, -8 degrees Celsius and some Niagara … Continue reading

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