Dandelion Vineyards Lion’s Tooth of McLaren Vale Shiraz/Riesling 2010 (Australia) - Wine Review

This red wine - that has a dash of white mixed in - was purchased from a Vintages release last March. It is composed of an unusual blend of 97% Shiraz and 3% Riesling, although the Riesling isn't noticeable on the palate. And in case you wanted to buy this, you'll probably have to wait for the 2011 vintage, as the 2010 is completely sold out at the LCBO. DANDELION VINEYARDS...

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Win Tickets to Lailey Futures & Portfolio Wine Tasting

Here's your chance to win a pair of tickets to Lailey Vineyard's Futures and Portfolio Wine Tasting in either Ottawa or Toronto. Meet Lailey's highly acclaimed winemaker and owner Derek Barnett as he will be on-hand at both wine events to discuss and answer your questions. The 2012 Ontario vintage was wonderful! Along with current release wines, you will also get a chance...

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Oct. 26 Wine Picks: 2010 Bordeaux + Oregon + Washington

The next LCBO Vintages release will be on shelves across Ontario on Saturday, October 26th. The main focus of this release is the much heralded 2010 Bordeaux vintage - often described as the "vintage of the decade" and "one of the best ever". However, looking at the majority of 17 wines that are featured, one might wonder what is so special about the 2010 vintage. Well,...

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Featherstone Cabernet Franc 2011 (Niagara) - Wine Review

This red wine was purchased back in March from a release that had a feature on wines for Easter. It also made my wine picks from the August 3rd Vintages release. I never purchase the same wine same vintage twice, but do on occasion purchase different vintages of the same wine. I first tasted the 2008 vintage back in July, 2012 and became smitten with it. I then bought...

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C.H. Berres Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett 2009 (Mosel) - Wine Review

Purchased this white wine from a Vintages release last November and opened it Sunday night for a Thanksgiving dinner with roasted chicken. I was expecting good things and it definitely lived up to my expectations! If you like wines on the sweeter side of things, then you'll enjoy this one. My guests certainly enjoyed this one as well, as there was very little remaining for...

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Viña Errázuriz Wine Tasting with Francisco Baettig

On September 26, I attended an exclusive invite-only wine tasting with Francisco Baettig, winemaker at Viña Errázuriz of Chile. The event was hosted by iYellow Wine Club on the rooftop of Soho House Toronto. This was my first time visiting Soho House, and I must say that this place is quite discreet with the lack of signs, sitting at the corner of Adelaide and Simcoe. I...

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Oct. 12 LCBO Wine Picks: Napa + Terroir of Burgundy and Piedmont

The next LCBO Vintages release is nearly upon us and will be on shelves across Ontario on Saturday, October 12. The main and sub-foci of this release features (very) high priced wines from Napa Valley, Burgundy and Piedmont - I suppose to get ready (already? so soon?) for the holiday season. The Napa Valley feature highlights 8 premium and super-premium Cabernet Sauvignons...

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Diamond Estates - Lakeview, Daredevil, Dan Aykroyd and De Sousa Tasting

I held a small wine tasting last month and invited a few friends over to indulge in some of the wines that arrived on my doorstep. Of the four wines we tasted, the favourite was by far Dan Aykroyd's Cab/Shiraz. This red wine offered a bit of everything - aromas, flavours, acids, tannin, balance and finish. It had good crowd appeal, so I wasn't surprised that this was the...

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2013 Niagara Wine Festival Review

I recently had the pleasure of attending the 2013 edition of the Niagara Wine Festival - the annual festival that celebrates the vintage harvest. This year, as last year, I brought along with me a small group of wine lovers (enthusiasts?) to join me in the festivities. The weather on Saturday had called for rain pretty much the entire day, but that did not deter us or other...

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