Author: pxlv_adm

By Rick VanSickle In 1966, Don Ho first sang “tiny bubbles, in the wine, make my happy, make me feel fine,” and it’s still relevant today. “So, here’s to the golden moon, and here’s to the silver sea, and mostly here’s a toast, to you and me,” sang the crooner about the world-famous sparkling wine…

Tonight’s red wine review is an excellent Pinot Noir from Martinborough in New Zealand. It made its debut at the LCBO in last month’s November 22 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. It is produced by Escarpment Winery, a wine producer that was founded in 1999 as a joint venture between Larry and Sue McKenna of…

Inky dark in color with a mild dark berry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some rich dark berry notes, some tomato notes and some chocolate. On the medium length finish it displays some firm tannins mild dark chocolate notes and lively acidity. This is a bold wine with some nice complexity. I…

Tonight’s red wine review is a delicious blend of Tannat and Merlot that is brand-new to the LCBO. It arrived both online and in-store as part of last month’s LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on November 22nd. It is produced by Maison Fontan, an historic, family-owned wine estate located in the comune of Noulens, within…

By Rick VanSickle Welcome to the 17th edition of Wines in Niagara’s Most Thrilling Red and White wines of 2025. It has become a Boxing Day tradition, a tribute to winemaking at the highest level in the Niagara peninsula, celebrated by naming the 10 most thrilling white wines and 10 most thrilling red wines tasted…

Photo: Winemaker Mark Hopley Hester Creek Estate Winery has just added a Super Tuscan red blend to its family of ultra-premium Bordeaux red blends. That family already includes The Judge and Garland. The former is built around Merlot and Cabernet Franc while the latter is anchored with Cabernet Sauvignon. It is perhaps coincidental that the…

Tonight’s red wine review is the latest vintage of this terrific Côtes du Rhône-Villages that arrived at the LCBO in last month’s November 22 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. This red wine is produced by Rémy Ferbras at Grandes Serres. Rémy Ferbras is a wine brand anchored in the Southern Rhône Valley, in the heart…

As 2025 slowly comes to an end, it is once again time to pause, look back on the year behind us, and raise a glass to the one ahead. The end of the year is a great moment for reflection, a time to review the past season, learn from it, and prepare for what comes…

By Wines in Niagara Wines in Niagara wishes all its readers and advertisers a Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays, however you celebrate and wherever you are. Looking back at the year that was, Ontario wineries enjoyed one of its most successful years on record for selling VQA wines at the biggest retailer available…

Monday, December 15th: Tasted Hester Creek Undici 2022, an Okanagan Valley salute to Super-Tuscan blends: 61% Sangiovese, 19% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec. Dense purple-ruby in colour; toasty, vanilla and blackberry bouquet; full-bodied, dry, richly extracted, spicy and savoury plum and currant flavours carried on lively acidity. (Undici is Italian for…