Here are my top wine picks from the January 24, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here), with the feature story focusing on must-try wines from Chile. While this is a fairly small release with only 77 products featured, it does pack a punch with many very good wines for your enjoyment. The…
Dark in color with a rich red berry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays beautiful rich vibrant red fruits, tomato notes along with some oak and earth tones. On the medium length finish it shows some soft elegant tannins and acidity, nice and dry. This is a wine that punches well above it’s…
Fans of Canadian wine have a new website to connect them to the highest quality wines being made coast to coast. Lawrason’s Guide to Canada’s Best Wines will present 40 posts per year, with each including a themed article and ten reviews based on new and current releases. “Canada has arrived at an important place…
A new shared hosting partnership between George Brown Polytechnic and Niagara College signals a renewed era for Ontario’s top wine competition George Brown Polytechnic (GBP), in partnership with Niagara College, has announced the return of the Ontario Wine Awards (OWA) in 2026, the province’s prestigious wine competition and awards program. Founded in 1995, the Ontario…
By Rick VanSickle Keeping up with the viral trend of the year, here’s a flashback to 2016 — a great vintage for Niagara red wines, but a very bad year for hair. Also in this Niagara Wine Report: A true unicorn wine from Icellars revisited five years later, plus two Pinots, one from Cloudsley, the…
Reading Time: 2 minutes West Kelowna, BC – January 2026 – Grizzli Winery invites visitors to celebrate the winter season with daily guided Icewine tours and tastings, available through March 31, 2026. The Okanagan Valley is one of the few regions in the world capable of producing authentic Icewine, and Grizzli Winery proudly crafts award-winning Icewines at its estate. Guests…
George Brown Polytechnic, in partnership with Niagara College, has announced the return of the Ontario Wine Awards in 2026. The awards, founded by wine journalist Tony Aspler, below, is the province’s most prestigious wine competition and awards program. Founded in 1995, the Ontario Wine Awards recognize Ontario Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wines for their quality,…
Our January newsletter is out! This month: Stephen Cronk awarded ‘Green Personality of the Year’, Tasting Climate Change in Montreal, our first French language newsletter, the one year reunion of our One Block Challenge pilot in Paso Robles, a webinar on composting with the Porto Protocol, Jamie Goode’s new edition of RV book, so much…
The International Wine & Food Society has just sent its members an excellent booklet: Sparkling Wines of the World by Essi Avellan, Finland’s first Master of Wine. The Canadian section in this 102-page monograph is a mere two paragraphs. She singles out just five producers to recommend: Benjamin Bridge in Nova Scotia; Huff Estates in…
Iconic Wineries of British Columbia Bring Okanagan Wine Experience to the Slopes at Big White Ski Resort this February Four-day Iconic Après Lounge pop-up showcases British Columbia’s finest wines in alpine setting Iconic Wineries of British Columbia is bringing Okanagan wine culture to Big White Ski Resort from February 26th to March 1st, introducing a pop-up alpine lounge experience at one of Canada’s premier ski…