Author: pxlv_adm

Tonight’s red wine review is an excellent Hawke’s Bay Syrah that arrived at the LCBO last month as an Online & Flagship Exclusive in the March 2nd LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection – with bottles now available at quite a few stores across Ontario. It is produced by Babich Wines, one of New Zealand’s most…

Reading Time: 7 minutes In March, I had the opportunity to visit Hester Creek Estate Winery and participate in a media event for a new wine to be launched in June. I also tasted some of the new wines. Before going to the tasting notes, here is the background information on the 2023 Harvest. The…

Friday, April 5th: Had a wisdom tooth extracted this morning. I think my IQ has dropped ten points. The dentist says no alcohol for “a few days.” Trying to parse what “a few days” means. Does it mean I can’t toast the eclipse on Monday? No chance. Henry of Pelham’s new sparkling wine Henry of…

Register for a presentation this Thursday, April 11th to hear about opportunities with drip irrigation in the vineyard.Read More

Reading Time: 6 minutes Viognier (pronounced vee-own-yay) is a vibrant aromatic white wine originating in the Northern Rhône and rapidly gaining popularity in California, Australia, and beyond. Wines are often aged in oak to deliver Chardonnay-like richness. Viognier is the sixth most planted white grape in British Columbia, with only 235 acres planted. This represents…

After a five-year hiatus, the prestigious Cuvée Grand Tasting event made a triumphant return to the wine event scene, drawing nearly 500 enthusiasts and industry professionals to celebrate Ontario’s grape and wine industry. Held at the Holiday Inn Conference Centre in St. Catharines on Saturday, March 30, this event, organized by Brock University’s Cool Climate…

By Rick VanSickle The Canadian wine community is once again giving “from the heart” for the upcoming 2024 Grapes for Humanity Fine Wine Auction that goes live on April 12. Also in this Ontario Wine Report: Our picks from the Vintages release Saturday, including rosés from Westcott Vineyards and Southbrook, four Hidden Bench wines and…

This post is about a paper that concluded that individual management practices are more influential on vineyard biodiversity than the habitat context, overall management regime, or certification status. This study recommends that sustainability accreditation schemes focus on reducing the ecotoxicity of agrochemicals used and encourage the promotion of higher ground vegetation cover by reducing herbicide…

By Rick VanSickle Hauling a big-ass map showing the intricately laced terroirs of Niagara Wine Country’s sub-appellations, Thomas Bachelder stops in the middle of New York City for a quick photo. He’s standing on Lexington Avenue, across from Dos Caminos, home of the famous Margarita Madness, and on his way to the Canadian Consulate with…

Photo: Quails’ Gate president Tony Stewart (courtesy of Quails’Gate winery) The best-selling white wine at Quails’ Gate Estate Winery usually is its blend of Chasselas/Pinot Blanc/Pinot Gris. Chasselas is the major white varietal of Switzerland. Not much is planted in the Okanagan; the 6.4-acre block at the Quails’ Gate vineyard is there only because a…