Category: Uncategorized


  • LEARNING ABOUT WINE Crémant de Bourgogne

    Crémant de Bourgogne Crémant de Bourgogne is easier to understand when it is treated as one of Burgundy’s wine categories rather than as a secondary alternative to more famous sparkling regions. It is made by the traditional method, and it shares Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with Champagne, but those facts do not tell the reader…

  • A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1017: Hester Creek, Winemaker’s Cut and a Winemaker’s Dinner

    Hester Creek wines Monday, April 20th: Here are the notes on the Hester Creek wines I tasted last week, which are now released. Hester Creek Character White 2025 (Okanagan Valley) A blend of Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. Pale straw in colour; aromatic, spicy, peachy-apple bouquet with a floral top note; medium-bodied, dry, apple, lychee and…

  • Kechris Genesis Xinomavro / Merlot 2022 (Greece) – Wine Review

    Tonight’s red wine review is a lovely blend of Xinomavro and Merlot from Macedonia in Northern Greece that made its debut at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago in the April 11th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. It is produced by Kechris, a family winery with roots going back to 1939 when it began…

  • Taste of Spring with Hester Creek Wines

    In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love What’s missing here is that in actual fact man’s and woman’s thoughts turn to thoughts of spring wine releases. Like these gorgeous offerings from Hester Creek Estate Winery. These wines are meant to be enjoyed now, whether you are sipping them on…

  • Rocca di Castagnoli Chianti Classico 2022

    Dark in color with a mild dark berry nose … On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely elegant dark cherry notes, along with some dried fruits. Quite complex. On the medium length finish the wine displays some mild dark chocolate notes along with some fine velvety tannins, nice and dry! This really is…

  • Château Roquefort Les Roches Blanches Sauvignon Blanc 2024 (Bordeaux) – Wine Review

    Tonight’s white wine review is a lovely, organic Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux that landed at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago in the April 11 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. It is produced by Château Roquefort, a family estate winery situated between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers in the heart of the Entre-deux-Mers region,…

  • Hester Creek’s 2025 whites are fragrant

    Photo: Winemaker Mark Hopley Hester Creek Estate Winery rates the 2025 vintage as “one of the best vintages the Okanagan valley has ever seen. Mark Hopley, the winemaker, ranks the quality up with the great 2022 vintage. The surprising quality of the 2025 wines – “wines [that] exhibit balance, complexity and develop flavours” – are…

  • Parma Food Valley: Where Italy’s culinary soul comes to life

    From Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto to Lambrusco and balsamic vinegar, a four-day journey through Emilia-Romagna reveals why this corner of Italy remains one of the world’s great gastronomic destinations There are places you visit for the sights, and then there are places you visit for the flavours. Italy’s Parma Food Valley—set within the fertile heart…

  • First 100% B.C. white wines return after disastrous back-to-back vintages

    By Rick VanSickle After a couple of disastrous years, things are beginning to return to “normal” in the Okanagan Valley. Also in this Canadian Wine Report: GGO announces 2026-2027 board of directors and growers’ committee, our picks from the Niagara wines coming to Vintages Saturday, including On Seven Chardonnay, a Pinot and a Chardonnay from…

  • Township 7 Whites 2023–2025: Precision, Texture & Site Expression

    Reading Time: 4 minutes Township 7 continues to show a confident hand with aromatic whites, but this latest set of releases goes a step further, highlighting how site, vintage conditions, and thoughtful winemaking shape a more precise, textural house style. Harvest 2023 Photo Credit: Township 7 – Viognier being processed. Harvest for the 2023 vintage…