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For my final wine review of the year, tonight’s red wine review is a delicious, organic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from South Africa that arrived at the LCBO in the November 22nd LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. It is produced by Cape Pastoral, a wine brand based in the Western Cape wine region…

Reading Time: 3 minutes Hester Creek Estate Winery’s UNDICI brings a confident Italian accent to the winery’s red wine portfolio and signals a broader evolution underway in BC red blends. Named after Vineyard Eleven — a site the winemaking team consistently rates an internal 11/10 for quality — this Sangiovese-dominant blend delivers poise, structure, and…

Mild nose with a lovely golden color. On the mid palate the wine displays some mild apple and pear notes hit almost immediately by strong peppery notes along with some smokiness … The LCBO notes mention citrus zest, and I can get that, although, I would not have mentioned it. On the medium length in…

The space left behind Christmas Day: Drove up to Waterloo to see the grandchildren and deliver their presents. For lunch I brought along a bottle of Big Head Big Bang Sparkling Rosé. Quiet dinner at home – chicken stir-fry with a bottle of On Seven Pursuit Chardonnay 2021. Boxing Day: Our friend John (whose birthday…

Dark in color with a mild dark berry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice dark cherry notes along with some firm tannins and acidity that linger nicely in the mouth. On the medium length finish the wine displays nice dry notes and velvety tannins that linger in the mouth especially on…

A year of perspective, people, and place – these were your favourite features over the past year As VineRoutes looks back on 2025, one thing is clear: this was not a year defined by trends alone, but by deeper conversations around identity, resilience, and the future of wine, and particularly through a Canadian lens. From…

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…