Category: Uncategorized


  • A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1012: A Week I’d Rather Forget

    This was one of Steven Elphick’s iconic images This has been a terrible week so I’m not going to document it, other than to write that a dear friend, who took our wedding photos and shot all the images for my The Wine Atlas of Canada, passed away (MAID). Another friend from my London days…

  • Niagara’s Stone Eagle Winery earns international design award

    Toronto-based Dochia Interior Design recognized at the 2025 LIV Hospitality Design Awards for its work on the Niagara-on-the-Lake estate Canadian firm Dochia Interior Design has been named Winner in Interior Design at the LIV Hospitality Design Awards for its work on Stone Eagle Winery, a striking new estate in the heart of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Founded by…

  • Domaine Gioulis Agia Paraskevi Vineyard Agiorgitiko 2023 (Greece) – Wine Review

    Tonight’s red wine review is a lovely, organic, single vineyard Agiorgitiko from Greece. It made its debut at the LCBO in last weekend’s LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on March 7th. It is produced by Domaine Gioulis, a family estate winery that was founded in 1993 by George Gioulis, an Agronomist & Oenologist who studied…

  • Where to get hourly National Weather Service forecasts

    Here is another source of hourly weather forecasts for up to 6 days ahead from the National Weather Service. These hourly forecasts are something that you might find useful in planning your work week as well as watching for the possibility of frost next week. You can use your local television forecast or a smartphone…

  • Frost Protection

    Just outside of Athens, the earliest bud breaker at the Horticulture Research Farm, Lomanto, has broken bud. This is about a week earlier than usual where our last spring frost is often in mid April. While the start of a new season is always exciting, we are also at risk for damage from spring frosts…

  • Tony Aspler: ‘Great wines taste just fine out of plastic glasses’

    “I never cook with anything I wouldn’t drink,” says Art. A pause for reflection and then he adds, “But then I drink anything.” Art and I are in a boat on Waterbury Lake in Northern Saskatchewan, about 200 kilometres from the Northwest Territories border. Our guide Rob is looking disgusted because we’re talking wine and…

  • ‘An artist with a camera,’ Steven Elphick has passed away

    By Rick VanSickle Steven Elphick, who made his impact on the Canadian wine industry through the lens of a camera, has passed away. Elphick, born in 1954 in Toronto, died Tuesday. “Steven Elphick was an artist — not with a brush or a pen, but a camera,” said wine writer Tony Aspler and winemaker Peter…

  • How to combat rising temperatures in your vineyard

    Really excellent webinar in collaboration with the Wine Society. Hosted by Becky Sykes with: Daniela Mezzatesta, Head of Research Development and Vineyard Sustainability at Terrazas de los Andes in Mendoza Kees Van Leeuwen of Bordeaux Sciences Agro (also editor in chief of Oeno One) Pepe Mendoza or Casa Agricola, Alicante in Spain Viticulture research supremo…

  • Kir-Yianni Cuvée Villages Xinomavro 2022 (Greece) – Wine Review

    Tonight’s red wine review is the latest vintage of a terrific, vegan-friendly Xinomavro from Greece that arrived at the LCBO over the weekend in the March 7 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. Kir-Yianni is the producer of this lovely Greek red wine. The highly-regarded wine producer was founded in 1997 by Yiannis Boutaris, a legendary…

  • Summer Weed Control Starts Now!

    If you have not already applied herbicides in your vineyard it is definitely time to get started.  I know many grape growers control weeds with multiple applications of postemergence herbicides, leaning heavily on glyphosate. This is not something I recommend as it can lead to several issues and requires consider time and trips.  Multiple yearly…