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In 582, historian Grégoire de Tours, who wrote frequently on the wines of France, recorded that the then sitting Count of Anjou and the local Catholic administration had planted and managed vineyards around Château de Chalonnes, less than 20 kilometres from Angers. Besides scattered vines planted by earlier Roman settlers in Nantes, this is generally considered…

By Rick VanSickle It was a stunning display of some of the finest, perfectly aged wines ever made in Ontario all on one table, and all opened for tasting. Also in this Niagara Wine Report: New wines from Divergence, 2027 Cellars and Chateau des Charmes tasted and reviewed. Michael and Anna Olson (above) — chefs,…

This past week I attended a “Lunch and Learn” hosted by World Wine Synergy with Cristiana Tiberio, winemaker of her family’s Agricola Tiberio, this experience made me sit up and take note of what Cristiana and her brother, Antonio, are doing to produce wines that speak to their terroir and narrate the geographical and climatic…

2022 Sauvignon Blanc (Chronos) TIME Family of Wines Penticton, BC $29.99 Pale straw with medium-light intensity.  The nose is well integrated with aromas of peas fresh out of the pod, Ambrosia apple, citrus, melon, and honey.  Good balance with a creamy texture.  The palate reflects the nose followed by a medium-plus finish with pleasing flavours…

Our tour group at Château d’Estoublon Monday, May 6th: Deborah and I flew British Air to Lyon to join our tour group for the tour of the Rhône region. Our bus took us to the 5-star Intercontinental Lyon Hotel Dieu, where we will stay for three days. This landmark property was a hospital for more…

Photo: Blue Grouse winery in the Cowichan Valley The Cowichan Valley profile as a British Columbia wine region is on the rise, reflecting the steady increase in quality from ever more accomplished vineyards and winemakers. The profile got an especial lift when the Jackson Family of California invested in two of the region’s wineries. Since…

By Rick VanSickle I’m sorry, but this story has nothing to do with wine. It’s far more important than that. It’s about the death of a newspaper and a story that only I can tell in the only place I can tell it. I was there the day the Whitehorse Star died. I was at…

Tonight’s white wine review is a lovely blend of Greco Bianco and Chardonnay that is a brand-new arrival at the LCBO as part of last weekend’s LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on May 11. It is produced by Tenuta Iuzzolini, a family-owned estate winery that was founded in 2004 by Fortunato Iuzzolini and his wife…

Reading Time: 8 minutes Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio is the white wine King of British Columbia, with 25% of the white wine crop. Call me Gris or Grigio? You probably already know that Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same wine. Both Grigio and Gris both mean “grey,” as noted by the pinkish-grey…

From the US and Canada, to Ireland, Scotland and Japan, Tod Stewart has curated this ‘sip list’ of some of his favourite world whiskies A dram fine day. “World Whisky Day” lands on the third Saturday in May each year. But do we really need a specific “day” to celebrate whisk(e)y? Here are some VineRoutes recommended selections…