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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…

Tonight’s white wine review is another fine Chardonnay from Australia. It is a brand-new arrival at the LCBO that landed on shelves across Ontario last month as part of the March 2nd LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. It is produced by De Bortoli Wines, one of Australia’s leading family-owned wine companies. Their story begins when…

Mental biases can get in the way … and sometimes you don’t even know where they came from … Ya this is one of those … Cannonau is Italy’s name for Grenache (also known as Garanacha in Spain), and for whatever reason I have this mental memory of a fruity, jammy fruit bomb, and I…

A memorable wine isn’t defined by its score or its price tag; it’s about that intangible quality that sets a bottle apart – the X-factor. It’s the story behind the wine, the experience of encountering it, and the emotional connection it evokes. Nestled in the heart of Tuscany, the Chianti Classico region exudes a timeless…

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