Category: Uncategorized
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Niagara’s Westcott Vineyards making ‘wines that people want to drink’
By Rick VanSickle It’s a pretty simple recipe for success at Niagara’s Westcott Vineyards: “We’re working on how to make wines that people want to drink. We can do that.” Those are the words of co-owner Carolyn Hurst, who along with husband Grant Westcott, have that part down pat, establishing Westcott as one of Ontario’s…
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A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 990: Another Quiet Wine Week (what’s goin’ on?)
Tuesday, September 3rd: A meeting with Karen Gill to discuss the October cruise on the Danube to Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Hungary (ending with a couple of days in Budapest). For dinner, I opened a bottle of Battersea Viveaux 2024, a Charmat-method sparkling wine made with a field blend of Niagara grapes – Auxerrois,…
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Sommelier showdown: When perfect pairings go head-to-head
Two sommeliers, four courses, one delicious debate over the art of food and wine pairing Though it’s moved far beyond the “white wine with fish, red wine with meat” debate, the whole “which wine with which food” conundrum generally falls into two camps: “Critically Important” vs “Who Cares?”. The pendulum seems to swing between “be…
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Skouras Wild Ferment Assyrtiko 2024 (Greece) – Wine Review
Tonight’s white wine review is the latest vintage of a consistently excellent, and now vegan-certified, Assyrtiko that landed at the LCBO in the August 16th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. It is featured as a wine to ‘Arrive in Style’, as well as part of the fantastic mini-feature on wines from Greece. It is produced…
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Hillside’s remarkable 2024 Pinot Gris partners with a new Bordeaux blend
Photo: Winemaker Kathy Malone Two new releases from Hillside Winery include a new red blend from a great vintage; and a surprise: a rare 2024 wine made with Okanagan grapes. Hillside winemaker Kathy Malone elaborates on the surprise in the frost-blighted year that destroyed about 95% of the vintage in the Okanagan (and Similkameen) in…
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Nebbiolo at Franco’s: A Tasting of Italy’s Noble Grape
Another week, another tasting at Franco’s Liquor Store in Kelowna. This time, the spotlight was on Nebbiolo—one of Italy’s most prestigious (and temperamental) grape varieties. Often called the “king of grapes,” Nebbiolo is primarily grown in the Piedmont region, where its expression shifts dramatically depending on the local terroir. Key areas include Barolo, Barbaresco, Langhe,…
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Visiting Nagging Doubt Winery in East Kelowna
Having heard good things from MyVanCity.ca contributor Sam the Wine Teacher… The post Visiting Nagging Doubt Winery in East Kelowna first appeared on My VanCity. Read Visiting Nagging Doubt Winery in East Kelowna at MyVanCity
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Sake explained: Facts, flavours, and how to drink it
In June, 2025 we featured an interview with Sake Samurai Michael Tremblay. Though the popularity of sake has been on the upswing for some time now, it’s not the easiest drink for neophytes to get a bead on. In order to smooth some of the bumps out of your sake journey, VineRoutes has compiled an…
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Harvest 2025 in Niagara has begun with first Pinot grapes picked at Henry of Pelham
By Rick VanSickle Under brilliant blue skies, the 2025 harvest began in earnest today at Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery in Niagara. The Short Hills Bench winery hand-picked its first estate Pinot Noir early today (Wednesday) for one of the largest sparkling wine portfolios in Ontario under perfect conditions. It was Henry of Pelham’s…
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Save the Date: Grapes for Humanity’s Fine Wine Auction 2026
Grapes for Humanity’s Fine Wine Auction will be held from Thursday, April 17, to Wednesday, April 22, 2026 (Earth Day). We are now officially accepting: Wine donations (appraised with charitable tax receipts issued) CLICK HERE Exceptional experiences to feature in our 2026 auction CLICK HERE