TWO OF BURGUNDY’S BEST HAVE JOINED WISDOM
What if Toni Morrison and Harper Lee wrote a book together? Or Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammed Ali opened a boxing school? There are few names you can mention in any field that everyone with even a little exposure will recognize. Yet at Chateau des Quarts, two of Burgundy’s best have joined wisdom. In the […]
WINE HARVEST AND VINTAGE QUALITY 2019
From the sources’ mouths With the 2019 Northern Hemisphere harvest in the books (or barrels), we asked some of our wineries to gauge the vintage. With wine harvest and vintage quality, every season brings a different design of roller coaster: some are gentle and steady while others go drastically up and down. Some go nice […]
ISOLE E OLENA — PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
We all have it. But what do we learn from it? The first time I met Paolo de Marchi, owner of Isole e Olena in Tuscany, I was an insignificant young wine seller working the floor in a shop in south Calgary. I’d recently tasted his Chianti Classico and had been astounded by its elegance […]
THE ELEGANCE OF BARBS
Silly reasons to try new wine One of our favourite things about wine is that it’s your journey, so you can take whatever route you want. We like to have some fun finding unusual angles to approach it. Today, we’re looking at the elegance of Barbs. What does that even mean? Well, ever notice the […]
TIBERIO FROM ABRUZZO IS MAKING YOUR NEXT GO-TO WINE
Abruzzo-cadabra—pulling great out of seemingly nowhere When was the last time you sought out a wine from Abruzzo, never mind kept some at-the-ready? The truth is, it’s never been a default drinking option beyond satisfying a curiosity or including it in an educational tasting. The closest it’s come to staplehood are some fairly mass bottlings […]
THE TURLEY ZINFANDEL PARADOX
I’m a traditional-wine-style guy. That means my taste and constitution lean toward the leaner side of weight with kaleidescopic aromatics. Think of great Ontario Chardonnay or perfect Chianti Classico. While I’ve enjoyed many a full-throttle bottle, that was in far younger years. I can no longer handle wines that are generous in everything but acidity and […]
WHERE LIES TRUTH, AND JUSTICE, AT BETHEL HEIGHTS VINEYARDS?
When you read about Bethel Heights‘ vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills in Oregon, you first find conflicting accounts of their agricultural suitability. You also read about romantically idealistic pastoral perfection… right next to Salem, where there were those trials. So, where lies truth, and justice, at Bethel Heights Vineyards? Here’s what we mean: *From Bethel Heights’ […]