Thursday, July 18th: I attended The School of Cool, 14C’s signature event, held at White Oaks Conference Resort in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It’s one of my favorite events in the wine calendar. This year we were told by Suzanne Janke, I4C Board of Director, in her welcome address that 97 wineries from four continents were represented – featuring 133 wines. Over the course of the day there would be the lead-off keynote speaker (Master Sommelier Stephan Neumann), three educational seminars and a walk-around tasting at the end of the session. Neumann was eloquent and witty, speaking from his experie ..read more

Regular followers of my blog will have noticed it is several weeks since I last posted. The reason is: hernia surgery. It was a painful and long-drawn out process and the doctor, prescribing Tylenol 2, said “No wine.” Give me a break! Notwithstanding, here is a photographic record of my self-medicated pain-killers – beginning with a wine Deborah insisted I buy when we visited the duck shop in Brome, Quebec: Maison Théier Cuvée Prestige 2023. It’s labelled as a “Crémant de Thé.” The back label says it “combines Anxi Tie Guan Yin oolong with Hanakaoru green tea from Miyazaki in a fermentation wi ..read more

Thursday, June 20th: Deborah and I Ubered to Burlington to take the GO train to Toronto. Then transferred to a bus to Billy Bishop Airport for a flight to Dorval. We were met there by John Nadeau, who drove us to the Atwater market for lunch. The Atwater Market has got to be Canada’s best indoor market – and that includes Granville Island in Vancouver. Dropped into the local SAQ to pick up a few bottles of wine before driving to John’s house on Brome Lake in the Eastern Townships. John’s house View of Brome Lake from the house Juniper Friday, June 21st: Visited Grimoire Microbr ..read more

Sue-Ann Staff white wines Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery Riesling 2011 (Niagara Peninsula) Old gold in colour; citrus bouquet with that petrol note of aged Riesling; light-bodied, mature, just off-dry lime and grapefruit flavours with a honeyed note; well-balanced, with a long finish. Drinking well now but will age another 5+ years. (90) Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery The Lenny Pinot Grigio 2021 (Vinemount Ridge) Almost water white; minerally, peach pit nose; light-bodied, crisply dry; green plum flavour. (88) Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery The Louie Pinot Gris 2019 (Vinemount Ridge) Deep golden colo ..read more

Thomas Bachelder June 1st: Tasted a raft of 13th Street wines. 13th Street white wines 13th Street Winery Expression Series Riesling 2022 (Niagara Peninsula) Pale straw in colour; minerally, lightly floral nose of citrus fruits; light-bodied, crisply dry, lime and grapefruit flavours. (89) 13th Street Winery June’s Riesling 2023 (Creek Shores) White gold colour; floral, grapefruit nose with a thread of minerality; light-bodied, dry, elegant, lemon-lime and grapefruit flavours; in in the mouth. (91) 13th Street Winery Gewurztraminer (non-vintage, Ontario) Golden straw in colour; honeysuckle ..read more

Join me and Deborah with Plan A Vacation on this wine-hosted river cruise through Southeast Europe on board the AmaBella in October 2025! For pricing and details call Karen Gill at (905) 932-1234 or email Karen@planavacation.ca ..read more

Monday, May 13th: Arrived in London fresh from our tour of the Rhone. Deborah and I are staying at an old friend’s house in Kentish Town for a couple of nights. Tuesday, May 14th: To Canada House in Trafalgar Square for the annual promotional tasting of Canadian wines from Ontario, BC and Nova Scotia. Twenty-one wineries were showing their wines to the English wine trade and restaurateurs. Delighted to catch up with my old friend Chris Coletta from Okanagan Crush Pad. Also got introduced to SpearHead Winery from BC, owned by Marina and Bill Knutson. Tony Holler of Poplar Grove Adam Lowy o ..read more

Tuesday, April 30th: Went to Flat Rock Cellars to taste the newest, unreleased vintages of their single-vineyard Capstone Series wines (Gravity Pinot Noir, The Rusty Shed Chardonnay and Nadja’s Vineyard Riesling) as well as a chance to take an early look at the 2023 vintage in barrel and to experience the new tasting room that overlooks the vineyard. Flat Rock’s owner, Ed Madronich We started with a new, experimental wine – Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir/Chardonnay 2023 – a Pinot Noir with 20% Chardonnay. Unfiltered, barrel sample. Red berry nose, medium-bodied, dry; spicy, raspberry flavour ..read more

I’ve joined a choir, and they’re having a concert soon. I probably won’t be singing in this one because I’m not that familiar with the songs yet, but come to it anyway if you can ..read more

Chinmay Kulkarni receives his scholarship Pentâge Winery Viognier 2018 (Okanagan Valley, BC) Light golden colour; fragrant, minerally, peach pit nose; medium to full-bodied, dry, richly extracted peach and pear flavours rounded with oak. (89) Pentâge Winery Hiatus 2018 (Okanagan Valley, BC) A blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Petite Sirah, 15% Cabernet Franc, 11% Zinfandel and 5% Merlot. Opaque purple in colour; cedary, plum nose with vanilla oak notes; full-bodied, dry, fleshy, savoury black plum and blackcurrant flavours. Richly extracted, with well-integrated oak. (91) Pentâge Winery T ..read more