Syrah Shines as Crozes-Hermitage Crashes Toronto
Just when you think you’re a little worldly, you meet Sandra Combat, and realize you still have a long way to go. There she stands,...
Looking Up to Italy’s Alto Adige Pinot Grigio
The dramatic Alto Adige wine region of Northern Italy. So you say you’re not a big Pinot Grigio fan? Alto Adige might change your mind....
Pink Ribbons and Polished Precision: Two Distinct, Quality Gins
Sometimes a tasting day unfolds like a serendipitous plot twist. A brief stop at the Cornwall Road LCBO in Oakville unveiled an English gin of...
Two Underpriced Red Wines
After a relentless workout leading into and out of Christmas, our credit cards deserve a break. So here are two reds—both from Chile’s Maipo Valley—that...
Not All Sparkling Wine is Created Equal
Sparkling wine may all look the same in the glass, but the way those bubbles get there tells two very different stories. Traditional method The...
Lunch with Queen Susana Balbo
Legendary Argentinian winemaker Susana Balbo at Canoe restaurant in Toronto. Winemaking isn’t exactly nuclear science—it’s tougher than that. At least it may have seemed that...
Top 40 Wines Under $25 (2025)
It seems everything is more expensive these days. But wine, in most cases, has hung tight. In fact, this year’s edition of the Top 40...
13 NEAR MISSES — The Final Cuts to the Top 40 Best-Value Wines at the LCBO
Well, tomorrow’s the big day—the 2025 edition of the TOP 40 Best-Value Wines at the LCBO. But culling the herd is always difficult—this year in...
Best Value Wines (Near Misses—Edition 1)
Full confession—I’ve been drinking a little more than normal lately. I blame most of that on multiple Toronto Blue Jays playoff games—either at friends’ homes...
A Chef, a Winemaker and a Bottle of Marsanne
The dynamic duo of Rhône winemaking star Michel Chapoutier and three-star Michelin chef Yannick Alléno. When a world-famous chef and one of the Rhône Valley’s...
