Blog
8 Easy Tips for the Perfect Wine and Cheese Party
Use our time-honoured tips for a perfect wine and cheese party. By Erin Our motto for any party is to always keep it simple. It’s already stressful enough trying to throw a flawless fête, so why complicate things with fussy hors d’oeuvres that take hours to prepare? Nothing could be easier – or more welcome...
Wine for the Weekend
Hecht & Bannier Côtes de Provence Rosé, France 2014 This is going to be a pretty nice weekend in Toronto. Not the kind of scorcher you’d expect for August (and probably wish for), but bright with sunshine and temperatures hovering in the mid 20’s. How very civilized. Speaking of civilized, get a load of this...
Our Top 20 Picks from the August 8 Vintages Release
Excellent finds under $20 and a handful of gems worth the investment. Here’s our top picks for this week’s Vintages release. ONTARIO Rosewood Süssreserve Riesling, VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario 2014 $14.95 Vintages 258806 Süssreserve means a bit of unfermented juice was added to the finished wine to add sweetness and depth. Don’t shy away from...
Why Disasters Can Make Your Party Better
This weekend a friend of ours held a backyard barbecue and pool party at her new home. She purchased it, in large part, for its entertaining appeal: a raised bungalow that features a large walk-out basement with a bar, pool table, and comfy media centre with a huge movie screen and projector. The backyard, surrounded...
Sunday Supper: Food & Wine Pairing of the Week
Seared Scallops in Lemon Dill Butter with Riesling with Toasted Israeli Couscous and Asparagus paired to Trius Riesling We love long weekends. Well, we suppose that falls under the “yeah, duh,” category. Who doesn’t? For us, like many of you, long weekends are all about entertaining: backyard barbecues, dockside dining, pool parties … you name...
How to Sabre Sparkling Wine
Learning how to sabre sparkling wine has long been on Erin’s bucket list. It’s simultaneously elegant and thrilling and guaranteed to win friends and influence people at your next party. So, when Erin visited Trinchero Winery in Napa last June and had the opportunity to take a swing at the sparkling herself, she thought, “what...
Wine for the Weekend
Ruffino Riserva Ducale “Oro,” Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, Tuscany, Italy 2010 Why does every summer long weekend wine have to be cheap and cheerful? Not that there’s anything wrong with that (just hit the “Under $20” tab on the right to see how much we enjoy a vinous steal), but thinking to the three relaxing...
Awesome Ready to Drink Cocktails (Seriously)
Warning: cocktail mixologists and libation purists look away. There’s a wave of popularity cresting in booze land… and that wave is made the bright, spritzy, fruit-flavoured pre-mixed drinks. Yes friends, ready-to-drink cocktails are back and back in a big way. Look around any LCBO, and shelves are heaving under the weight of lemon, berry and tropical fruit-flavoured...
Best 20 Wines of the July 25 Vintages Release
This week’s Vintages release at the LCBO is very impressive. Really interesting whites (Viura, Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc), under $25 Bordeaux (yay!), and one of our favourite sparklers all hit the shelves today. Happy shopping. Bailly Lapierre Réserve Brut Crémant de Bourgogne, Burgundy, France NV $19.95 Vintages 991562 We’re always a bit delighted when this...
Our Top 10 Quotes from I4C
The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration in Niagara has wrapped up for another year. If you follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, you know we had a great time, as we’re prone to do. Among the outdoor parties, winemaker lunches and chardonnay sipping, our favourite activity is The School of Cool – a reasonably...
