First time pinot noir drinkers usually succumb to its silky, juicy fruit while veteran swillers simply admire the concentration and depth of flavour that springs from this mysterious red, as fickle as the wind. But ever since we met would-be novelist
I well remember my first wine class. Not more than twenty years old, knowing next-to-nothing, and practicing things like pronouncing gewürztraminer and spitting in public. Everything was blurring together in a sangria of names and soils and fruits
Marking its sixth instalment in 2016, Malbec World Day will be celebrated April 17th. While malbec is grown the world over, the day was established by Wines of Argentina to celebrate the country's flagship grape, as well as to raise global awareness
Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grapes on the planet. That explains its many number of synonyms - Garnacha, Alicante, Nieddu, Cannonau, Lladoner and Uva di Spagna among them. An early budder / late ripener, grenache is a heat seeking
If any grape has the right to an identity crisis, it’s Pinot Gris. This white wine grape is actually a mutation clone of the black Pinot Noir grape. The grape’s skin colour varies wildly, sometimes even within the same bunch. Gris, French
Poor Merlot. Here it was, cruising along at the top of its game, in its lustrous plum-robed glory. One of the most popular red wine varietals on the globe due to its pleasant berry fruit, accessible softness and plush mouthfeel, merlot appealed to many
There’s a place where all devout pinot-philes go. No – it’s not heaven (the golden slopes of Burgundy) or hell (where MegaPurple flows from the faucets). It’s the International Pinot Noir Celebration, colloquially IPNC, and widely
When someone mentions tango or gaucho, pampas or asado it's easy to think of Argentina. When wine is the subject the word that best elicits an Argentine shout-out is Malbec. On April 17, Argentina is shouting out Malbec World Day and in Year
It's almost pinot gris season in British Columbia. It won't be long before dozens of wineries release their 2013 versions, most of which were picked, crushed,fermented and bottled, all with the intention to be ready to drink by the time the 2014 local
It was encouraging to see so much plant growth in the south Okanagan during the recent May long weekend. It's far too early to be saying anything substantial about the state of the 2013 crop, but to the naked eye many vineyards in the south, where most
Back to B.C. this week and for those wineries wondering if I am going to continue to beat the drum about high prices, fear not. I'm sure consumers will tell you when they have had enough. I'd rather talk about the wine anyway, and this week I have some
Almost all zinfandel, and certainly the best, is grown in California. Even if the latest information would suggest its true origins are in Croatia, zinfandel remains California's signature grape much the same as pinotage is to South Africa, malbec to
quicksearch
Newer Posts