Earlier this week we wrapped the seventeeth National Wine Awards of Canada in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Alongside 21 of Canada’s top wine judges (my wine family) we tasted some 1700 wines over five days, rolling through 2400 Zwilling Prédicat
Last month I guided 30 of Vancouver’s wine trade through a tour and tasting of South Africa. Over the course of two hours, and 18 wines, we chatted about what’s driving South Africa’s wine revolution, and why I find the country to be
Prosecco scoffer, yeah? Too sweet, too simple, too commercial? You’re just drinking from the wrong bottles, friend. Prosecco may be the most successful sparkling wine tale in the world, and it’s no secret why. Basic prosecco is cheap, cheerful,
Never pass up an opportunity to taste. That's my rule. After my recent flight to London was delayed due to an aircraft change, my exit row seat was swapped out for middle, back of plane - not ideal for an overnight 9.5 hour flight. The new, smaller plane
What is chardonnay? It really depends on who you ask, and where it's from. Adaptable and hearty chardonnay flourishes easily in most climates and conditions, making it one of the most widely-planted grape varieties on the globe, and planted in more wine
Few grapes incite as much emotion, or admiration, world wide as pinot noir. Last week a small group of Vancouver sommeliers to taste through a dozen Mornington Peninsula pinot noirs. The wines aren't available in the Canadian market (yet) but were selected
Last fall I spent a week in Portugal’s Douro Valley with The Douro Boys during harvest. Though they don’t quite qualify as ‘boys’, the five men (and their wives, daughters, and sons) behind the innovative collective all possess
Next week the wine world will gather in Wellington, New Zealand to focus on Pinot Noir NZ 2017. Pinot Noir NZ 2017, held every four years, is a must-do event for pinot-philes, uniting 115 wineries and more than 600 wines to showcase to some 600 industry
We all know them. Maybe we’ve even been one ourselves. That person, come January, who swears off alcohol in a New Year, new start, liver cleansing, clean living, Dryuary. Yes – post-holiday restraint and moderation is a smart and healthy move.
We're continuing into 2017 with a final look back at 2016 and our top scoring BC wines tasted last year. Our Top 10 has expanded into a Top 18, with wines scoring 93 and 92 points. Even so, there are only a dozen wineries represented here. No surprise
There is something special about being in a wine region at harvest. In mid-September, I visited the Douro Valley in Portugal during harvest with Dr. Jamie Goode, The Wine Anorak, and spent a lot of time chatting with port producers. The vibe
We drink a lot of fizz here at Gismondi On Wine. A lot. Trust us. This year alone, we reviewed 200 sparkling wines from around the globe, across numerous grapes, regions and styles. Sixty of the wines reviewed were from the epitome of the style, Champagne,
It's that time of the year when sparkling wine sales skyrocket as people ring in the holiday season with a glass (or two) of fizz. We drink sparkling wines year round, of course, and plentifully so. But there is something festive about popping that cork
Germans have a lot of Sekt. Sekt, of course, is the German term for sparkling wine, and last year (2015) Germans drank more than 305 million litres of it. But their taste for fizz is not just limited to their own production: Germany is the world's largest
It’s been a long time coming. I’m thrilled to see an increasing number of interesting, modern and fresh South African wine landing in our BC market. For too long, most of the selection sold in this province has nothing to do with what is actually