Wine Hackaton: Pinot vs Bonarda — The Wine Culturist

Have you ever met a wine hacker? I have. Last week I found myself in a narrow brightly-lit room in a far-flung corner of the city, rubbing glasses with Argentina’s hippest wine bloggers at the grandiosely-named PinotBonarda Wine Hackaton. Now let me be clear; there were no geeky, unwashed techies in ironic oversized T-shirts here

Piccini Villa al Cortile Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010

A Brunello that’s elegant and true  We enjoyed this beautiful wine last night with sliced baguette and aged cheeses, including parmigiano (a great match). Brunello must spend at least 2 years in barrels and cannot be released until the fifth year after harvest. A patient investment to produce an outstanding wine. We immediately noticed its

The next hot trend – Ontario about to burst forth with micro-distilleries

    Spirits Start To Emerge in My Consciousness I’ve been a wine aficionado for a long time. But I haven’t been able to resist the lure of spirits either. They’ve gradually tugged at my attention and they’re winning me over. They’re fascinating and equally full of culture and lore. So with this post, I

Rhône Valley wine region in 7 days.

Visiting the Rhône Valley wine region. A while back I had the good fortune to visit the various Rhône valley wine regions for seven days. The areas within are visually beautiful. The wines of the North can best be described as elegant and delicate. In contrast, the wines of the South are rustic and full of

Individual Tiramisu

A recipe worth trying. And oh the reward when it’s time to taste it.

On the lookout for truly great red wines? Look into this one. Structure, balance, and very impressive

What do we have to do to get truly great wines? I don’t know about you, but personally, I’m not impressed often enough with the red wines people bring to the house when I’m entertaining. Don’t get me wrong. I’m thankful for the gift, and even more thankful that they’ve come so I can enjoy

2012 Carabella Pinot Noir, Oregon. Best PN I’ve had in years.

Oregon knows how to do Pinot Noir Robust, earthy, great berry fruit. Outstanding wine. In Vintages from time to time.  I had this one with the rep and the product consultants at Bayview and Sheppard.

Scotch tastings and whisky introduction at The Briars resort

Scotch and Whisky Introduction Among my many other roles in a wide variety of places, I am the in-house wine and scotch tasting host for The Briars resort in Jackson’s Point, Ontario, on the south end of Lake Simcoe. Here’s the basic outline of what I cover. You are most welcome to book your own

Beef Bourguignon recipe and video

Beef Bourguignon recipe by The Wine Baron with inspiration from Julia Child, this is my Chateauneuf du Pape variation, with ideas from the French and Austrian kitchens. Ingredients One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon 3 ½ tablespoons olive oil 3 pounds marbled stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes 3 large carrots, sliced 1 medium leek,

Kir-Yianni Estate redefines the level of greatness the wines of Greece can possess. Here are 2 outstanding reds!

Two Greek wines you should know You may know the lovely Paranga red blend from Kir-Yianni, available in LCBO. A very nice wine at a price that’ll make you happy. Here are two more … Yesterday I had the chance to taste two upscale wines from the estate with Lambros Papadimitriou. Two Olives 2010 A dark beauty with