I had this wine as the table wine at Moxxies so I bought a bottle. For the price, why not. It is not a bad wine with reasonable depth and complexity for a wine of this price. Not a fabulous wine but quite reasonable. If I had to give it a number I would say [...]

Today’s online Vintages release contains very few low to mid range priced wines (sub $100) but of the choices here are the two I’d take a stab at:
2005 Hartford Court Four Hearts Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, $52
2004 Schiavenza Broglio Barolo, DOCG, Italy – Piedmont $59
happy sipping!

I’ve blogged about this one before. We tasted it at the BC wine event a while back. So based on how much I liked it at the tasting I bought one. I was not disappointed. This wine is perfect right out of the bottle. No breathing/decanting needed. The flavor is varietal cab, although I would [...]

When I bought this Rhône, I did so for a few reasons, the most prevalant was my sure belief that no Rhône worth it’s weight could be priced sub $20 in Ontario. If we see a red from France in the 15 to 20 range, odds are it is 5 to 9 euros if you [...]

It is rare that we bring back a bottle from some trip and open a bottle right away, but on this occasion we were concerned about a potential corked situation and we were in the mood for a good bottle of wine. Thus this wine was opened probably 5 years in advance of what we [...]

The rating makes on this wine caught my eye, it looks like a bargain. The wine is 65% Grenache Noir, 30% Syrah, 10% Carignan. As usual I find Parker is high in his rating. I believe this one really deserves more like an 89-90. But given the price this is not bad at all. Not [...]

This is an absoloutely middle of the road mild chard. Color is typical honey, on the nose this is a light wine. There is a little bit of butteryness but not a lot and no creamyness. There is a bit of sweetness mixed in with a teeny tiny bit of tartness. The finish is light. [...]

I had this wine at the Keg paired with King Crab. The wine is a VERY mild Riesling. The finish is quite short and there is not a lot going on here. It is a varietal Riesling but nothing too stellar. The glass was quite inexpensive as is the bottle so I guess you get [...]

Nothing is sadder then rounding up a trip in Paris, but really vacations are no more then escapes from everyday life and, after all, reality awaits everyone eventually. Here are a few more eating ideas in Paris that will suit everyone on any budget:
If you are looking for a great lunching opportunity then head to [...]

This was recommended by Gord Stimmel from the star as a good Pinotage. So I thought I would give it a whirl. This is a very harsh wine. Burning the throat when first opened. 1 hour worth of breathing helped. It has a med/long finish but this by no means a sipping wine. And it’s [...]

I have some of the 2005 and the 2006. This is a big bold classic Aussie wine. The dominant flavor is Shiraz with some edge taken off by the blending grapes. The wine is quite high in alcohol. I recommend decanting this one for an hour min. It also through a LOT of sediment. The [...]

If you are looking for the perfect Paris dining experience that does not require a Michelin guide entry, look no further then Chez Janou in the 3ieme. Cramped, noisy, chalkboard menus and reservations required, this local Bistrot is fantastic. In warm weather try and reserve a terrace table and watch the Marais pass you by.
A [...]

Paris is a huge melting pot of people and cultures, with this comes culinary delights from many nations. on night three we chose to head off to our favorite Moroccan restaurant, Le 404 in the 3ieme. Just north of the ever busy Les Halles area, walking into the dark cave like restaurant will blast your [...]

This is an absolutely varietal Aussie cab. There are all the typical flavors and aromas of a cab mixed in with a very slight pepperyness on the finish as is typical for an Aussie. Terroir can never be underestimated and is clearly evident in this wine. The wine has a medium finish. I paired it [...]

I bought this wine back in June of last year. Looks like there isn’t any more at the LCBO, which is a crying shame. I actually went back and grabbed more it was so good. Out of the bottle there was a bitterness to the wine, but I could taste underlying goodness just waiting to [...]