Share A Glass

An Affair to Remember

Christine — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:12:08 +0000

My husband and I are taking a long awaited break from the everyday and visiting Niagara’s Wine region, specifically Beamsville and Vineland. Taking inspiration from The Good Earth Food and Wine Company, we are packing a picnic lunch with our favourite cheeses, smoked meat, apricot brandy butter, figs and fruit, and hoping to lay our blanket down at one of the welcoming vineyards of Beamsville.

A Foreign Affair is one of the region’s newer wineries and have a particularly interesting story behind the name and the styles of wines within their portfolio. Roughly two decades ago, owners Len and Marisa Crispino shared a love affair with Venetian wines when they were living as expats in Veneto, Italy. They adopted their new love of Amarone style wines and brought it back to Niagara for all of us to enjoy. Let’s see, a picnic lunch with Amarone style wines…How romantic : )

Pretty in Pink 2009

Christine — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:15:42 +0000

Growing up in the 80’s, who wasn’t a fan of John Hughes film’s. Fortunately, his movies will be etched in my brain forever, and so will this wonderfully spry rose I recently tried at a portfolio tasting for Montes Wines from Chile. Montes Cherub Syrah 2009 is a beautiful, refreshing wine with a surprising pucker on the palate. Glorious on its own, though I had the opportunity to try it with a Coconut Tiger Shrimp with a Lime Peppercorn Sauce…Very satisfying.

It is available through the lCBO for $14.95 in the Vintages section. I have an event this coming weekend that screams out for this wine. I will be picking up a few.

Toronto Wine and Cheese Show 2010

Christine — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:45:06 +0000

I had a clear agenda when I set out this year to ensure I was in and out within 2 hours. The prospect was good, but when you start talking wine with everyone, 2 hours is never enough. My first stop was with Heidi at one of my favourite Niagara wineries, Fielding Estate Winery; very much a fan of their Gewurztraminer, I opted to sample their 2008 Riesling this time and it did not disappoint; moderate aroma’s of lime and orange, followed by a refreshing acidity that, I find, is very indicitive of Beamsville. We are, truly, fortunate to be so close to such a great grape growing area in the world and to learn first-hand the differences between the variety of terroir’s present in Niagara. The Fielding Estate 2008 Riesling can be found in the majority of LCBO’s that have a Craft Wine Section. A great addition to this year’s show, Wine Allign collected tasting information from each of the booths and provided 2 D scan’s to ensure attendees were able to put together a shopping list on their smartphone of their favorite wines of the show.

Moving away from Canada, I tasted a wine that was perfectly delectible; great as a dessert wine, but also a great accompiniment to a baked ham with citrus glaze. Muscat de Limnos from Greece was a great find, though, I have to admit I did have my sights on it the night before as I was perusing the exhibitor list. I was glad to hear from Steve Kriaris that this wine is available at the LCBO for $11.95.

Spotlight on Vina Montes

Christine — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:16:19 +0000

Chile has now become a force to be reckoned with in the wine world. It is wonderful to be able to taste quality wines for extremely reasonable prices here in Canada. Vina Montes is a producer of beautiful wines that are accessible to us at a variety of price ranges. They produce ultra premium wines that can, literally, knock your socks off. Owner and world renowned wine maker, Aurelio Montes, does it all, and everything he touches turns purple. He is such a talented winemaker that, although his roots are in Chile, his vines reach to Argentina and as far as Napa — Producing an ultra premium wine that rivals the best Napa Wines. Montes Wines was, actually, the catalyst in bringing ultra premium wines out to the world and they continue to improve their wines vintage after vintage. I found a great vertical tasting on Wine Spectator to highlight Montes Alpha M that I have pasted below for everyone to enjoy.

By the way, I will have the rare opportunity to taste a variety of wines from Vina Montes, as well as, meet Aurelio Montes. Stay tuned for my follow up.

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California Wine Fair 2010

Christine — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:30:22 +0000

Do you know that Far Niente on Wellington Street in Toronto has one of the most comprehensive California Cab selections? They do have a diverse list outside of California, but their California section is extraordinary. We had the opportunity to try some great wine and food pairings at the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo that highlighted the wines of California and the fabulous contemporary cuisine of Far Niente. We are, frequently, mesmorized by the California Cabernet Sauvignon’s that Napa Valley boasts, and tend to forget about the other 11 appelations of California wine that are creating great wines as well. I have had the pleasure of attending the last three California Wine Fair’s at the Royal York that taste an astounding 400 wines from the Golden State. This is the perfect venue for anyone who is interested in learning more about California Wine. Fortunately, this event is in the next few weeks, so, it will be top of mind for most of you. The tickets are $65 and takes place on Monday, April 19 from 7:00 to 9:30. There are tickets still available, so hop to it.

I have a great video that I will be posting shortly that highlights the wine and food pairing at the California Cafe at the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo.

Toronto Wine & Cheese Show 2010

Christine — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:28:43 +0000

Looks like this year is going to be another great year for the Toronto Wine & Cheese Show. Everyone can look forward to getting a little technologically savvy with your wine shopping this year; Wine Allign has set up a 2 D barcode system, so if you taste something you like, you are able to scan a barcode present at the booth and save it to your smartphone; don’t forget to download the software before you leave home or you will be using your trusty pencil.

A few highlights this year include the abundance of seminars that the show has to offer; I am definitely excited about “The Tastes of Italy Served Sunny California Style” - should be a unique twist, and Chef David Adjay’s presentations will certainly be a treat. I found a great bio on David that you should check out.

Can’t wait to see you all there…The Show is running at the International Centre from Friday, March 19 to Sunday, March 21.

A look back at the Marathon du Medoc

Christine — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:17:59 +0000

Staying in Bordeaux was a blessing, but marathon morning after the Milles Pate at Chateau Pichon Longueville proved challenging and tiring. Four hours of sleep and we were up to get dressed into our costumes for the race. Upon arrival at the start, we were surrounded by lions and tigers and pigs?…Oh My.

With our Asics, Nike’s, Addidas’s, and Mizuno’s laced up, we were ready for our 6 and a half hour run. Those of you who are unfamiliar with this marathon…You must finish within 6 hours and 30 minutes if you want to receive your finishing medal and bottle of wine. While you are partying and drinking and running at the same time, 6 and a half hours is, definitely, a respectable time : )

Surrounded by caged lions and make shift floats and drumming trapeze artists hanging from the sky was the spectical we enjoyed for the first few minutes of the race. We began to run and soon realized that running among the floats was slow AND hazardous as most of them are unable to steer and brake very well.

Our first wine stop Chateau Hautes-Bages Liberal. Fortunately, my palate wasn’t pasty at this point and I was able to enjoy this wine and experience the elegance, the ripe fruit and long finish, as opposed to sipping the wine to quench my thirst.

Happy New Year!

Christine — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:16:30 +0000

From All of us at Share a Glass, we would like to wish everyone a fabulous and prosperous 2010!

Favourite White of 2009 - La Crema Russian River Valley Chardonnay, 2007 - Pineapple and papaya, mixed with an abundance of honeysuckle, this Sonoma Valley Chardonnay is well worth the $$$.

Favourite Red of 2009 - Chateau Saint Mambert 2002 (Bordeaux) - It was the experience, plus the quality that gets me here. I had the opportunity to run the Marathon du Medoc in 2009 and this wine was one of the mile markers along the route. Full of ripe blackberries and plums with a silken and elegant finish. It was beautiful with our lamb chops and, surprisingly, refreshing along route.

Gourmet Food & Wine Expo 2009

Christine — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:00:18 +0000

A press release caught my attention, actually, more so my taste buds then anything else. The California Wine “Island” at the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo has always been a destination that I frequent. The selection of wines always pleases every portion of my palate, from the fruit explosion of Ironstone and Ravenswood Zinfandel’s to the tangy lime and gooseberry nuances of Rancho Zabaco’s Sauvignon Blanc (I might add, this is my favourite white of the moment).

In addition to the many wines being offered, The California Wine Institute has partnered with Far Niente restaurant. Executive Chef Gordon Mackie will be creating a signature three-course California tapas tasting menu to pair with the wines to truly frame the food and wine experience. The “Far Niente California Café” will be offering a special tasting menu all weekend for $30…Don’t forget to reserve the second you enter the door; I have a feeling there will be long line ups for this fabulous feature…I’ve already made my reservation for Thursday.

Marathon du Medoc - Pasta Dinner

Christine — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:09:33 +0000

The 25th Anniversary of the Marathon du Medoc just hit the vineyards of Paulliac in the Medoc and I had the opportunity to take part in this extraordinary event. It is certainly a spectacle that any wine lover should not miss in their lifetime. We stayed in Bordeaux, which translated into a 1 hour drive each way to the race festivities. Definitely worth it; as Bordeaux is a larger city and can accommodate the some 30,000 persons who come to celebrate the Marathon du Medoc.

The Mille Pate or Pasta Dinner was a huge party that kept our belly’s and wine glasses full throughout the evening. We had the opportunity to try three fantastic wines that runneth over. Special thanks to our girl Lilly, who kept our glasses full the entire time. The piece de resistance was our third wine that brought us to our knees Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron 1998; still youthful after 12 years the ripe berries are still dominant on the nose, followed by fantastic cigar box and barnyard aromas. On the palate, it’s silken texture still provided a burst of refreshing acidity and well balanced tannins that tell you this wine has even greater potential to sit for a while longer. It was paired with a Gorgonzola Gnocchi; not my favourite accompaniment, but the wine was fabulous.

From a belly dancer to women in lingerie and top hats, to the band that kept us dancing until 1 am, this pasta party was far from ordinary.

Stay tuned for more about the Marathon du Medoc.