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Public Events
There are many more complete wine and food calendars on the web but our goal is to post those events that appear to over-deliver for the ticket price. The key factors that affect our decisions (having spent over 20 years attending such events) include attending principals, the quality of the food and wine, the location and the chance to learn something new.
May 13, 2012 – Welcome back to Gismondi on Wine. We have been busy updating notes and stories and trying to keep up with all the tastings. As the weather finally warms up we will continue to adjust out notes to reflect your wine needs over the spring and summer. This week we will be very busy preparing for the International Value Wine Awards slated to begin June 12. Although the competition has been open for months more than 50 percent of the wines will be entered online this week and next and most of the 1200 entries will arrive at the Calgary Wine Access offices before the month’s end. In the meantime, you can look for plenty of new reviews and new content under “Article Archives,” “Top Imports Under $15" and there is a new “A to Z of British Columbia's Best Labels and Articles Archives. Thanks for taking the time to visit our site where the scores are about the wines, not the reviewers. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter @TheSpitter. ag
Today, we thought it might be fun to review some wines suited to our native prawn, and kick off the Spot Prawn season all in one. Who knows, maybe the sun will come out and we can officially get the warm weather season underway. full article...
A week in Florida can be disconcerting to even the fringe wine buyer. Some wine prices are so low you have to pinch yourself to make sure you are not dreaming. To the undiscerning eye, most of what you encounter appears to be, at least in terms of price, far too good to be true. full article...
Annual vintage reports have become standard at the top wineries around the world, and more recently leading wine regions have taken to issuing comprehensive vintage reports on the state of the previous year's harvest just before its release. full article...
California wine sales are on a bit of roll in Canada, with sales climbing across the country more than 10 per cent in 2011. In British Columbia, California red wine sales are just under $78 million, up 11.3 per cent over the previous 12-month period, and white wines are on the move too with over $30 million in sales, a jump of 5.8 per cent over the previous twelve months. full article...
There may not be any wine pairing rules in the new world of wine but common sense and years of experience have taught me some wines are better with certain foods than others. We explore that thought as we pre-pare for Easter dinner with the relatives. full article...
With restaurants opening in Montreal and Toronto, Daniel Boulud affirms his belief in Canada’s food culture. With a gigantic Bar Boulud hit on his hands at the Mandarin Oriental in London, and Maison Daniel at the former US Embassy in Beijing, you might wonder if his restaurants in his adopted home of New York are still as keen and current as ever. The answer is yes. full article...
He had shown plenty of inclination to think outside the bento box, pursuing local purveyors of wild game, producers of eccentric herbs and vegetables, so that he could really execute a seasonal menu that kept both him and his clients interested. Training included stints at Morimoto in Philadelphia, various tiny local spots in Spain, and finally with Claudio Aprile, then top chef at Senses in Toronto. full article...
The Allison is the hotel of choice for visitors to Oregon's wine regions. It sets a new standard for excellence, in every respect. The team assembled by General Manager Pierre Zreik has only one thing on its collective mind: to make a stay there a completely memorable one. full article...
New Year’s Eve evening is a great time for lingering over snacks with friends, before dinner or heading out to a party and there are certainly a number of cheeses that pair well with bubbles. We have been busy in the store all week selling our favourite matches so for any last minute shoppers here are some of our best bets. full article...
Do you know your guests well? If you are having close friends to your home, there is a good chance you may already know the kind of cheese they might enjoy. When you are entertaning people you hardly know and you know even less about thier tastes, it is always good to choose a more general selection. It is fine to push the envelope a bit, but you want to make people feel welcome in your home, not scare them! full article...
Having admitted that I don’t love all goat cheese and have been known to describe some as very 'goat-y' and 'barnyard-y', there are some that I like much more than others. I find that the more aged cheeses from the Loire Valley are some of my favourites, as well as some firmer goat cheeses like Queso de Cabra al Vino from Spain. full article...
The most important ingredient in Roquefort besides sheep milk is Penicillium Roqueforti. This mold is the secret that makes the taste of the cheese unique. The mold is specifically grown in special large loaves of rye bread. The bread is left in natural caves in the area until the centre has turned almost entirely to mold, and then the loaves are cracked open and the mold is ground for addition to the cheese curd before it is pressed. full article...
The most common Pecorino available in North America is Pecorino Romano. It is substantially saltier and much stronger than most of the other pecorinos we see. For me it lacks all the subtle fruity flavours that are the very reason I love sheep’s milk cheese. For cooking a robust flavoured dish, where a strong flavour is needed Romano is great, but for a table cheese it isn’t as appealing. full article...
Tasting wine takes you to many places, both hotels and restaurants - some good, some great and some bad. In response to many requests I will begin posting some basic details on where to stay and eat in wine country or wine friendly cities but only if I have first hand experience. Take it for what it is: a personal opinion but one that is based on many years of travel.
A 16 at 2355 Chestnut in the Marina area is named after a road in Italy. Expect delicious Naples-style thin crust pizza and light ricotta gnocchi as well as wonderful wood-fired cooking of Italy’s south. full article...
Four Seasons Resort Whistler's 273 guest rooms, suites and townhouses are generously sized and capture the spirit of a luxurious mountain residence. full article...
The Ritz-Carlton Santiago opened in June 2003 debut and immediately raised the standard of Chilean hotels. The hotel is set in Las Condes in the heart of the central business district. full article...
Cold, harsh winter weather has always benefited wine growers in this country if only because it acts as the perfect, natural pesticide but today freezing temperatures that blanket our vineyards each winter yield a much richer reward - icewine. full article...
May 13, 2012 – Welcome back to Gismondi on Wine. We have been busy updating notes and stories and trying to keep up with all the tastings. As the weather finally warms up we will continue to adjust out notes to reflect your wine needs over the spring and summer. This week we will be very busy preparing for the International Value Wine Awards slated to begin June 12. Although the competition has been open for months more than 50 percent of the wines will be entered online this week and next and most of the 1200 entries will arrive at the Calgary Wine Access offices before the month’s end. In the meantime, you can look for plenty of new reviews and new content under “Article Archives,” “Top Imports Under $15" and there is a new “A to Z of British Columbia's Best Labels and Articles Archives. Thanks for taking the time to visit our site where the scores are about the wines, not the reviewers. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter @TheSpitter. ag
