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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.
December 5, 2013 Welcome back to GOW as we continue to prepare for the holidays. It’s a big month for reviews with some 400 new wines to pick from and don’t forget to check out our Top Imports Under $15, British Columbia A-Z and BC’s Top Ten Wines, all will be updated by the weekend. We intend to release out Top 100 for the year by mid-month and this year Stuart and I will release the ten most interesting wines we tasted this year. In the meantime look for new notes on Meyer, Frescobaldi, John Duvall, Torres and countless sparkling wine and Champagne reviews. Coming up soon Zuccardi, Freixenet, Lapostolle, Pares Baltà and more. The GOW website is undergoing a redesign (so far with no results) yet we are hopeful it will be ready soon. Thanks again for visiting our site where the scores are about the wines, not the reviewers. ag @TheSpitter
It’s time to get serious about those holiday gift lists, so I thought we would kick off December with some books that would interest the wine drinker on your list. You may want to consider pairing your book with an appropriate wine to bring it to life. full article...
A number of the top personalities in the wine businesswere in London this week to take part in Wine Vision, a business-focusedconference looking at the challenges facing wine producers around the world.There was plenty to discuss and while navel gazing is a big part of wineconferences, especially London-based events, I must say I enjoyed following thecomments and thoughts of the many speakers online via Twitter. full article...
Earlier this summer I was holed up in a hotel ballroom near the Toronto airport for eight days searching for the best value wines sold in Canada. full article...
Fifteen of this country's most experienced wine commentators and sommeliers gathered last week in Montreal to taste 30 of what arguably would be regarded as the best red Cabernet Sauvignon blends in the world. full article...
The mention of red fruits versus black fruits may be the most favourable descriptor one can use to describe red wine at the moment, at least among wine reviewers and professional critics. After decades of chasing intensity and concentration of fruit, along with a commensurate level of oak and alcohol, the style of red wine is fundamentally changing in many regions of the world. full article...
After a long year of tasting and travel we are always proud to release our own personal “Top 100” list. In short, we like these wines a lot and in most cases we will likely enjoy them for years if not decades. Not every wine will be available at retail; some will already be buried in private cellars while others will be on restaurant list. You r job is to drink anyone you come upon. Good hunting.
Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards shows how gracefully zinfandel can age. And don't get us started on the Monte Bello. A tasting of three vintages, of the Geyserville and Lytton Springs zins, and the Monte Bello, show this winery to be raising the bar, year after year. In the wine world there not usually any guarantees of satisfaction, but Mr. Draper and his team come as close to that as any, and we celebrate that. full article...
Dan Kosta is a gregarious, forthright fellow, whose good fortune in the wine business is not lost on him. “We started out thinking we could make a few barrels of really tasty wine, if things went well. We never really thought of it as becoming some kind of cult thing.” Napa’s cabernets have the market cornered on that, but still, the kind of exotic, fulsome, fully expressed pinot noir Kosta Browne produces is in batches too small to slake the collective thirst. full article...
Late in the summer, Newfoundland’s star executive chef Jeremy Charles of Raymond’s restaurant in St. John travelled to West in Vancouver where executive chef Quang Dang was waiting as host. Charles brought a small brigade, food and wines featured on his list and they even brought some iceburg chunks, to cool the water at table. It was a fascinating look at the bounty of two oceans and two parts of Canada. 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...
December 5, 2013 Welcome back to GOW as we continue to prepare for the holidays. It’s a big month for reviews with some 400 new wines to pick from and don’t forget to check out our Top Imports Under $15, British Columbia A-Z and BC’s Top Ten Wines, all will be updated by the weekend. We intend to release out Top 100 for the year by mid-month and this year Stuart and I will release the ten most interesting wines we tasted this year. In the meantime look for new notes on Meyer, Frescobaldi, John Duvall, Torres and countless sparkling wine and Champagne reviews. Coming up soon Zuccardi, Freixenet, Lapostolle, Pares Baltà and more. The GOW website is undergoing a redesign (so far with no results) yet we are hopeful it will be ready soon. Thanks again for visiting our site where the scores are about the wines, not the reviewers. ag @TheSpitter 
