Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date on what's happening in the wine community and best of all what's happening with GismondiOnWine.com.
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.
January 12, 2012 – Welcome back to Gismondi on Wine. We hope you had an enjoyable holiday and are ready for another new year of wine reviews. We are still determining what shape our makeover should take but we can assure you we will concentrate on what we do best: reviewing wines from a global context. We will continue to evaluate wines using the same system we have used for more than three decades giving consumers and producers a solid base from which to interpret our scores and thoughts. Our year end bubble guide is up and we will also post over 200 Argentine wine notes as a result of our recent trip to Argentina by mid-January. In the meantime look for our holiday cheese and sparkling wine buying guide by Allison Spurrell and several new stories by Vancouver based editor and writer Jim Tobler under 'Tobler’s Take.' As always, there is new content under “Top Imports Under $15" and a new “A to Z of British Columbia's Best Labels. Thanks for taking the time to visit our site where the scores are about the wines, not the reviewers. ag
Today we look at some last minute wine suggestions based on the trifecta of Christmas dinner main courses: turkey, ham or beef. There are no right or wrong choices to serve at Christmas dinner, although experience has taught me that if your dinner involves multiple guests and a mix of ages, and even generations, great wines from old vintages, the kind that require attention, are not recommended. full article...
The recent arrival of cold weather in the province, including snow in many localities, is another sign that a bottle of port should be available on sideboards and pantries across the region to take the chill off the evening air. Think fireplace, good book, and glass of port with a piece of fruit cake or some almonds. full article...
It is my experience that value falls into three broad categories, at the high end for wines $75 and above, at the low end under $25, and perhaps the more significant mid-range of $25 to $75. Why is the mid-range so important? Well, if we agree there is a fixed cost in growing grapes and making wine, it is hard to imagine encountering too many best buys under $10. Mainly because most of that $10 is eaten up by production and shipping costs and, here in B.C., a massive alcohol tax. full article...
If you are in search of useful wine gifts, you are in luck. Today, we look at some of the basic requirements for any aspiring wine drinker and we pair them with appropriately tasty wine. It’s one, or two-stop shopping, for wine lovers and these gifts won’t be shoved into a big drawer never to be used again. full article...
If you were to draw up a perfect vintage, you couldn't go wrong with 2009 in the Rhone. A wet winter followed by an early, warm spring, early flowering and early veraison (when the grapes change colour). Follow that with a hot dry August, normal autumn temperatures and 30 per cent less water and you have magic. full article...
Something seemingly so simple as the bi-valve we know as an oyster has a virtually limitless set of taste variations, in part due to the oyster itself, and of course in part because of where exactly you are eating them. Add Champagne and you have a beguiling array of choices for eating pleasure.
Simon Brooking spends a lot of time talking about single malt Scotch whisky. He spends a lot of time tasting it, as well, so it is on the whole a good thing he is Brand Ambassador for the illustrious Laphroaig distillery, on the southwestern tip of the island of Islay. Tasting the 10, 18, 25 and Quarter Cask is a treat.
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...
January 12, 2012 – Welcome back to Gismondi on Wine. We hope you had an enjoyable holiday and are ready for another new year of wine reviews. We are still determining what shape our makeover should take but we can assure you we will concentrate on what we do best: reviewing wines from a global context. We will continue to evaluate wines using the same system we have used for more than three decades giving consumers and producers a solid base from which to interpret our scores and thoughts. Our year end bubble guide is up and we will also post over 200 Argentine wine notes as a result of our recent trip to Argentina by mid-January. In the meantime look for our holiday cheese and sparkling wine buying guide by Allison Spurrell and several new stories by Vancouver based editor and writer Jim Tobler under 'Tobler’s Take.' As always, there is new content under “Top Imports Under $15" and a new “A to Z of British Columbia's Best Labels. Thanks for taking the time to visit our site where the scores are about the wines, not the reviewers. ag
