Tag: Chianti Classico

What is Vin Santo? According to Wikipedia “Vin Santo is a style of Italian dessert wine. Traditional in Tuscany, these wines are often made from white grape varieties such as Trebbiano and Malvasia, though Sangiovese may be used to produce a rosé style known as “Occhio di Pernice” or eye of the partridge. The wines may also be described as straw…

I have talked about the origins of the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione wines in a previous article, but there is always more to learn.  I was invited to attend a recent Masterclass on Chianti Classico Gran Selezione wines and I would like to share some of that knowledge with you, as well as give you my tasting notes on my…

What Do You Know About Chianti Classico? “Chianti Classico” and should not be confused with “Chianti”, which is a separate denomination that surrounds Chianti Classico. In 1716, the Tuscan Grand Duke Cosimo III, established for the first time in history the borders of the production area for Chianti Classico.  It covers the area between Siena and Florence and covers 70,000…

The holiday season is coming up quickly and if you are wondering what to do for your office or party with friends, how about have a wine tasting?  Sounds fun, but how do I pick the wines?  Well, I’ve taken care of that for you, with a sample of wines that you can purchase through the BC Liquor Stores.  I’ve…

In 2015, I only rated 7 wines with 5 stars.  There were many wines that came close to my idea of perfection in a glass, and many of these I gave 4.5 stars.  These are amazing wines still and I highly recommend purchasing any of them.  There are 77 wines that I classified as 4.5 stars.  All of these wines…

Chianti Classico is a region in Tuscany between Florence and Siena in Italy, which produces wonderful red wines from the Sangiovese grapes, sometimes combined with other indigenous or international varieties.  To be “Chianti Classico” the blend must be at least 80% Sangiovese.  Canada does it’s share of enjoying Chianti Classico, importing 10% of Chianti Classico wine sales worldwide in 2014….

The first time you walk into the International Festival Tasting Room can be intimidating, with 175 wineries pouring 3 or more wines each, you have at least 525 wines to try.  But over time, you become a wine tasting veteran like me, setting up a strategy, checking out the background of some wineries you may not have heard of before,…

By day you would think coffee shop, but by night a wine bar. The new Take Five Cafe on 62 W. Cordoba, in Gastown offers both to their customers.  I was invited to attend their grand opening this past week to see what they have to offer, and there is quite a range for you.  As I mentioned there is…

I was happy to be invited for the second year in a row to the Select Wines & Spirits’ Annual Portfolio Tasting, held at the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club.  Last year I found several gems that I passed along to you, and you will read about my latest wine recommendations.  You may want to compare to my last year’s…

I really do enjoy finding wines that excite me, and I think you will also like. I’ve been to a Mark Anthony Brands Portfolio tasting and really enjoyed it. There were wines from all price points, and styles from red, white, dessert, fortified and bubbles. So when I was invited to their latest Portfolio tasting, I couldn’t wait. White Wine…