Monthly Archives: September 2011

2008 Hillebrand Carlton Vineyard Merlot

Looking for a wine last night to pair with good ol’ fashion spaghetti and noticed I had two of these in the cellar. Showcase is Hillebrand’s premiere wine label and this single vineyard comes from older Merlot vines on their … Continue reading

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Cellaring Zinfandels

Managing a wine cellar takes some learning. The first thing to do when starting to setup a cellar is figuring out how you are going to capture the data. Capturing data at the time of purchase will save you a … Continue reading

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2008 Thirty Bench Small Lot Cabernet Franc

One of the things I have been toying with is having long form and short form reviews based on my time availability. For long time readers you know I can be sporadic with reviewing, most of the time this is … Continue reading

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2010 Greenlane Pinot Gris-Riesling

2011 may go down as the summer of Pinot Gris in Niagara. All the vogue or all the rage some may say, but truth be told I am not sure why the region is pushing their Pinot Gris offerings as … Continue reading

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ALDERBROOK OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 2002 Dry Creek Valley

I’ve had this one in the cellar since 2008 so figured it was time to give it a try. On the nose are some nice dark berries and a hint of alcohol. On the mid pallet are some lovely dark … Continue reading

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2006 Kacaba Meritage

This was the third of the wines I tasted on my visit to the winery. Dark in color with lots of dark fruits on the nose. On the mid pallet are some nice dark fruit rich flavors. The cab sauv … Continue reading

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Beautiful night

I was away all last week, executive retreat followed by family events. No excuse yet still no blog. Despite all this I think I am up to 14 unique wines drank over that time so reviews will filter down as … Continue reading

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LCBO Blogger contest

As you may have heard the LCBO are running a blogger contest. I’ve submitted one of my write ups from my trip to Prince Edward county. Stop on by and vote for me if you feel so inclined! My trip … Continue reading

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Kacaba 2008 Cab Franc

Cab Franc for me is a signature grape for Niagara. They can do it very well. They can also do it very badly. Cab Franc in France is more often than not heavily blended. In Niagara as well as other … Continue reading

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2008 Kacaba Pinot Noir

I first tasted the Kacaba wines at a tasting event at the Brickworks and was impressed. I was down in Niagara this past weekend doing some mountain biking in Short Hills Provincial park so I made a point of stopping … Continue reading

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Hidden Bench Fall Release Event

Fast post as it is via mobile phone. Great event, with owner, winemaker and front of house helping us run through the 8 wines on this release. Highlights: The wine (yes this is ‘copping out’) and great food pairings, very … Continue reading

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Saturday Niagara and an Interesting Link

We are off to Niagara for an event by one of our wine clubs (Hidden Bench today), so maybe a picture and a write up later (if I can manage both!). In the meantime, here is an interesting link: a … Continue reading

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2009 Quinto do Crasto Douro

Another one of the wines we had at Salt Wine Bar a few weeks back, this wine left a much poorer impression on me. Quinto do Crasto is a large Portuguese producer located on the Douro River. Well known for … Continue reading

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Interesting New Link

For those that know me, know I love to cook as well as drink wine. For the longest time I had a link up for Erika Strum’s mostly foodie blog. Well times change and Erika has moved on to a … Continue reading

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2010 Calamus Pinot Gris

If you are looking for 3100 Glen Road in Jordan, take your time and try not to think about roads changing names or bending, all of this may lead you to not making it to Calamus Estate Winery. If it … Continue reading

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San Diego Traveler Report

After a week away here are a few snippets on the trip, including restaurant and hotel notes. Will catch up on wine reviews over the next day or so. Red Pearl Restaurant (Gaslamp) In the middle of the Gaslamp district … Continue reading

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