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Wine Column

A Short History of Wine in Niagara

A Short History of Wine in Niagara

A Short History of Wine in Niagara The history of wine in Niagara is short measured by the time scale of the wine world, which is in centuries.  Its history has been the most interesting starting in the 1970s and 1980s.  It transformed from producing low quality wine using native Labrusca grapes such as Concord to hybrids like Marechal Foch,…

Summer Wines

Summer Wines

With the heat kicking in, the lighter, fresher wines that can be served cooler are more appealing. Our food and where we eat shifts as well; we eat more light foods like salads and we dine outdoors more often. Light to medium bodied sparkling, reds, roses and whites are more attractive to drink alone or to pair with dinner while sitting out in the sun.

Sugar in Red Wine?

Sugar in Red Wine?

Is there sugar in red wine?  It’s an interesting subject and the short answer is yes, but let me give you the background to the question.  A few weeks ago some friends were having a conversation about calories and sugar in wine, particularly red wine, since they were looking to lose some COVID pounds.  Most felt red wine was the…

Love Local – The Roost Winery in The Blue Mountains

Love Local – The Roost Winery in The Blue Mountains

This month’s feature, The Roost, is a boutique winery located in a place where you may not think of grape growing  – The Blue Mountains, near Collingwood.  It’s owned by the husband and wife team, Jessica, the winemaker, and Michael, the vineyard manager.  They planted their home vineyard in 2013/14 and The Roost opened to the public in 2017.  With…

Wines for the Holidays and Some Wine History

Wines for the Holidays and Some Wine History

This month we’ll take a journey back in time to see who we should thank for the wine we’ll be enjoying this Christmas season. This idea came from a book by wine writer Oz Clarke that proposes the ancient civilization responsible for the “discovery” of wine.  The usual suspects are the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans.  There is certainly evidence that…

Love Local – 13th Street, A Winery Worth Exploring

Love Local – 13th Street, A Winery Worth Exploring

We continue to focus on local since we have so many amazing Ontario wineries to explore. This month we feature Niagara’s 13th Street. The winery is owned by the Whitty family and their patriarch, Doug, is both the President and the Vineyard Manager.  As a 3rd generation grape grower, he takes vineyard management seriously and completely identifies with the philosophy…