Tag Archives: pinot noir
Pinot Noir, Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses, Simon Bizes et Fils, Côte-d’Or, Bourgogne, France, 2010, 13.5% abv. US$95
Simon Bizes et Fils is a fifth generation Burgundian winery in Savigny-les-Beaunes south of Dijon. The Pinot Noir grapes for this 2010 bottle come from vineyards planted in 1939, 1949 and 1954. On the eyes, it’s a translucent garnet with … Continue reading
Gamay & Pinot Noir, PTO, Sparkling, Chadsey’s Cairns Winery, Prince Edward County, Ontario VQA, 2019, 12% abv.
Prince Edward County is Ontario’s northern most wine growing and making region, and lies just 2 hours east of Toronto on the shores of Lake Ontario which moderates its climate. Limestone and gravel dominant soils offer great drainage and produce … Continue reading
Pinot Noir, Estate Cuvée, Maysara Winery, McMinnville AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2008, 13.5% abv., US$35
Back what seems to be a lifetime ago, when the border with the US was open, and we ventured out on a 35 day driving tour, we stopped in at one of my perennial Willamette Valley favourites, Maysara Winery. A … Continue reading
Bunker Red, Rathjen Cellars, Saanich, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, 12.1% abv., C$22++
We’re nine months into this pandemic and I’ve been writing a little less than usual, but drinking a lot more. What about you? Yeh, that’s what I thought. However, I have made a concerted effort to support local wineries and … Continue reading
Stealing Your Kids’ Hallowe’en Candy and Pairing it with Alcohol; How Low Can 2020 Go?
In the good old days, after I’d convinced my children that I had to do a ‘safety check’ on their Hallowe’en haul after they’d gone off to bed, I would then sit down with my favourite adult beverage in hand, … Continue reading
An Oregon Wine Board Tasting with Winderlea Vineyard + Winery, and Troon Vineyard
If these were normal times, and the world’s longest undefended border was open, I would have been in Oregon’s Willamette Valley last weekend, participating in the 2020 version of the Wine Media Conference. But alas, these are Covid-19, not normal … Continue reading
Pinot Noir, Unsworth Vineyards, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, BC, 12.9% abv., 2018 (C$35)
Pinot Noir is the perennial ‘heartbreak’ grape. Its skin breaks easily, which makes it especially susceptible to disease and genetic mutation. And talk about fragility with regard to climate. Fickle doesn’t even begin to cover it. But, Unsworth Vineyards has … Continue reading
Gamay, Pinot Noir, Field Blend, Unsworth Vineyards, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, BC, 2018, 12.5% abv, C$25
Just last week, there was a surprise announcement made by the Turyk family of Vancouver Island’s Unsworth Vineyards – they’ve sold their winery to the Banke-Jackson group from California. Considering global warming and climate change, it should be no surprise … Continue reading
Block Party, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Kitsch Wines, East Kelowna, Okanagan Valley, BC, 12.5% abv., 2019
Be honest for a minute – and look back at the past 9 weeks of covid take-out charges on your credit card statement. We both know you’ve been indulging. Just when you thought you had that plastic bag, styrofoam container, … Continue reading
