Wine Club Feature: Marynissen Estates Winery

This month, our wine club members will receive a selection of beautifully crafted wines from Marynissen Estates Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. Keep reading to learn more about the winery's rich history and a few of our favourite bottles – then sign up for our wine club by Tuesday, August 15^th to taste them for yourself!

John Marynissen came to Canada from the Netherlands in 1952, and found a job picking fruit in Niagara Falls. By 2009, at the end of his career, he was recognized as a pioneer and unsung hero of Canada's burgeoning wine industry. Continue reading →

Top Wine Picks: Moon Curser Vineyards

Down in the desert country of Osoyoos, at the very southern end of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, the mercury has been hovering around the zero-degree mark for a while now, but that shouldn’t last much longer. Soon enough, buds will burst on the area’s grapevines, and as vineyards bloom under the sun, those temperatures will climb into the thirties and forties. It’s as we get into vintage when the region’s desert classification becomes a lot more obvious. Not only is it ‘hot enough for ya’ more often than not, but while toddling around the area’s landscape, cacti and rattlesnakes aren’t exactly uncommon sights.

It is here where the Okanagan Valley excels at ripening the grapes for rich red and white wines, while sandy soils with pockets of clay, limestone and granite add distinct minerality and the cool nights allow natural acidity to be preserved.

These conditions make it possible for quite the variety of, er, varieties to be grown, and when it comes to Osoyoos wineries, this writer can’t think of anyone taking advantage of this scenario as much Beata and Chris Tolley, the owners of Moon Curser Vineyards.

Continue reading →

Top Wine Picks! Traynor Family Vineyard

Mike and Rebecca Traynor, the folks behind Traynor Family Vineyard, purchased the Prince Edward County property in 2008. They turned a cornfield into a vineyard of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as hybrid varieties Frontenac Gris and Marquette. Mike has a history with wine: working in retail shops and completing sommelier and winemaking courses before landing a gig as operations manager at Huff Estates. Later, he became the winemaker and general manager of Oak Heights. The first Traynor Family Vineyard harvest was in 2013.

This week My Wine Canada is featuring Traynor Family Vineyard by offering free shipping on six or more bottles (feel free to mix and match).

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Canadian Winery Spotlight: Clos du Soleil

Next up in My Wine Canada’s Wine of the Month Club is British Columbia’s Clos du Soleil winery, nestled in the Similkameen Valley. If you choose the ‘Wine Expert’ package, you’ll get three of their wines delivered to your door and, among other perks, custom wine notes on the wines you’re receiving from one of the website’s writers – in this case, from me! Continue reading →

Top Wine Picks! Getting Cozy For Fall

There is no doubt that I drink all colours year round.  Whites quench my thirst, rosés bring some sunshine to my day and reds always manage to bring a sense of comfort. But inevitably, seasons do affect what I tend to reach for. As the days get cooler and the amount of daylight reduces, full-bodied reds are what I tend to crave. I call it my vitamin D of wine. Continue reading →

Canadian Winery Spotlight: Elephant Island Orchard Wines

I must admit, when I first came across the wines from Elephant Island Orchard Wines I was skeptical. For some reason, I always had reservations about fruit wine - then I had the privilege of staying at the winery for a few days! It was an idyllic place where I immersed myself in the world of fruit wine and developed an appreciation for it. Continue reading →

Top Wine Picks! The Two Faces of Pinot Gris

Here's one question you hear often from people new to wine: What's the difference between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio? They are often surprised to learn that Gris and Grigio, genetically speaking, is the same grape. It's a mutant clone of Pinot Noir that originally came from Burgundy — its name is a reference to its greyish pink skin. In France, as Pinot Gris, it's grown mostly in Alsace, and in Northern Italy, as Pinot Grigio, it's grown in Lombardy, Alto-Adige, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Continue reading →

Pair It Up! Chicken Soup for the Cold

Let’s face it, plenty of us are likely to get a cold or two this winter and a little chicken soup will be in order. In fact, I was thinking that the healing power of chicken soup was more of a placebo effect, but according to the New York Times, it can indeed reduce congestion, help you stay hydrated and have other positive benefits. Of course, for many of us, we’re not going to let a little cold get in the way of enjoying a glass or two of wine, right? Continue reading →