Wining with Mel

Discover your wine style, one glass at a time

Category: Wine reviews (Page 10 of 16)

Dreaming of warmer climes with great-value whites

November 24, 2016 / / 0 Comments
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It is now day 4 of wearing the puffy coat and big snow boots

You know it’s bad when you start dreaming of warmer weather…in November.

That’s right, it’s not even officially winter and we already have a foot of snow in Ottawa…and it’s here to stay.

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View from the front door

In wine terms, normally as the cold weather settles in, you reach for fuller-bodied wines to accompany hearty winter meals like stews and roasts.

Me on the other hand? I am dreaming of warmer temperatures and my wine choices are reflecting that. Instead of stocking up on big, bold reds, I seem to be buying—of all things—lighter-bodied fragrant whites. Is it just a major case of denial? Winter is here, get over it, Mel! But no, I’d prefer to bury my head in the sand and pretend that nicer weather is just around the corner, despite all the signs to the contrary. By the way, whose idea was it to have the sun set at 4:30? Continue reading

Wining with Shakespeare

October 26, 2016 / / 0 Comments

The wine-cup is the little silver well, Where truth, if truth there be, doth dwell.
-William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Ah, Shakespeare. For many, it brings back memories of struggling to comprehend the language of Elizabethan England in high school English class. But being a literature nerd, I always loved reading the Bard, regardless of whether it was a comedy or tragedy.

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Kin Vineyards: Drinking Local In The Ottawa Valley

October 15, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Yes, you read that right. Kin “Vineyards” and “Ottawa Valley” uttered in the same breath. Could it be? Is it truly possible?

The answer is: yes and yes.

For the past three years, right across the road from the Diefenbunker, a 47-acre plot of land has housed 10 acres of Burgundian grape varietals pinot noir and chardonnay. Down the road in Kinburn, another 6 acres of both vinifera and hybrid varieties are planted on KIN Vineyards, a winery that prides itself on hard work and community. Being a word nerd, I appreciate the name, a tribute to the original vineyard in Kinburn as well as a play on words highlighting the winery’s core values of family, community and connectivity.

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Taste Community Grown: A Weekend in the Bay of Quinte

October 2, 2016 / / 0 Comments

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All set for a food and wine event

As some of you may already know, I was recently in Prince Edward County (PEC). I’m often surprised by how many people don’t even know about this gem of a region. About 3 hours from Ottawa and Montreal, and 2.5 hours from Toronto, Prince Edward County is an absolutely idyllic corner of Ontario.

I am a city girl through and through. But this is country life I can get behind! There is something really special about PEC. It has this sense of place and community that is so prevalent. People are proud to live in the County. And it is palpable. As soon as you cross the bridge to the peninsula, there is instantly a different vibe. It’s a bit like that scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy opens the door to her house after the gale and everything goes from black and white to technicolour.

Résultats de recherche d'images pour « wizard of oz door opening after gale gif »

We always seem to be in a huge flap to get there, but once we do, life immediately slows down. Maybe it’s the beautiful scenery. Maybe it’s the delicious food and wine coming out of the region. Everything seems to taste better there. There are certainly plenty of reasons why people are fleeing their big cities en masse and heading to the County on weekends. Continue reading

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