Michael Pinkus Wine Review - On the Road with the Grape Guy

Report from - Alvaro Palacios wines ... March 19, 2012

26 Mar 2012

Details: Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy

The Royal Canadian Yacht Club sounds like a high falutant place, and it might be, but the room we tried these wines in overlooked the sidewalk contruction in mid-town Toronto. Here we learned lots about Spain, it's terroir, it's history and the wines of it's past and present from one of the innovators of the new Spanish wine revolution, Alvaro Palacios. With Alvaro leading the tasting we tried 10 wines from the three regions throughout Spain in which he makes wine: Rioja, Bierzo and Priorat.

Rioja Wines ... Palacios Remondo: (to read about the wines tasted from the three regions click here)

To read about more interesting adventures thru the world of wine check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog.

Report from - Grandi Marchi Tasting and Italian Video Launch ... March 13, 2012

26 Mar 2012

Details: Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy

Lured into Toronto to taste the wine of Grandi Marchi ("the result of the determination and enthusiam of 19 of the most important Italian wineries to promote the culture and commercialisation of Italian high quality wine on world markets") to taste less than 18 wines from some of Italy's best and most well known wineries such as Masi, Pio Cesare and Antinori. I say "lured" because it seems like it was a bit of a ruse, the occasion was not to try the wines in the Barbarian Steakhouse wine cellar, but instead to promote the launch of Italian Month at the LCBO and their new series of Discover DVDs on the wine regions of Italy. I probably would have been ticked making the trip in if the wines hadn't been worth trying. As for the videos they are available as part of a three part series through podcast, itunes and other options ... check out the lcbo website for details. Below, a list of nine wines that were truly the best of this class ... and that is saying something. (to see the list of some of the better wines tried - click here)

To read about more interesting adventures thru the world of wine check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog.