Andert Austrian Grüner Veltliner, better than Chardonnay. Purple Heather Gastro Pub, Burlington. Nice Guinness 2

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Roast bone-in pork loin at The Purple Heather, Burlington...

It is superlative. Moist, über flavorful, nicely accompanied by prosciutto-wrapped polenta, topped with spinach. VB syrah rosé from Extremadura Spain is the perfect pairing.


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Is Burlington ready for a Gastro Pub? Oh yeah. The Purple Heather opening nite. Exceptional food, many exclusive wines.

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Fairly mild day at Viewpointe winery, Lake Erie North Shore. Sun is gleaming on the lake.

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Living Rock anniversary celebration. 25 yrs serving Hamilton youth at risk.

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HMS Haida tucked away for the Winter in Hamilton harbour. Peaceful here, beautiful day.

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Andert Josef St. Laurent to be at this Season's balls at Hofburg, Vienna.

An elegant and sophisticated light red wine that pairs with a wide variety of foods, from cheese, pizza, wurst, to roast pork. We're delighted this Neusiedler See Burgenland wine will be at the Ball Season this year.


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Main Course at Whistlestop Restaurant Spanish dinner w VB winery...

Marinated Roast Fillet of Pork Studded with Chorizo sausage, smokey mashed potato, a specialllty of the area, with sauteed brussel sprouts mixed with roasted chesnuts. All the other wine pairings were perfect, but for this course the Tempranillo Crianza was a bit too robust. It sipped fabulously just after the course though.The Whistle Stop is at 7 Main St. W., Beeton ON


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Third course last night at Whistlestop: Paella paired w VB Tempranillo.

Soup was the second course. This third course was in keeping with the tradition of game meats in the Extremadura region of Spain. The Paella was with rabbit, chorizo sausage, shrimp and mussels. Talented Chef Clara Viscardi pulled it off all night. Our Spanish co-hosts kept saying how much "like home" every course tasted & smelled.Paired WINE: VB Red Tempranillo


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At Whistlestop Restaurant Spanish dinner w VB winery. Zarangollo with Serano ham and cheese sauce, first course:

This first course consisted of strips of roasted tomato and sweet red pepper topped with a soft pungent cream sauce with serano ham, imported from Spain, on the side. Piedad and Maria from VB Winery in Spain guided us through the courses and paired wines.Paired WINE: VB Syrah Rosé (Extremadura - Spain)


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In the kitchen, Whistlestop Restaurant as they line up the plates for last night's wine dinner.

Retrospective of last night, as the wireless connection was not strong enough to post.


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Devil's Pulpit Golf Course: Lobster, Crab, Scallop creamy Pasta with VB macabeo.

To-die-for combination. In Pulpit Room overlooking 250 acres of course and the Caledon Hills on a gorgeous fall day.


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Devil's Pulpit Golf Course Angus Steak Sandwich

Mmmmmmmmmmmm


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Andreas Rieder of Devil's Pulpit taking notes on Extremadura wines as Piedad and Maria describe the advantages of the region and VB Winery's viticultural philosophy.

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How excellent would lunch have to be to wow seasoned foodies? Read on.

I lunched with Maria (L) and Piedad (R) from VB winery, visiting from Spain, at Ancaster Old Mill. We agreed without a doubt that this meal wowed us. We had Lake Erie Pickerel, Rack of Lamb, and a creative Pasta with mixed vegetables. Paired beautifully with Vineland Riesling & VB Vizana Tempranillo. Super experience.


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At Ancaster Old Mill with the fine folks from VB Winery, Spain. Stunning location, slow cooked food.

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Time for a smoke after such a nice meal!

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Here's the Guinness...

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Delish soup, schnitzel, strudel at River Rock Cafe, Toronto. Host Barbara Wenig does it right. http://j.mp/dn7JbC

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Fresh twist in cookbooks: "Freshalicious" (eat fresh, local, healthy). Refreshingly different guide to cooking.

See freshalicious.ca . This cookbook by Stacey Focas is a fun, pleasant, visually appealing guide to creating your own local food journey & discovering your own inner chef in the process. I recommend it heartily. $29.95.


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Vizana Tempranillo 2007: Ribera del Guadiano, Spain. Blockbuster affordable tempranillo crianza...

Minerality, spice, liqueur cherries, blackberries, liquorice with a hint of dark cocoa. Firm tannins, full body, long finish. Did I mention I LIKE this wine? Wow. It matched perfectly with the New York Sirloin at Al Dente this fine Friday eve!


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Have you tried "So you wanna be a Sommelier" at Treadwell's in Port Dalhousie? Blind tasting of 3 wines. So fun.

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Dusk descends upon Viewpointe winery. Sublime location and facilty.

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Last nite: enjoying 1st of 4 courses at Viewpointe. Colchester Cuvée red wine star of evening.

Colchester Cuvée (08) is a blend of 3 new sustainable varieties; hardy & pest resistant grapes. Tastes like excellent Cabernet!


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Chef Mary Ann of Viewpointe winery explains the harvest meal of local cuisine paired with wines.

4 courses of splendor with 05 Cab Franc, 08 Auxerroix,Colchester Cuvée, 06 Barrel fermented Chardonnay.


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Liquididity ( Barn Swallow), 2010. By Chris Bacon. Acrylic.

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"Out of the Blue" Watercolour by Chris Bacon.

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Rooftop dining at Remy's Yorkville.

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Tamaya Pink Goat Rosé (Syrah), Chile. Nice fruit expression, refreshing elegance!

Affordable too... What a win.


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Patio life at Spencer's, Burlington. Delicate greens, wood oven pizza. Micro brew.

Life's good at Spencers's On The Waterfront. From earth to table, slow cooked food. Great beers, fabulous wines. Try the Grüner Veltliner or the Pinot Gris from Alsace.


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At Peninsula Ridge tasting 09 Vintner's Private Reserve Sauvignon. Very lite oak. Intriguing personality.

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Why keep drinking same old, same old red wines, I ask myself. Just cracked open an Austrian St. Laurent...

Andert St Laurent 2008. Dark violet. Bouquet of cinnamon clove roasted almonds and dried fruit. Elegant flavors of leather, spiced plum and black tea. Firm tannins. At 13.5 % it has an almost port-like quality. Cornucopia of Autumn in a glass! Very long finish.July 19, 2010.


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Organic beer, ribs, poutine at Mill Street Brewpub. Distillery.

I'm having the Organic Lager, the Baroness is having Stock Ale. Nice experience with the Chicago Five in Toronto.


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Just arrived! Andert Grüner Veltliner 2009. Austrian cutie. Candied pear, apricot, grapefruit, honeycomb, spice and sensuous Summer!

The darling white wine of Summer.


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At Walkers Fish Market, Burlington.

Can you say "Louisiana Baked Stuffed Oyster?"


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Royal Combier predates Grand Marnier. Not in LCBO. But why? Myopic vision?

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Deguste White Wine: Medium light gold, notes of honeycomb, hint of citrus, apricot. From Extremadura Spain. Quite nice, good price, around $8.

Hits Ontario August.


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With Krystle, my co-worker at Viewpointe winery. She keeps the orders straight!

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On the patio at Viewpointe winery on Lake Erie. BBQ, wine, view! Lush life.

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Viewpointe Colchester Cuvée. Sustainable red varietals. Charmingly earthy w red, blk berry notes. Avail only at winery.

More notes to follow on Viewpointe's leadership in research and growing successes with these brand new sustainable red grape varieties based on Cabernet Sauvignon.


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Sitting at the lake in Niagara looking across to Toronto, contemplating which wine to pick for dinner.

Settled on Andert Grüner Veltliner for Canada Day. Well, I was born in Austria, so it gives me some license for not going Canadian. The GV is truly gruvee!


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What IS it about the nose of a Grüner Veltliner that makes it 1 of the most fascinating whites in the world?

One of the most charming sensory experiences your nose will ever come across. Candied pear, apricot, grapefruit, honeycomb, spice and sensuous Summer! An experience.


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Great to finally meet Winemaker Josef Andert. Have worked with his wines almost a year, meeting him confirms he's a super guy too.

See previous posts for notes on several of his wines (gewürztraminer, grüner veltliner, etc.)


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Mokka Swarzwer Kaffe mit Brioche at Cafe Central, Vienna. Nice Sunny day!

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Taking in Madrid. A dynamic city. Full of life.

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Vizana Temranillo Crianza 2007. Dark beauty with blackberry and currant notes with serious tannins. Big powerful wine!

From the Ribera del Guadiana DOC in Spain.


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Emperador de Barros 2009: fr the Cayetena grape, unique to Extremadura. Refreshing fruit, honeycomb, herbal notes and grapefruit. Characterful and gorgeous.

Pair with Asian or Med.


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Emperador de Barros 2009: fr the Macabeo grape. A charming white wine from Spain (Ribera del Guadiana). Peach, honeycomb, citrus notes in a fresh, nicely acidic well-rounded package.

My Summer patio pick.


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Castelar Crianza 2006 Ribera del Guadiana. Lovely caramel red fruit notes. Enjoying it a few kms from where it was produced.

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I decided on the wine for tonite: Viewpointe 08 Pinot Grigio.

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