12.20.2010 Deposit-return systems: Don't drop the bottle It's that time of year when our recycling bins and bags are bulging with wine and spirit bottles. All Canadian provinces and territories, except Quebec and Saskatchewan, require deposits on their wine and spirit bottles, a small extra fee added to the price and returned to the consumer when the empty container is returned to the retailer. Why does virtually every province use a deposit-return system? Source: Montreal Gazette 
12.20.2010 Small business wants consumers to use cash Plans by a small business group to encourage consumers to use cash instead of credit cards hit a snag when it became unclear whether doing so would violate credit card company rules. The promotional materials would say: "Most Canadians are unaware that small businesses pay huge fees to the banks and credit card companies to process credit card transactions. Paying with cash or by Interac helps independent firms keep prices down for us all." However, the plan hit a snag after Canada's competition watchdog said that one of the rules used by Visa and MasterCard to restrict competition prohibits merchants from encouraging consumers to reach for cash or debit. Source: Toronto Star
10.15.2010 How 4 small businesses are using location-based services With limited staff and resources, small businesses often don't have the time to test all the latest technologies and social media tools. The Small Business Round Table Series aims to bring groups of small business owners and representatives together to talk about the pros and cons of using various social media and tech tools. For this installment, four small biz insiders talk about how their small businesses are using location-based services, such as Foursquare, SCVNGR and Facebook Places. Source: Mashable 
10.14.2010 Manitoba: We love beer It might be obvious to many, but apparently Manitobans enjoy pounding back cold brewskies like nobody's business. And don't the numbers show it. According to the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission's 2009 annual report, per capita beer consumption was 88 litres per person over the age of 17 in 2009. That's up from 79.9 litres in 2005. Wine consumption is also up. The average Manitoban over the age of 17 drank 8.4 litres of wine in 2005. In 2009, that figure rose to 9.8 litres. Source: Lac Du Bonnet Leader 
10.13.2010 Alberta whines as Quebec eyes liquor market Independent wine and spirits wholesalers are angry that Quebec's state-owned liquor monopoly appears poised to move into the Alberta market. The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission says a new arm of the Societe des Alcools du Quebec hasn't yet applied for a liquor-importing licence, [but some say] the level playing field the government promised when it privatized most of the liquor industry in 1994 could be destroyed in one move if it happens. Source: Vancouver Sun 
10.05.2010 Bring two bottles, and other dinner party wine etiquette The fall party season is ramping up. As a guest, you'll make a fine impression with your chic clothing and scintillating cocktail-party conversation, no doubt (unless you happen to be Howard Stern). But what about the wine? For better or worse, what you bring and how you present it will make a statement. Source: Globe and Mail 
09.28.2010 Get a head start on holiday wine Wine Station is a family-owned business in South Ottawa which has catered to winemakers since 1992 and offers more than 325 different styles of wine to make on-premises. They also carry the equipment and supplies you need to make wine at home. "Making your own wine is fun and easy," says general manager Jasen Ananny. "We are making outstanding wines of quality at a fraction of the cost of premium store bought wines. A batch of wine can be made in only four weeks, with 100 per cent satisfaction guaranteed, ensuring great wine, every time." Source: Ottawa Citizen
09.25.2010 True grape: Making wine the old way This is winemaking season for Luigi Staniscia and other first-generation Italian-Canadians still producing their own from scratch. "There is some of the younger generation making wine," Luigi said, "but mostly it's older guys. The younger guys, they like to buy their wine from the liquor store. I've always tried to teach my sons how to make wine but they're always too busy, and they say they'd love to help but they have to go." Source: Vancouver Sun
09.23.2010 iPhone app uses image recognition to help you master wine selection A recently launched $4.99 iPhone app incorporates image-based wine searching, which allows users to scan wine labels to learn more about or purchase a particular wine of interest. In fact, there's a whole slew of options once you've scanned a wine label. Source: Mashable
09.13.2010 Recession 'proof:' Homemade wine, beer spike in hard times A boomlet in making wine and beer at home has been fermenting since the recession took hold. Tess and Mark Szamatulski have made a living selling grapes and brew-making supplies for 20 years at their Maltose Express Home Beer and Winemaking Supplies store in Monroe [Connecticut]. "Business is so brisk our 7,000 square-foot store needs to expand," Tess said. "Couples of all ages are telling us the recession has pushed them to make wine and beer at home to save money. It's a lesson learned long ago in Canada where 25 per cent of wine is homemade." Source: Westport News (Monroe, CT)
09.09.2010 More wineries pledge loyalty to cork
While construction debris and packaging for consumer goods create the most landfill waste, the cork industry continues to tout statistics, as stated in a PricewaterhouseCoopers report, about the amount of greenhouse gas emissions synthetic stoppers contribute to the atmosphere compared to those from naturally harvested cork. But other reasons exist to direct wineries towards tree cork as a wine bottle sealer, and not just because of tradition. Source: Environmental News Network 
09.09.2010 What's in a wine label? These days many enjoy buying wine with labels that feature animals. These "critter labels" don't just happen by accident - research shows that American wine consumers are 40 per cent more likely to buy a wine with a cute animal on the label. But whether we choose our wines based on the cute factor or on the basic label facts, most wine labels give us minimal information; it's up to the consumer to know about the vintage, the area where the grapes are grown, etc. Sometimes the back label of a wine is reserved for marketing the wine, and in the process of trying to hook the consumer with spinspiel, we learn a bit more about the origins of the wine and the philosophy of the producer. Source: Salon.com
09.08.2010 British wine buffs? We're more like wine buffoons
It's a social faux pas guaranteed to leave red faces all round. A diner demands his glass is topped up - only for the waiter to explain he had just invited him to taste the wine. But it seems this is far from the only mistake commonly made by Britons trying to come across as connoisseurs. Three in ten of us claim to be wine experts before making an embarrassing error in front of friends, family or colleagues, according to a [recent] survey. Equally common is the act of vigorously swilling the wine around a glass to help it breathe, only to end up spilling it. With so many potential pitfalls, it should come as no surprise that 86 per cent said the subject of wine is fraught with snobbery. This probably also explains why one in six regularly orders an expensive bottle of wine solely to give the impression they know what they're doing. Source: Daily Mail (UK)
09.04.2010 By-the-numbers winemaking
Imagine a restaurant that thrives and grows based on its friendly service, consistent products, strong marketing and support for and from its community. The affable John Olsen, a refugee from the world of corporate tech support, looks up from behind the tasting counter as you enter the Spotted Dog, a brick-walled, 1,600-square-foot Ann Arbor storefront. Olsen, who co-owns the winery with his wife, Jill, is tediously affixing labels to a batch of newly-filled bottles. Such is life at a micro-winery, where hand labor often stands in for expensive and space-consuming machines. Source: Anne Arbor Chronicle 
08.20.2010 Faulty wine? When to put a cork in it Finding fault with a wine is a snob's dream. The problem with identifying wine faults such as cork taint, oxidation, sediment and tartrate crystals or brettanomyces is that more often than not there is no fault with the wine at all. It just doesn't taste quite how the drinker expected it to. So how does one identify corked wine? Source: Wall Street Journal
08.16.2010 Alberta home to highest beer prices in Canada Three summers and one recession later, Alberta remains at the pinnacle of pricing when it comes to booze, topping other provinces on the cost of beer. The higher cost comes down to a combination of provincial taxes, distribution fees, and the base price charged by the brewer, which varies by province, even as the product remains the same. Population also has an impact: Fewer consumers in Alberta, compared to provinces like Ontario, means less profit base for those looking to make money. Whatever the financial mix, it's been a recipe for disaster in Alberta, which went from the cheapest booze in Canada in 2007 to the most expensive one year later. Source: Edmonton Sun
08.12.2010 Pair wine with a meal Wine and food pairings are all the rage these days, but the partnership is not new. Whether you're hosting dinner for a crowd or date night with your sweetie, the right wine can be a perfect complement to any dish.Source: MyGloss.com
08.12.2010 A fine wine made from a woman's gentle hands There is no substitute for a woman's touch especially when it comes to preparing something refreshingly good for the palate. Cecilia Torres, one of Chile's premier winemakers, has been producing fine, quality wines blended perfectly well and sealed in every bottle of Casa Real Wines. As one of the few lady winemakers in the world, Cecilia is in charge of the delicate process of choosing and cultivating grapes from the vineyard, even managing the produce. Torres, one of the top five wine makers in Chile, studied winemaking and viticulture at Universidad de Chile famous for training the country's leading winemakers. Source: Manila Bulletin (Philippines)
08.11.2010 Custom crush winemaking facility opening in Brooklyn Brooklyn New York is getting its own custom crush wine-making facility. Brooklyn Winery has been under construction for the past few months. The plant will import grapes from both California and the New York State wine regions and will have customers working on custom barrels or shared community barrels. Source: Luxist 07.31.2010 Don't let the sun wilt your wine With the backing of a host of well-known Napa County names, a new [California]-based company is preparing to wash and sell re-used wine bottles on an industrial scale. Wine Bottle Renew will wash the first of 200,000 cases of discarded wine bottles at its Stockton plant beginning in August, thanks to a new-style bottle washer the size of a semi-truck, said the chief executive officer of the $3.5 million startup venture. Source: St. Helena Star (CA) 07.14.2010 Don't let the sun wilt your wine We're in the thick of it. Summer. And that can spell a challenge for wine lovers, at least in much of southern Canada. At times like this, a wine drinker's best accessory is not fancy stemware or a crystal decanter. It's an ice bucket. Canadians tend to take their chilling seriously when it comes to lager and soft drinks. We know those beverages can taste unpleasant if consumed too warm. Yet wine, too, is vulnerable to the vagaries of outdoor sipping. Source: Globe and Mail 
07.12.2010 Ontario won't sell LCBO, OPG, OLGOntario has abandoned its SuperCorp idea to bundle together major assets, such as LCBO, Ontario Power Generation, Hydro One and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, and sell off portions to the private sector. Premier Dalton McGuinty confirmed last December that the government had contracted banks to do a review of major assets to determine if taxpayers were getting the best return on their investment. The issue is off the table for now, but it's unclear if it could make a return at some point in the future. Source: Toronto Sun 07.06.2010 In the world of beer, a thirst for knowledge If you're sitting down to dine at a nice restaurant and looking indecisively over the wine list, odds are you might call over the sommelier to help you choose between a French merlot and a Chilean carmenère. If, however, you're similarly stumped over what beer to have, there usually isn't someone around who's been trained in the knowledge of suds, someone who could help you decide if that pork tenderloin is best accompanied by a bock lager or a pale ale. But that is starting to change, thanks to a pair of programs, one based in Chicago, the other in Toronto. The two new certification programs hope to change the way restaurants treat beer . Source: Toronto Star 
06.30.2010 Japan: Will beer drinkers reach for Barreal? It looks like beer and tastes - kind of - like beer. But Aeon hopes its new drink, "Barreal," sells better than beer. The Japanese retailer says that its new 88-yen ($1) 5 per cent alcohol drink has a "good smell of hop" and a sturdy, beer-like taste that Japanese consumers favor. It's made from a mixture of wheat-based happoushu, or low-malt alcohol, and spirits. Japan's domestic beer market has been shrinking for years along with the population, and a 2003 tax increase on beer further hurt sales. A new, low-alcohol category, informally called "daisan no biiru" ("the third type of beer") became popular as producers attempted to evade the tax, which is largely based on malt content. Source: Wall Street Journal 
06.29.2010 Appellation: Know where your wine comes from Appellations are geographic areas that have been mapped out to identify the boundaries of a certain wine region, but in many countries they are more complex than just geographic areas. Every country that produces quality wine has set up a system to help identify a grape-growing region. Many countries take the boundaries further and set up rules and regulations for producing wine based on alcohol percentage, grape varieties, yields per acre, and more. Source: CityPages (Minneapolis, MN) 
06.27.2010 Making homemade wine a great hobby for retired archeologist Most people who buy a bottle of wine, often make their purchase at the neighborhood grocery store with the same analytical selection process given to a jar of mustard. Others raise the business of wine drinking to a level of linen napkins, elevator music and white tablecloths. Finally, there is that unique group of wine connoisseurs who prefer to mix and measure the right ingredients in a lengthy painstaking process to produce their own wine at home. This is the group that Bob Maslowski has belonged to for over 20 years. Making homemade wine isn't anything new. It's been going on for well over 6,000 years. Maslowski is a 63-year-old retired archeologist who enjoys the hobby of producing homemade wine for his personal consumption. He firmly believes when wine is properly made and cared for through each step, the end result is far superior to anything that can be purchased from a store. Source: Herald-Dispatch (Huntington, W.VA.)
06.26.2010 In wine, preferences depend on your perspectiveWhen deciding what you prefer to drink, it will depend on so many things. For vintners, it's sometimes about technicalities in the making of wines, just as for shop owners, it may be about what sells. Consumers might want to consider typicity, specificity, clarity, elegance, polish, depth and balance. Good value may be another big factor. Apart from the standard "anything you like is a good wine" response, I have found that there are many types of palates, especially among those for whom wine is a profession. When I sit down and taste with an extremely knowledgeable group of tasters, there is always a spectrum of opinion. Source: Seattle Times 
06.24.2010 Like juice boxes for winos: Single-serve wine glasses Have you ever looked at a glass of wine and thought, "I really wish someone would make wine in sealed, single-serve cups"? Well, apparently your fairy bartender was listening, because a man in the UK has come up with the biggest innovation in wine since Whitesnake announced their hot-tub-ready zinfandel. Source: The Consumerist 
06.14.2010 World Cup gives South Africa's wine a boost There is no doubt that South African wines are benefiting from the World Cup. In previous decades, South Africa's isolation during the apartheid years held back both innovation and international expansion in the wine industry, but since the dawn of democracy the country's wines have become far more palatable and are increasing in popularity around the globe. South African winemakers now say that they can compete with the rest of the world but at home, the situation has been more complex. Source: CNN 
06.12.2010 Tacky no more: Making boxed wine look chic Mass-produced wine bottles were a great innovation in the 1600s - the heavy glass was easier to cork and easier to ship than clay or stone jugs. But it wasn't until four centuries later that winemakers started experimenting with eco-friendlier packaging in the form of boxed wine. These rectangular juice boxes on steroids not only cost less to ship but also use vacuum-sealed bags to keep vino tasting fresh for up to six weeks after opening. The main drawback to boxed wine? It looks tacky. But savvy producers are trying to widen boxed wines' appeal with a second generation of boxes that look a whole lot nicer sitting on a counter or in a fridge for a month and a half. Source: Time
06.09.2010 Australian invents wine-preserving gadget An Australian wine preserving invention that keeps open wine at 'restaurant quality' is set to hit the market. The Wine Shield is a small circular disk that's rolled and inserted into a bottle of wine after the first glass is poured. The device sits on the surface of the wine to block oxygen, slowing the oxidation for several days and preserving both the aroma and taste of the wine for up to five days. The disk fits into 80 per cent of bottles on the market, is made from safe, recyclable plastic and has a retail price of $1.00. Source: SmartCompany 
06.07.2010 Don't over-regulate the joy of terraces Life is short and so, Lord knows, is summer in Montreal. Sharing a meal or a glass of wine with friends on a sunny afternoon or balmy evening is a pleasure Montrealers rightly treasure. As more and more restaurants across the city add terrace areas large or small - usually on the sidewalk in front - pedestrians in many neighbourhoods have had to get used to wending their way past tables of diners, and dodging waiters ferrying trays of food and drink. The power to grant and regulate permits for terraces rests with individual boroughs, and each one approaches the issue differently. But this year Plateau Mont Royal borough has weighed with a host of new regulations, some of them just silly. Source: Montreal Gazette 06.04.2010 Cases of wine fraud
When you buy a bottle of a famous wine, you take it on faith that the wine is genuine and not a fake. In fact, fake wine is precisely why corks began to be branded with the name of a winery (as well as the vintage date), and why most reputable wines still use branded corks. When you order a bottle of wine in a restaurant and the sommelier hands you the cork, the primary reason is so you can inspect it and see if the brand is the same one on the label. If you order a bottle of Chateau Palmer and the wine's cork is blank, for example, that alone is sufficient grounds for rejecting the wine. Is fraud rampant in the wine trade? No, but it happens often enough that it has spawned a lot of discussion. Source: Napa Valley Register05.29.2010 Canadian wine - from bottom to top
The Canadian wine industry is in turmoil but, with any luck, will emerge from its current state infinitely stronger than it was before. A recent showcase of Ontario's finest Chardonnays in London provided what should prove an emollient for the rifts that have emerged. Source: Financial Times (UK)
05.24.2010 Success brewed and bottled by couple
Married couples often have activities they like to do together, from taking walks, watching certain television programmes to dining out. However, making 3,000 bottles of beer a week, probably does not feature on most people's conjugal to do list. Unless you are Chris and Suzanne Gill, who spend their days making award-winning ales and bitters at their Camberley micro-brewery in Surrey [England]. The pair makes up the entire staff of Ascot Ales, which won the best local ale at Reading Beer Festival last month Source: getSurrey (UK)
05.22.2010 LDB increases markup on booze as HST lowers tax
British Columbians won't be getting a price break on their favourite libations this summer, even though the harmonized sales tax lowers the provincial sales tax on booze. The provincial Liquor Distribution Branch is ensuring its revenues won't decline by increasing its markup on wines and spirits to offset a three-per cent reduction in the sales tax, said the LDB's corporate policy director. In other words, prices of wine, beer and spirits at provincial liquor stores will remain the same. Source: Vancouver Sun
03.08.2010 Debate continues on how to deal with Ontario grape surpluses
For a second consecutive year, Ontario has ended up with a large grape surplus. Key winery representatives say it's time to change the way grapes are priced. [However,] grapegrowers are resisting the mounting pressure to forego their right to collectively negotiate base rates. A total of 6,062 tons of grapes went unsold last year, according to the Grape Growers of Ontario (GGO). The surplus had been anticipated at 9,810 tons in mid-September, but a cool summer resulted in fewer red grapes. The excess is expected to be larger next year, with about a five-per cent increase in vinifera production based on vines planted three to five years ago, according to the GGO. Source: WineBusiness.com03.05.2010 Alcohol-free wines find a niche
Many of us enjoy unwinding with a glass of wine after a long day at work, at a social event or celebrating with friends and family. However, some of us cannot drink alcohol for religious reasons, being pregnant or on medication, for other health reasons or because we're the designated driver. Non-alcoholic beverages are the answer, allowing drinkers the experience of the ritual of drinking, and a similar taste and look, without the effects. Source: Tonight (South Africa)
03.04.2010 Chile earthquake rattles wine industry as millions of bottles' worth is lost
The massive earthquake that struck Chile on [February 27] caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to one of the world's most popular wine industries, sending rivers of merlot and cabernet sauvignon pouring from cracked barrels and vast storage tanks onto warehouse floors. Vintners and analysts estimated that at least 150 million bottles' worth of wine, and perhaps much more, was destroyed in the 8.8-magnitude tremor, which killed more than 800 people. Source: Washington Post 
03.03.2010 Cheers: Glass of wine a day may help keep the doctor away
I currently have two batches of wine fermenting in my kitchen. In 28 days, I will bottle them into 60 bottles of wine and no, I don't drink all of it myself. Wine is a great gift to give to friends and family. It's a conversation starter, a mood breaker. Wine is rich with spirit (drink homemade Italian wine and you'll know what I mean) and when consumed in moderation, has many health benefits. I am most definitely a wine snob because I drink only my own wine. It's my favorite! Source: Daily Courier (AZ) 
02.16.2010 Brewing up a new business
Abbey Walton never thought buying a birthday present for her husband, Dave, would lead her into business. Four years ago, she bought a beer-making kit for him as a gift. "I thought I'd be the best wife ever if I bought my husband all the equipment to make his own beer," she laughed. The couple never looked back. Soon they were making all their own beer, wine and spirits - turning it into a much-loved hobby. Now that hobby has become a business. Abbey Walton has teamed up with friend Jordan Crawford of Rothesay to open Valley Wine Cellar in the Fairvale Mall [St. John, NB]. The two purchased the brew business in October from the owner of the former Valley Vineyard, renovated the place, renamed the store and started a u-brew service. "I love the business and being able to provide a quality product to people at a cheaper price point than what they can buy at the liquor store," Crawford said. Source: St. John Telegraph-Journal
01.12.2010 Our bodies say 'cheers!' to red wine and chocolate
Did you know that every part of your body responds favourably to the gifts of wine and chocolate? "Red wine, with its concentration of polyphenois properties, is reputed to have anti-clotting, antioxidant, and relaxing benefit," says David Long of the Canadian Craft Winemakers Association. "At spas all over the world, Valentine sweethearts are trying such stimulating treatments as "red wine body buffs," "berry wine pedicures," and "flavanoid facial peels." And as you might have guessed, the properties of dark chocolate are similar to wine and deliver beneficial treatment to the skin as well. "You can also get what we call 'chocolate in a bottle," Long adds. Chocolate varieties are often a 'limited release' but the kits and store locations are worth looking for at winemadesimple.ca. Source: Metro Canada (Ottawa)
01.11.2010 Ontario man proposes Grape and Wine Learning Network During his 30 years in the grape-growing consulting business, Kevin Ker has heard the same questions again and again. How do I drive a tractor? Organize a winery? Navigate the complex Liquor Control Board of Ontario system? Most grape growers, winemakers and wine retail store staff don't want to spend the time taking a lengthy course at a university or college or troll the Internet for hours to find the answers, Ker said. Many don't have the money to spend on extensive training, either. So Ker has come up with an alternative he's dubbed the Grape and Wine Learning Network - the subject of his PhD dissertation in educational studies at Brock University. The network would be a place for peers in the wine industry to learn from each other. The goal is to focus on real world, practical wine and grape issues, not academia, Ker said.Source: Welland Tribune
01.10.2010 Wine articles must carry health warning, French court decides A French court has ruled that newspaper articles on wines should be subject to the same health and safety guidelines as alcohol advertising and display health warnings. A Paris county court ruled that an editorial piece in Le Parisien newspaper entitled 'the triumph of Champagne' could be constituted as advertising even if page space had not been sold.Source: Decanter.com 
01.09.2010 It's taste-testing time for novices and pros alike If learning more about wine was one of your resolutions for 2010, you're in luck. Wine education kicks into high gear in early 2010; since it's typically a quiet time of the year on the retail front, numerous wine seminars, tastings, etc. are being offered. Manitoba's Liquor Marts and some of Winnipeg's private wine stores have wine tastings/education sessions posted on their websites. If you're looking to learn about the very basics of wine, check out any of the introductory courses offered. Intro programs often consist of three or four evenings, with one night devoted to white wines, another to reds, and one to sparkling and fortified. Choose based on your availability, and have fun! Source: Winnipeg Free Press 
01.09.2010 The future of wine marketing
Will the dawning of a new decade bring with it new techniques for marketing wine? No doubt. However, it did not require the passage of another year for tech-savvy winemakers and wineries' national sales managers to jump on the train known as social media. Many of them have long used Facebook, Web sites and electronic newsletters to sell wine online. Along the way, these marketing gurus have befriended hundreds of ordinary people, collecting customers with each passing day. Source: Santa Maria Times
01.09.2010 Confessions of a home-brew virgin
The night before the judging, it was already looking bad for my entry for the National Homebrew Festival in Sutton, Surrey. I found myself surrounded by sleek metal kegs and crates of bottles so professional-looking they might just have come off an Ocado van. By contrast, my own flimsy plastic ten-pint tub looked as if it might break if examined too intently and drew an unwelcome degree of attention. I had entered the competition as a way of getting a feel for the world of home brewing and had used a new kit. The problem was that no one else had done the same. They were full-mash, all-grain, first-principles brewers. Source: The Times (UK) 01.06.2010 British Columbia builds wine lab
A grant of $62,000 in federal funds announced at the end of December will help establish offices and a sensory evaluation lab for the B.C. Wine Authority, which assumed oversight of B.C. wine quality standards in 2008. Its jurisdiction includes both the government-legislated B.C. Wine Standard as well as the B.C. Vintners' Quality Alliance standard established by industry in 1990. The makeover of British Columbia's wine evaluation facilities is another step toward stiffer regulation of wine quality in the province. Source: Wines & Vines
12.30.2009 Birmingham, England: Nine in 10 pints 'are not pints'
Trading standards officers have found that pubs are taking full advantage of guidelines that say pints can be served containing only 95 per cent liquid, with the average shortfall being three quarters of a fluid ounce (22ml) or 3.94 per cent. Of 88 pints bought by trading standards officers at 30 pubs, bars and restaurants across Birmingham, only nine were served to the full measure. Their survey mirrored others that have had similar results. The Weights and Measures Act 1985 stipulates that a pint of beer should be exactly that. Source: The Telegraph (UK)
12.29.2009 A tippler's predictions (and wishes) for 2010 I pitied the teetotaller more than ever in 2009. What a crummy year to have faced without a bracing beverage. But let's not dwell on the past. Non-abstainers like us are by nature optimistic. We invented the wine cellar. We invented tannic Barolos and vintage ports that take 40 years to come around. There's faith in the future for you. We also are fond of dispensing predictions and advice. So please pull up a barstool and gather 'round. I want to offer my forecast for next year. Herewith some predictions followed by a few additional scenes I'd like to see (but almost certainly won't). Source: Globe and Mail
12.28.2009 Low alcohol wine
A glass of wine at the end of the working day might seem like the perfect way to relax, but recently the spiralling strength of the average bottle has meant that just one glass can have some unwanted effects. Drinkers accustomed to enjoying white wine that hovers around 10-13 per cent have complained that recent trends for white wines of 15 per cent and even higher were having head-swimming consequences after just one glass. While high strength white wines are arguably equally strong in taste and flavour, many consumers have started to demand a tasty tipple that won't have them toppling over. Source: WhiteWhine.co (UK)
12.27.2009 Former wine professor to uncork quite a party
Ron Subden will be in very good spirits on his 75th birthday. He is a foremost expert on wine and former professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Guelph, where he taught wine courses for more than 30 years. Subden's love affair with wine began when he tried to make his own nearly four decades ago. "I started making my own, and made a terrible mess. They were awful," he recalled of his first few forays into wine making. Subden was studying and teaching molecular genetics at the time. "I had all the equipment at work so I took it in to analyze it," he said of his homemade wine. Since then, he's taken multiple sabbaticals to continue his studies of wine. Subden taught university wine courses for 30 years, published a textbook entitled A Wine Course for Canadian Universities, and has conducted wine research in laboratories in Australia, California, Germany, South Africa and Switzerland. [Prof. Subden turned 75 on December 27.] Source: Guelph Mercury 
12.26.2009 Beer-making 101
These guys have a passion brewing and it comes in the form of stout, ales and pilsner. Mathieu Cormier has been making beer with a couple of his friends for the past several years. They all enjoy a pint or two and wondered if it would be possible to make their own. Making homemade beer allows them to experiment with varieties and flavours not readily available in stores. Cormier also likes the fact that it provides an opportunity to do something with his friends. They make it together and, when it is ready, they can enjoy it together, too. Source: Fredericton Daily Gleaner
12.22.2009 Life of wine led to wine-tasting game
Heidi McLain, a former sales associate at [a Laurel, Maryland wine store], has devised a prototype of a party wine-tasting game that teaches players the basics of wine appreciation. In playing the game, budding connoisseurs write reviews of what they taste, learn how "balance" sorts out all the components in a wine from acidity, to tannins to flavor intensity, to alcohol levels, and how all those components come together in a pleasing "structure" to provide a satisfying wine. They learn the ins and outs of the complex 100 point wine rating system, how subjective taste melds with objective qualities of a wine and how much the sense of smell affects the sense of taste. Source: Laurel Leader (MD)
12.16.2009 Ontario seeks 'best bang for buck'
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says his debt-burdened government has a responsibility to get "the best bang for the buck" from its assets. Mr. McGuinty's comments followed a report in The Globe and Mail that his Liberal government is reviewing the possible sale of all or part of its Crown corporations, including the provincial lottery company and its retail monopoly on liquor sales. Source: Wines & Vines 
11.19.2009 Farmers press for new grape-pricing system
Wineries are being kept in a box that's keeping them from growing, says the chairman of the Wine Council of Ontario. Hemming them in is the constrictive LCBO retail system, a series of heavy taxes and regulations and an inflexible grape pricing system, said Ed Madronich, owner of Jordan's Flat Rock Cellars. Above all, it's the marketing board system of negotiating grape prices that needs to change if wineries are going to thrive, Madronich said. The 61-year-old Grape Growers of Ontario Marketing Board negotiates base prices for grapes on behalf of all growers. Wineries may choose to pay a higher price for grapes based on their quality, but can't go any lower than the base price. The wine council says the one-price-fits-all-system doesn't work for wineries, and it's hurting the industry. Source: Welland Tribune 
11.10.2009 Glasses, the background music of wine
What's the best glass for wine? The one you're holding. We're only half joking. Wine in a plastic cup on vacation always tastes delicious, and the tumblers at our favorite Italian place are just fine with that big carafe of rustic red wine. It's also true, though, that an elegant, comfortable and well-designed glass can make the experience of wine that much more pleasant. And there's good news here: There has never been a wider selection of good stemware available at affordable prices. Source: Wall Street Journal 
11.09.2009 Red wine, white wine...green wine?
When Rodney Strong Wine Estates announced last month that it had gone "carbon neutral," it became only the second winery in the [United States] and one of a handful in the world to lay claim to such green ground. But consumers may one day see the wine aisle brimming with bottles making similar carbon claims as wineries strive to show shoppers their products aren't contributing to the destruction of the planet. "It's going to be increasingly important for consumers to know that the wines they choose are participating in the green revolution that our planet is going to have to go through to survive," said Robert Nicholson, principal of Healdsburg wine consulting firm International Wine Associates. Source: The Press Democrat (CA) 
11.06.2009 Home-brew return cheers money savers
Maybe it's a natural extension of the grow-your-own-food movement, or perhaps it's nothing more than people trying to save money in a recession, but brewing beer and wine at home, little heard of since the 1970s, is undergoing a massive comeback. Right now the biggest sellers at home-brew stores and websites are all-inclusive wine and beer-making kits, plus the ingredients to make Christmas beers. The sector is booming and some stores are struggling to maintain supplies. If you looking for a fun hobby with some significant money savings on the side (or a Christmas present for a cash-conscious drinker) it's time to think home-brewing. Source: The Guardian (UK)
11.05.2009 North America's top 10 wine destinations
After noting a 10-per-cent rise in searches for "vineyards" over the past six weeks compared to a year ago, editors at the travel website TripAdvisor came up with this Top 10 list for North America. Surprisingly, neither Prince Edward County nor Niagara (whose Clos Jordanne made headlines recently by winning an international taste test) makes TripAdvisor's list. Source: Montreal Gazette
11.05.2009Ontario Microbreweries: Small in size, big on quality
Ontario is a difficult place to sell beer. Between the strict alcohol laws and the monopoly on sales held between the LCBO and the Beer Store, the little guy usually gets bullied. Despite this, there are many local microbreweries doing well. In fact, Ontario is home to 29 microbreweries offering over 140 premium and unique craft beers, which operate under the banner of the Ontario Craft Brewers. So what makes a beer a craft beer, you ask? John Romano, owner of Nickel Brook Beers, compares craft beer to a home cooked dinner. "Going to a craft brewery would be like going to Grandma's for turkey dinner. She made it from scratch - she didn't get it out of a box," he said. Source: The Ontarion, University of Guelph 
11.04.2009 New website for homebrewers unveiled
The 17,000+ membership American Homebrewers Association has introduced its new website homebrewersassociation.org. Formerly the association was integrated into part of beertown.org. The new site integrates current technology, social networking, interaction opportunities along with homebrew related beer stories, news and features. Source: Examiner.com 
11.03.2009 Regina wine store uncorks privatization debate
The official opening [November 3] of Saskatchewan's second privately owned wine store is attracting attention from supporters and critics of an expanded role for entrepreneurs in the sale of booze. Some of the first customers welcomed the new store, [but] the union representing Saskatchewan liquor store employees remains worried about opening the liquor cabinet to private sellers. The new Regina store, in contrast, boasts 1,000 wines and claims that most of its inventory cannot be found anywhere else in the province. Source: CBC.ca
11.03.2009 In wine-tasting, order trumps taste At the Olympics, the best finish first. In wine, the first usually tends to finish best. Lending credence to what cynics have long suspected, researchers in Ontario and Illinois have shown that, when presented with several unlabelled - and, unbeknownst to them, identical - wine samples, tasters had an irrational bias for the first. Tasters detect differences in wines even when there isn't any... I think there's a lesson in the Brock study for those of us who enjoy wine at home, too. If you intend to serve several vintages at a dinner party, don't blow the best at the start of the evening. The first wine will tend to show well anyway, and you don't want the evening to go downhill from there. Source: Globe and Mail
10.31.2009 Que syrah, shiraz!
Same grape, two names. No matter what you call it, and I call it syrah, as its origins are French, the grape is becoming an international superstar. Fifteen years ago, almost all the vines were found either in France or Australia. While just under two-thirds of the world's 150,000 hectares of syrah vines are split between these two countries, the vine can now be found nearly everywhere wine is made, from Canada to South Africa, South America and throughout Europe. Source: Montreal Gazette
10.14.2009 Ontario boosts local wine with new labelling, tax measures.
In an effort to squeeze foreign grapes out of Canadian wine, the Ontario government [September 14] announced regulatory and tax changes that will encourage local producers to make wines entirely from domestic grapes. The province announced it will change the rules surrounding wines branded as "Cellared in Canada," which, despite their name, are required to include only 30 per cent local grapes to be sold under that label in the province. Ontario will reduce the tax cuts currently afforded to those CIC wines as early as next year, and will beef up its support for Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wines, which are made entirely of Ontario grapes and are currently produced by 108 wineries in the province. Source: Globe and Mail 
10.13.2009 Quispamsis, NB: At the new-look Wine Kitz, bigger is better
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After seven years at its old location in Quispamsis, Wine Kitz has moved to an expanded space down the street. "Business had been developing pretty good," said owner Harry Turner. "We had increases year over year and basically, we outgrew our space." The new location is twice as large as the store's former space. It will offer customers an expanded product line, a new commercial bottle washer and an additional bottling station as well as additional parking and easy access. "It's bright, warm and friendly," Turner said. With the expansion, Turner has added about half a dozen new wine varieties as well as an expanded beer selection. In recent years, he said, the beer-making kits have dramatically improved. Source: Saint John Telegraph-Journal
09.29.2009 The perfect wine label.
Goodbye, castles and pastel hues. Hello, hexagons, rectangles and bold splashes of yellow, green, brown and black. In the field of wine-label design, classical realism is giving way to a sort of vibrant cubism. At least that's the message enterprising wine vendors may take from a recent study by two European economists. In what they bill as the first published work on how consumers respond to shapes on wine labels, they argue that some shape-colour combinations are distinctly more effective at conveying quality than others. For some reason, yellow rectangles and green stop signs, among other compositions, have special powers. Source: Globe and Mail
09.22.2009 Trophy wines regain their glitter.
Is rare wine on the rebound? Judging by the sudden auction craziness out there, big spenders appear to be back with a vengeance. Disclaimer: If stratospheric wine prices make you disgusted or light-headed, consider twice before reading on.Source: Globe and Mail
08.17.2009 Home brewers craft do-it-yourself beer
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For many people, the phrase 'home brewing' conjures up images of moonshiners concocting mixtures in their bathtubs. It is an association Joe Bair, owner of Princeton Homebrew, hopes to dispel. Bair and his shop, in Trenton [Ontario], which has any equipment needed for home brewing, have started many local brewers on the way to their first batch of beer. Bair is perhaps the area's most important advocate for the hobby, having founded a club for home brewers in 1995 called Princeton And Local Environs Pale Ale and Lager Enjoyment Society, or PALE ALES. Scarlata has been using the same equipment ever since to brew mostly dark beers and porters. Part of the appeal of home brewing is drawing inspiration from favorite beers and altering or even improving them. "You're creating something," Scarlata said. "You're creating your own recipe." Source: HamiltonSpace.com08.12.2009 No wine-ing
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Charles Patton's Stewart Street New Glasgow shop has all the telltale aromas, which give it away as a brew-it-yourself location. The Water 'N' Wine is home to dozens of plastic buckets and carboys, labeled and placed on shelves, each containing a mixture, which is somewhere between Welch's and wine. He doesn't touch them once they're started, just provides the equipment to make wine and space for brewing batches to sit. He's got a permit to do so. Despite controversy surrounding the practice in this province, following the conviction of a Halifax shop owner, Patton has decided to relocate his shop to accommodate his customers' demands for in-store brewing. In-store winemaking is common in other provinces, such as Ontario, New Brunswick and P.E.I. and Patton believes it's only a matter of time before the roadblocks and litigation surrounding it in Nova Scotia are a thing of the past. Source: The News (Pictou County, NS)
07.31.2009 What does corked wine mean? And, a solution.
The term "corked" when applied to a bottle of wine doesn't mean the type of stopper used in the bottle, it refers to the chemical 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, unlovingly called: TCA. The result of this taint in the wine is a taste that is usually described as dank cellar, damp dog, wet cardboard or mildew. The amount of TCA in a bottle can range from a very slight "off" aroma to one strong enough that it is detectable across a table. What to do if you've just opened a bottle and it's corked? There's a simple solution that will get you through the evening and it's no parlour trick. Take a large wad of high quality plastic wrap (this is important because of the amount of polyethylene that it contains), crumple it up in the bottom of a decanter or large glass pitcher. Pour the offending wine into the pitcher and swirl a few times and then let it sit about 5-15 minutes. Pour the wine out into another glass container and you'll find the cork taint is gone. What's the miracle that saves the wine? The TCA bonds with the polyethylene in the wrap, removing the "corked" odor from the wine. Source: Examiner.com
07.31.2009 Nova Scotia orders permits for wine, beer kit retailers.
Retailers who sell beer and wine kits in Nova Scotia will immediately need a permit from the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation to do so. The province announced July 31 that a recent Provincial Court decision has found the sale of wine- and beer-making kits to essentially be the sale of liquor under the provincial Liquor Control Act. Permits will be valid for an initial term expiring on Dec. 31, 2010, and will be issued annually after that, the province said. Source: Alberta Farm Express
07.28.2009 What makes a 'good' or 'bad' wine?
Many times I am asked to describe the difference between a "good" wine and a "bad" wine. This is tougher than one might think. Wine is a very subjective art in which we see people waxing eloquent over wines or those who spit the same wines out with a look of utter despair. This might be the strangest part of the wine business: Rarely do two people agree completely over a glass of wine! I know why this happens but it does not answer completely the difference between the good and the bad in vino. Let me give you the result of 40 years of experience, which might shed a little light on the subject of good and bad in relation to a glass of wine. Source: Ashland Daily Tidings (OR)
07.16.2009 Chemistry-set wine pairing
Now, thanks to a Quebec sommelier, there's molecular wine pairing, a hard-core, science-based approach to matching grub and grape. Having roast lamb? Don't waste it on an ill-advised red Bordeaux, the old standby trotted out by generations of sommeliers. Lamb's characteristic flavour comes from thymol, an aromatic compound found in the oil of, yes, thyme. It's also a flavour note associated with red wines from the southern Languedoc region of France, such as Minervois, Corbières or St. Chinian. Source: Globe and Mail
07.01.2009 How to taste wine - step 1 - appearance
Many people wonder what the big deal is about wine tasting. They see people who swirl, sniff, slurp, and spit their wine, and label them "wine snobs". But actually, most tasters are wine nerds. Because there are so many different factors in the makeup a wine, there is a lot to learn by dissecting the components. Wine tasting is a bit like scientific research, which is really why tasters are more like nerds than snobs. To learn what it's all about, read the three-step process to tasting a wine. Step 1: A lot can be learned about a wine from its appearance. Step 2: The Nose Step 3: The Taste Source: Examiner.com
06.24.2009 Wine, veg and little meat 'a recipe for long life'
It has long been heralded as the perfect recipe for a long life but a new study suggests that not all foods that make up the Mediterranean diet carry the same benefits. Researchers found that eating large amounts of fish and seafood or the low levels of dairy traditionally associated with the diet did little or nothing to lengthen life span. However, drinking a glass of wine or two a day as well as large amounts of fruit, vegetables and olive oil while keeping red meat consumption to a minimum did add up to a recipe for a longer life. Drinking wine had the most benefit on life span the findings suggest, followed by reducing meat consumption and then eating high numbers of fruit, vegetables and nuts. Full story: Telegraph, UK
06.11.2009 Health secrets of red wine uncovered
Scientists already knew that drinking red wine in moderation is good for your health; now they are figuring out why. New research is uncovering the disease-prevention secrets of a polyphenol called resveratrol, one of compounds in red wine that seems to improve health. Although the benefits have been touted for years, researchers weren't sure how polyphenols, and resveratrol in particular, worked in the body. "The breadth of benefits is remarkable - cancer prevention, protection of the heart and brain from damage, reducing age-related diseases, such as inflammation, reversing diabetes and obesity, and many more," said Lindsay Brown, an associate professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Queensland in Australia and co-author of a study. Brown said scientists are beginning to understand how resveratrol does its work. For maximum benefits, sip don't gulp, research shows. Source: Forbes
06.10.2009 Quebec brewing takes creative turn
When it comes to beer, Quebec really is a distinct society. In Ontario, you can count on one hand the number of craft brewers with a sense of adventure and creativity. In Quebec, there are dozens of world-class craft beers. n Quebec, there are dozens. World-class, Belgian-style abbey ales, strong, rich Imperial Stouts, and double-IPAs are being brewed across la belle province. "If you want beers made in traditional styles, it's Ontario. If you want hops, it's B.C., but Quebec has the most creative brewers in the country," said beer author and Montreal native Stephen Beaumont. So what is it about Quebec that makes the brewing scene so vibrant and creative? It's more than just the attitude of the brewers themselves, says Unibroue brewmaster Jerry Vietz. Instead, it comes from the very core of the province's cultural identity. "Quebec people are very open-minded. People want to try something new, and that gives us more flexibility as brewers," says Vietz. Source: Toronto Star
06.2009 Your first wine from a kit
A few months ago, I decided to open a bottle from my collection of homemade wines. I selected an Austrian red from 1993 and pulled the cork. The wine was healthy, almost vibrant. It had a soft but distinct Pinot Noir fragrance with a pleasant hint of herbs. The feel was velvety, with a fine thread of acidity. It was a wonderful wine. And I'd made it from a kit. Everyone knows that good grapes make world-class wine. But in recent years, the quality of kit wines has improved enough to impress even the most dedicated fresh-fruit purist. Besides offering first-time winemakers an easy introduction to the hobby, kits offer experts a chance to makes wines from grape-growing regions around the world. Some varietals simply aren't grown in North America, or are grown in quantities too small to supply the home winemaking market. Source: Winemaker Magazine
05.31.2009 Glass cork has clear advantages
It was an amazing bottle of California Pinot Blanc - but not because of the wine. In fact, the wine was pretty terrible. But the cork, the cork was fantastic. It was my first face-to-face encounter with a Vino-Seal or glass cork. It was flat on top with just a small extension that dipped into the neck of the bottle. A little bit like an artistically interpreted glass mushroom - a small, translucent shitake. So elegant, yet so practical. It popped out, it popped in. Out, in. I haven't been so mesmerized by a simple action since I figured out which hole the square peg fit into. But I felt guilty. I come from a family of traditionalist winemakers who believe that wine comes with a cork, darn it, and it always will. Source: Worcester Telegram (UK)
05.30.2009 Brewing own beer, wine becoming a more popular pastime
More Hatters are visiting their favourite home brew stores since the recent tax increase on alcohol. According to home brew experts, however, there are more reasons to switch to home brew than just avoiding the extra tax. You can produce your own beer for as little as 30 cents a bottle or for a microbrewed quality for 58 cents a bottle and the quality is much better than many years ago. "You can get a really good wine now." Jeff Steiner, owner of Home Brew says there has been an increase - particularly for beer where customers select anything from a light lager to a heavy Irish Stout. Source: Medicine Hat News
05.29.2009 Beware of these foods with wine
Warning, there are "Ugly Stepsisters" that can wreck havoc with wine matching. These are foods that should not be paired with wine, according to the author of Wine Lovers Cookbook. Cooks and wine drinkers agree that food enhances wine and vice versa. There are some foods that are awesome on their own. But, be careful when you are planning to combine wine and an asparagus dish or four others on the list [artichokes, chiles, eggs, pickled foods]. Source: Examiner.com
05.29.2009 Chateau Cornwall? Top emerging wine regions
Wines from the "New World," that once were the main challengers to "Old World" wines, are now having to contend with rivals too, as more nations win recognition for their wine production. Men's website AskMen.com has compiled a list of the top 7 emerging wine regions, as a new generation of winemakers educated globally return to their home countries to build or revive a wine industry and with global warming changing growing conditions. [The regions: Switzerland, Ukraine, Romania, Greece, Canada, Brazil, England.] Source: Reuters
05.19.2009 The digital drinker: Food-and-wine matcher is now available on iphones
Foodie apps for iPhones and BlackBerrys are all the rage of late, and leading the charge in Toronto is sommelier and "unapologetically tipsy" wine lass Natalie MacLean. She recently launched a downloadable widget for her popular on-line drinks matcher, offering roadside assistance for LCBO-goers moored hopelessly between the Argentina and Vintages racks. The portable version allows users to pair food and drink from anywhere using a smart phone, then share the results via Facebook, MySpace, e-mail or Friendster. The app is downloadable from MacLean's site, Nat Decants, and provides access to the 50,000 wine reviews she's compiled over six years. That's a lot of tipsy. Source: Toronto Life
05.14.2009 The story of a French winemaking dynasty
Wine is made in the vineyard, emphasizes a fifth-generation French winemaker. In other words, only well-cared-for vines and soil can produce good wine. In the case of Perrin wines, that means without pesticides and herbicides. The French winemaker has been practising organic viticulture since 1964 - long before it became fashionable worldwide. Mastering the art of winemaking is something Thomas Perrin knows all about. He should. It's in his blood. Together with his father, two brothers and an uncle, Perrin operates one of France's most legendary wine estates - one that has been in his family since 1909. . . While [consumers] don't appear to be buying less wine overall, they're buying less expensive wine, he said, noting that today's consumers are looking for value, not expensive wine. Source: National Post 
05.04.2009 Pinot Plastic? Aussie winemaker tries plastic bottles
Wine connoisseurs who turned their noses up at screwtop caps replacing corks now have a new innovative to sniff at - plastic wine bottles designed to resemble glass but with a 29 per cent smaller carbon footprint. Australian wine maker Foster's is going green by bottling two of its Wolf Blass brand wines in recyclable (PET) 750 ml bottles using a new technology that it hopes will overcome previous resistance to wine bottled in lightweight plastic. A crisp dry white blend and a shiraz cabernet sauvignon will go on sale in plastic bottles across Australia [starting May 11] priced at $17 each and marketed under the name "Green Label." Source: Reuters
05.01.2009 It's not your grandparents pinot
Aging like a fine wine is an adage that may not be as pertinent to wine connoisseurs as in the past. While wine drinkers may typically have been of the forty and over crowd, younger generations are following suit, perhaps imbibing socially over a red wine versus the standby beer or mixed drinks. "It's no longer a old, stodgy business," Jeri Moser, tasting room manager at Cristom Vineyards said. Media may have a lot to do with this perception of change. Movies and popular culture have brought wine culture to the masses. "The movie Sideways got people in general interested in wine," Moser said. Source: WillametteLive.com