Wine News & Features
Click on the links below to view items from
your selection
“Tokaji Atzu does for you at the end of a meal what Champagne does for you at the beginning,” said British wine critic Hugh Johnson.
Of course, he’s right. A finishing nip of Tokaji Atzu or other decent sweet wine absolutely improves a meal, especially if it ends with a selection of cheeses. And a chilled glass of something crisp, sweet and golden beats Port or Amarone in the summer heat hands down.
Don’t believe me? Try a creamy bite of fresh chevre or a butter-nutty sliver of Ossau Iraty—the handmade cheese from the Basque region of France—with a sip of Tokaji Atzu 3 Puttonyos.
WINE COLUMN
Niagara’s Killer Juice
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, at besteveryou.com, wine-tribune.com, and distributed privately on
Eating my way though
Then, happily, there was chef Mark Picone’s Culinary Studio.
Let’s just say his smoked salmon appetizer was to Stone Road Grill’s version as licking top-flight
WINE COLUMN
Three Hidden Gems
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, at besteveryou.com, wine-tribune.com, and distributed privately on 20
Smaller winemakers complain they’re undersung, underappreciated, and underloved. I totally disagree.
WINE COLUMN
Good, Better, Best Wines for Sangria
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, at besteveryou.com, wine-tribune.com, and distributed privately on
Let’s talk wine, shall we?
WINE COLUMN
WHAT TO DRINK WITH FISH TACOS
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, at besteveryou.com, at wine-tribune.com, and distributed privately on 06/08/10
Ever had a fish taco? It’s the kind of thing that sounds disgusting but can actually be divine—delicately battered and deep-fried fish rolled in a warm corn tortilla and dressed with a creamy-spicy sauce and crunchy greens. It’s sexy surfer food.
Put another way, fish tacos are to cool Californians as hot dogs are to the rest of the fat, fast food nation. And, if we’re lucky, fish tacos may well be the next big thing.
WINE COLUMN
Eleven Excellent Wines
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, www.besteveryou.com, and distributed privately on 30/07/10
Surely no one compassionate or sane would think to offer a berry-chocolate drink called Australian Shiraz with a menu centered on raw fish. But it’s always there. On sushi restaurant menus.
WINE COLUMN
BUBBLY LOVERS: THIS ONE'S FOR YOU
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, at besteveryou.com, and distributed privately on 23/07/10
This was a big week for bubbly lovers--and i don't mean Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, or Ellen DeGeneres and Portia what's-her-name.
Divers discovered about 30 bottles of Veuve Clicquot Champagne from the 1780s in a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. And it’s still drinkable after remaining nicely preserved 180ft / 55m under water.
Theory has it the wine is authentic and was being sent to Peter the Great by King Louis XVI. If that story—ahem—holds water, the auction house that handles the goods will have a hey day. The bottles will be worth millions. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy the glories of Champagne.
WINE COLUMN
Moderate Alc. is the New Black
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, at besteveryou.com, and distributed privately on 16/07/10
I tasted a William Fevre Chablis Les Champs Royaux 2008 the other night that blew away the rudely imbalanced Rodney Strong Charlotte's Home Sauvignon Blanc 2009 I had the same day with lunch. Yet they both sell for around $20 in the US and Canada. Reminder that it's not a level playing field out there.
I posted this on my Facebook wall and it stirred a flurry of responses.
WINE COLUMN
The World’s Most Underrated Wine and Food Pairing
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 09/07/10
Just in case you were wondering why no one ever drinks white wine with meat, let me tell you. It all comes down to Karl Marx. His father was a German winemaker who made mostly whites. A severe and lingering Oedipal complex made young Karl start the rumour that white wine does not go with red meat, a staple of German fare; he was hoping to bring his father down. Then, Karl got famous, his thinking caught on, and the idea white wine shouldn’t be drunk with meat became received wisdom--a.k.a. the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the….
WINE COLUMN
WINE QUESTIONS ANSWERED
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 04/07/10
What’s a good wine to drink with chicken curry?
Jenine Vehkavaara, Toronto, ON, Canada
WINE COLUMN
The Scary Truth about Pinot Noir
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 25/06/10
It really bugs me. People rave about Pinot Noir all the time.
Oh, it’s soooh elegant, marvellously silky, and delicate. It’s reminds me of fresh raspberries, armfuls of violets, and warm summer breezes blowing across farm fields of Southern France. It’s the most perfect wine in the world.
Yeah. Maybe 20 per cent of the time. The other 80 per cent it’s merde.
WINE COLUMN
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
Nothing hushes a dinner table full of wine enthusiasts like pulling the cork of a first growth
Meanwhile, you could spend far less on a similar wine, and still have enough leftover for a cozy little oceanfront hotel room, a fabulous pair of shoes or three, or the sweet satisfaction of feeding a family of four for a month. And to top it off, buying
WINE COLUMN
WINE QUESTIONS ANSWERED
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 11/06/10
Here's a mailbag round-up!
I am looking for a cheap and cheerful white and red wine for a summer buffet of cold ham, turkey, potato salad, green salads, cheese and fruit platters. Any suggestions you might have for me would be very much appreciated.
Thank you,
Jan Sutin, Ottawa, ON
WINE COLUMN
Tannins: What’s the Point?
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 04/06/10
Has this ever happened to you? Someone pours you a glass of wine. You take a sip. You get this weird drying sensation on your tongue. Your gums pucker. And then you start to chew.
WINE COLUMN
[yellow tail]: Which wines are worth it?
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
[yellow tail] is huge. It’s the #5 leading brand in the world, according to recent findings by the British consultancy firm, Intangible Business. But why? If asked, most wine drinkers would deny drinking the stuff; it’s the wine snobs most love to hate.
Why does [yellow tail] fly off shelves? Having tasted the full range against its direct competitors, I know exactly why.
WINE COLUMN
The Trick to Buying Wines that Don’t Disappoint
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, besteveryou.com, and distributed privately on
“What can I get you,” asks the bartender.
The older gent ponders the question at the poolside bar in
“I’ll have a White Zinfandel.”
I know what you’re doing. You’re turning his swim trunks pastel peach with precious purple butterflies. And that white towel slung around his neck is now pink. With a little flamingo embroidered on the corner. And he’s no longer a golfer; he’s an enthusiastic but unsuccessful florist.
WINE COLUMN
CHILLABLE REDS
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, at besteveryou.com, and distributed privately on
It’s about as horrible a drink as you can imagine and yet, because convention says so, people keep on serving soupy-warm red wine. Room temperature, the argument goes. That’s how you serve the red. Who cares if it was sitting beside the stove the whole time you were cooking—what’s a couple of degrees? It’s still room temperature—the room just happens to be the kitchen of an un-air-conditioned bungalow in the
“Gee, George. I remember this wine being better when we had it at Christmas.”
“Ya. Maybe it’s bottle variation.”
“Hmmmm. Pass me that beer.”
WINE COLUMN
HAS FRENCH WINE GONE THE WAY OF FRENCH CUISINE?
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 07/05/10
Remember all the things that French culture produced in the 19th and early 20th centuries — the books, the pictures, the music, the architecture, the hats — and now think about contemporary French literature, art, buildings, music and fashion. The thing you’re seeing in your mind’s eye is tumbleweed blowing down the Champs-Elysées. And that hideous screeching, that’s Carla Bruni singing French pop music. French food didn’t die; the culture that supported it did.
Aren’t you glad we can count on A.A. Gill, The Times restaurant critic in London, to get it right?
It’s extremely of the moment to say French cuisine is dead. But Gill is the only one I’ve seen nail why.
WINE COLUMN
GREAT GRILLING WHITES UNDER $15
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, at besteveryou.com, wine-tribune.com, and distributed privately on 30/04/10
While burgers may be as American as apple pie, they’re not necessarily the tastiest thing to grill. For fish freaks like me, summer just wouldn’t be my favourite season without salmon steaks, lobster tails and skewers of scallops and shrimp on the grill, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt, seasoned with spices, or dunked in beurre blanc—leaving just one question: what to pour?
WINE COLUMN
GREAT GRILLING REDS UNDER $15
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, at wine-tribune.com, and distributed privately on
Ever notice how some people walk like they’re wearing slippers? They can be on the street, in an office, wherever; they just always pad around like they’ve got slippers on their feet. They’re usually the same set who wear their pants yanked up four inches above their navels. And belted.
The propane barbecue set are the slipperwalkers of the grilling world. There is only one way to grill—and that’s with charcoal. Full stop. If anyone tries to argue otherwise, the only appropriate response is to agree and walk away and let them resume their bubbled existence. Propane grilling may be tidier than charcoal, sure. But char-grilled foods taste way better. Propane is to charcoal as Pee-Wee Herman is to Gerard Butler.
WINE COLUMN
SWIRL-WORTHY REDS
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
This is actually pretty funny. Wine glass company Eisch Glasskultur started claiming its high-end stemware was ‘breathable' due to a secret process that “opens [the] bouquet and aromas within 2 to 4 minutes”. Right then. Breathable glass. That’s leak-proof.
Wine glass company, Riedel, took one look and essentially said, “ahhh, no. I don’t think so,” and invited its rival to court.
WINE COLUMN
FIRST BOOK TO RANK BEST-SELLING WINES IN NORTH AMERICA HITS SHELVES
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
Hogwash. That’s what I think of the idea you have to spend a bundle to get a decent glass of wine. Especially if you buy big brand bottles from reliable makers such as Concha y Toro, Lindemans and Beringer. And though this fact is seldom said out loud, most people realise it’s true.
Want to hear a crazy fact? More than 90% of wines drunk in the
WINE COLUMN
EASTER WINE
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
Make no mistake. Easter is about chocolate. Any six-year-old will tell you: it’s entirely about some cotton-tailed rabbit with a basketful of goodies that comes around when everyone’s asleep, enters each home, and hides foil-covered chocolate eggs. And maybe the odd chocolate bunny or rooster.
How does he manage to hop to billions of homes in one night with no house keys, and no wheels, wings or flying reindeer to tow him around in a soaring sleigh—and never run out of treats? No idea. But that’s magic for you.
WINE COLUMN
It’s Not Flip-Flop Weather
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
Torontonians are a funny bunch. It’s March. The mercury rises about 10 degrees, it gets a little sunny, and suddenly people are baring all. Girls start hitting Starbucks in jeans and flip-flops with pretty pink pedicured toes, or schlumping around in ankle Uggs and teensy-weensy shorts. Boys start sporting their plaid shorts in gauzy cotton with muscle shirts. Moms start pushing their strollers in tank tops. And it’s all a bit crazy because it’s still damn cold out. You’ll notice Grandma and Grandpa are wise enough to keep their coats on because—hate to break it to you, kids—it aint summertime. It’s March. And only 12 degrees—in the sun.
Nothing like a bit of skin to sun contact after seven months of deprivation, agreed; but stylish sport jackets, woolly sweaters, and cute little trench coats were invented for a reason.
WINE COLUMN
THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL ANTI-AGING POTION
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
So does this happen to you? Every time you go for a facial, the aesthetician tries to sell you hundreds of dollars worth of skin care products? It happens to me without fail. There I lie, damp cotton circles on my eyes, soft music playing, the face steamer puffing away, alone with the aesthetician, and the pitch begins:
“What do you use on your skin?”
I could say $5,000 an ounce cherub spit and it wouldn’t matter. The next line is always the same.
“Hmmm.” Audible frown. “You need to try what I’m using on you today. Just the basics: A cleanser, toner, day cream, night cream, and eye cream. And, of course, an anti-aging serum, exfoliant, and two masks—one for your eye area, the other for the rest of your face, neck and décolletage.”
WINE COLUMN
CHILE
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
Just as the Chilean wine industry firmly planted itself on the world stage, building a strong reputation and generating steady revenue, disaster stuck. On February 27th, a huge earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale shook the country, followed by a tsunami. The events killed hundreds, displaced millions, and created massive destruction to the country’s infrastructure. Though wineries—especially those south of the capital,
WINE COLUMN
WINE APPRECIATION
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
You don’t need to know mechanics to drive, love, or ogle cars. You don’t need to be a chef to talk about, swoon over, or savour a great meal. And God help us if we needed to know basic anatomy to walk, talk, or have sex.
And so it is with wine. Wine appreciation is not the privilege of the comfortably-moneyed, properly-schooled, or biologically blessed with great palates. It’s in us all.
WINE COLUMN
PERFECTLY RESPECTABLE RED FOR ABOUT A BUCK A GLASS
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
Those in the wine trade and the wine know-it-alls who, like me, taste far too much wine for their own good are going to let out a silent, collective, groan when they read this but I’m going to type it anyway.
WINE COLUMN
THE REFRESHING TRUTH ABOUT CHARDONNAY:
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE NOR FANCY TO BE GREAT
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
Lindemans Bin 65 from
So I figured I would write a book that compares big brand wines by price and grape variety. It’s called, Good Better Best Wines: A No-Nonsense Guide to Popular Wines, it hits shelves in April, and it’s (rather surprisingly) the first buying guide to focus exclusively on popular wines. I think it fills a niche in wine criticism that needed to be addressed.
WINE COLUMN
Four Fab Food and Wine Matches
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, and distributed privately on 12/02/10
While you were probably watching the Super Bowl last Sunday, chicken wing in hand, I was not. Watching the Super Bowl holds about as much appeal for me as a watching a round of golf—though football may be slightly ahead. Men running about in tights with exaggerated shoulders strikes me as slightly more aesthetically pleasing—in a comic kind of way—than dawdling dandies in tasselled shoes. I digress.
WINE COLUMN
IS IT "CELLAR-WORTHY"?
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
There are two kinds of wine in the world. The kind you drink and the wine you sip and ponder. The former is almost all the wine we consume—it doesn’t cost much, it isn’t demanding, and it adds a bit of pleasure to meals and moments. It is honestly about 97% of the market.
The other wine not only costs more, we have to think about how we keep it, when we might enjoy it, and how. It’s demanding—quite unlike the mid-week quaff—but it promises the complexity, interest, and satisfaction that come with bottle age and maturity. And when we drink it, such a wine engages us quite unlike the others. And so we cellar. But how do we know which bottles to invest in?
WINE COLUMN
TO DECANT OR NOT TO DECANT
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
A friend asked me the other day, Carolyn, every time I ask someone this question, I get a different answer. Tell me, which wines should you decant?
The short and probably surprising answer is, all red wines. They’ll pretty much all improve and if they don’t, they’ll certainly not be any worse off. And for good reason.
WINE COLUMN
TASTE A SUB-$10 THRILLER AND HELP
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 22/01/10
In
WINE COLUMN
BEST FOUR MERLOTS UNDER $16
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
If you like plump, lush cherries dunked in melted chocolate, you will probably like fine Merlot (pronounced mare-LOW) because that’s essentially what it tastes like. In best cases, it’s the smoothest, most supple, and most accessible of all reds.
WINE COLUMN
Delicious Wines
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
What was the most delicious wine you tasted [in 2009]?
Think about that for a moment, and be honest with yourself…. Maybe it was that bottle your wine-geek friend insisted you must love because it got a 98! But our guess is that, in your heart, the most delicious wine was the one you picked up in the $1.99 bargain basket that was better than you ever could have imagined, or the wine at that restaurant where everything went right, or the wine on the beach in the plastic cup in Punta Cana.
That, truly, is what delicious wine is all about.
I’ll raise a glass to that!
WINE COLUMN
LIFTING A GLASS TO
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
If I was condemned to drink one wine for the rest of my days, as sad as it would be, I would choose
WINE COLUMN
COOKBOOKS AND WINE
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
Guess what the best-selling style of book is in
Ironically, we’re also the biggest consumers of processed foods in the world. What does say? Maybe we’re such horrible cooks we need Martha, Jamie, Gordon, Julia, and the Barefoot Contessa to tell us how to get dinner on the table. Or maybe we love to cook and draw inspiration from them, while nibbling Pringles. Or that there are two sets: the set who’s into food and buys cookbooks to feed the fetish, and the set who is not buying cookbooks and lives on TV dinners and then buys diet books to read between bites of Double Stuf Oreos and gulps of chocolate milk.
WINE COLUMN
Four Style Mistakes
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 18/12/09
GQ’s website recently posted: “The Seven Style Mistakes We've All Made... and how to correct them”. The first one read: “Mistake 1: The Schlumpy Leather Jacket”
“Problem: There’s nothing modern—or even retro-cool—about a leather jacket that fits like a rain poncho.”
“Solution: When trying on a new leather jacket, keep going down a size until you can’t get it on, then buy the next size up. It should feel snug as a wetsuit but will take your body’s shape over time….”
GQ, I love you for helping men become more style-conscious but are you for real?
WINE COLUMN
Canadian Wines Worth the Dosh
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 11/12/09
While some recommend tongue push-ups to keep the palate in shape, I prefer regular tasting. The drip-effect creates the stamina needed to intelligently taste upwards of 100 wines at a go. Despite the fact we critics spit, a certain amount ends up in the blood and we’re not immune to getting sloshed on the job.
WINE COLUMN
Red is the Colour of Christmas
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 4/12/09
Every wine expert I know will tell you the same thing: you don’t need to spend a fortune for a delicious bottle of wine these days. Global competition, the struggle for shelf space, and practical advances in winemaking mean a reasonable mid-week quaffer can be purchased for less than $10. And a tasty bottle to trot out on special occasions doesn’t have to exceed about $20—if you know what to buy.
WINE COLUMN
STEALS FROM WASHINGTON TO THE RHONE
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 27/11/09
Wine Spectator, one of the most important consumer wine magazines on the planet, just named 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington the best wine in the world for 2009.
Having recently tasted dozens of best-selling Cab Sauvs for the book I just finished writing--Good Better Best Wines, this news doesn't surprise me. Columbia Crest is doing good things with that grape. Columbia Crest Two Vines Cabernet Sauvignon scored best among $8-10.99 Cabs in my book and Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon was best among $11-$15 Cabs. I was tasting the 2006 vintage in both cases but with big brand wines like these, which are made with consistency in mind, you don’t get a whole lot of vintage variation.
WINE COLUMN
CHRISTMAS IS HERE
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 20/11/09
They didn’t miss a beat. The day after Halloween, I stepped into my local Starbucks and it was Christmas. There were gifts, fake-snow covered Christmas trees, eggnog lattes, and cardboard cutouts of bells that read, “I wish every day was a holiday”, “I wish grow ups could remember being kids” and “I wish for a snow day”. The leaves haven’t finished their slow descent from the branches and Starbucks is on about snow days.
WINE COLUMN
Wine Rant
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 13/11/09
My second favourite food critic, Giles Coren, changed his profile picture in The Times newspaper in London. Such a pity. His picture was one of my favourite things about him—with that unabashed aghast look that captured in a single glance, disgust, dismay, and damning disapproval beneath a mop of devil-may-care dishevelled hair. Fabulous. One glimpse of his handsome heathenish headshot and the tone was set for reading his column, where he would carefully take aim at some deplorable aspect of British life, food, or restaurant business and rail for all he was worth.
His stuff was great. Not as great as my first favourite food critic, AA Gill, but certainly satisfactory second best.
WINE COLUMN
10 more wine tips that will change your life
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 6/11/09
"Always keep a bottle of brut champagne in the fridge. Second to a fire extinguisher, it is the best emergency equipment in your house."
Were truer words ever put to paper? These were written by GQ magazine’s wine and food critic, Alan Richman recently in his article, “11 wine tips that will change your life.” It inspired me to write my own list—or at least carry on where he left off. So I’ll number mine, 12-21. Here we go.
WINE COLUMN
FACEBOOK, FEEDING FRENZIES, AND FOOD WINES
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 30/10/09
I’m fascinated by Facebook. I started a FB Fan Page a few weeks ago for my latest book, Good Better Best Wines. Now, it’s humming along with 1028 chatty members. It’s one big, coagulating clan that grows daily. Amazing. I started it as a bit of a what-the-hell exercise in a five-minutes-while-the-water-boils online interlude and it seemed to take on a life of its own. I check back periodically, read member’s responses, post another question, and off it rattles like a people-powered machine. It’s craziness. Self-censored telepathy. It’s like being in a huge auditorium of wine freaks but instead of crowds, commotion and noise; everyone talks with everyone else instantly and clearly and without the obtrusive obstacles of, well, bodies. And everyone gets a chance at the podium without having to dress for the occasion. Best of all, there never seems to be people trying to slip you their business cards or a tall guy beside you trying to look down your blouse.
WINE COLUMN
South African Wine Under Fire
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, Published in Outreach Connection, Tidings Magazine (October 2009 issue), and distributed privately Oct 23/09
With thunderclap intensity, the cloak is being ripped from the truth about South African red wines, leaving Cape producers reeling and scrambling. What, until recently, has only been whispered in wine circles is hitting the press hard from London to New York.
Too many South African reds smell of burnt rubber—particularly Pinotage but also Cabernet Sauvignon and red blends. And wine critics are finally committing the fact to print. Jane MacQuitty, wine columnist for The Times newspaper in London, was probably the first to commit the words to print when she wrote, “South Africa has yet to tame its red wine’s peculiar burnt rubber and dirt odour.”
WINE COLUMN
Canadian Wines: So Much More than Icewine
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 16
Great Canadian table wine is our little secret. We don’t export it much. When you mention it to people abroad, they think they misheard you. And when you look at the facts, it’s rather surprising how quickly our local winemakers have started to spin out some stunningly delicious stuff.
WINE COLUMN
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
Last week in this space, I argued people go to parties for a good time—not because they are hungry or thirsty. You may recall, I railed against turning parties into feeding frenzies.
Of course, Thanksgiving dinner is a glaring exception.
The traditional Thanksgiving dinner party is a sort of condoned gluttony that inspires such hideousness as elasicised waistbands, mountains of mashed potatoes, and sprawling buffets. Buffets happen when there are simply too many meal components to fit on the dining room table—and by extension the standard 10” dinner plate. And since there’s no such thing as a buffet-sized dinner plate, aesthetic abandon and culinary chaos ensues.
Oh yes, maybe a few caramelised sweet potatoes. No room left? Maybe I’ll just plop them on the juienned green beans with slivered almonds swimming in the pool of gravy that’s merging with the jellied cranberry sauce.
WINE COLUMN
CHRISTMAS IS COMING
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 02/10/09. To join her on Facebook, click here.
Soirée season is just around the corner people. Oh no? It’s October. Christmas parties start in six weeks. And given formal invitations should be issued that far in advance, it’s time to talk turkey. Well, maybe not turkey. But certainly the lead up to turkey: cocktail parties. On that note, I want to clarify a very important point. People go to parties for a good time—not because they are hungry or thirsty. As party patrons, we all know this. So why then does this knowledge seem to evaporate in the brains of so many hosts and hostesses? As soon as they start planning a do, off they go to shop. Some of them have the good sense to limit the quantity and insist on quality but far too many get giddy and start with great long shopping lists pinned to recipes for gloppy potato salad and other horrors of Texan proportions. They stuff their fridges with hideous alcopops, too much beer, and bottles of heart-sinking wine—not to mention cans of soda and cheap liquor. It’s madness. And then, sadly, they invite us.
WINE COLUMN
WINE QUESTIONS ANSWERED
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
Well, it’s time for a mailbag round-up.
WINE COLUMN
ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 18/09/09
I was at Taste of the Kingsway this weekend. Not because I wanted to go but because I wanted to grab a few necessities on
Taste of the Kingsway is a street fair where usually respectable local merchants erect tents and dish out messy food piecemeal. For a few coins, you get the joy of trying to eat a wad of Pad Thai off a flimsy cardboard plate with chopsticks while walking through throngs of crowds who look like they prefer forks to q-tips, would figure the word “genitalia” is an Italian airline, and would call a six pack and a bucket of KFC a seven course meal.
WINE COLUMN
TRAPICHE: A NAME TO KNOW
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
One of the truisms you learn early on as a wine writer is that reliable producers generally don’t let you down so it’s good to learn a few dependable names. Trusted makers deliver good value at pretty much every price point. And it makes sense. Leading wineries don’t risk their reputations—and loss of your trust—with lackluster bottles. After all, you know what they say about trust—it’s like a match; one strike and it’s gone.
WINE COLUMN
GREAT ITALIAN BUYS AT THE LCBO
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 04/09/09
What do you think of when you think of
Pasta? Pizza? Leather shoes perhaps?
What I think of is their attractive insistence on holding fast to traditional winegrapes. The country offers a huge range of grape varieties beyond the usual international mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and so forth. Sure,
Lately, the LCBO has been offering some incredible value wines from
WINE COLUMN
GOLF WINE
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 28/08/09
Whacking a long stick at a little white ball every 12 minutes or so, trying to get it in a small hole a few hundred meters away, doesn’t amount to fun for me. Layer on the fact you keep doing it all morning or all afternoon makes me marvel that anyone has the inclination to golf. Can there be anything duller?
What’s even more surprising is that people call it a sport. To me, a sport requires sufficient exertion to break a sweat and if you’re perspiring because you’re golfing—which is essentially walking then pausing every 50 paces to swing a feather-light “club” once at a ball about the size and weight of a hard-boiled egg—there’s a problem. By those standards, professional wine-tasting could qualify as a sport—walk, pour, sip, spit… repeat... all afternoon. There may be less walking but the bottles are heavier than your average putter or driver these days so it balances out.
No, of course wine-tasting isn’t a sport. Nor is golf.
WINE COLUMN
BUT WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE?
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 21/08/09
The first thing I do when deciding on a bottle is consider the grape variety. It’s where almost all of a wine’s flavour comes from. Am I in the mood something bright and lime-scented? Sauvignon Blanc would be it. Warm, red and peppery? Syrah. Something rather neutral and minerally? A good Pinot Grigio. Chocolate covered red cherries? Merlot. Stewed blackberries and chocolate?
WINE COLUMN
DELICIOUS WINES FOR NEXT TO NOTHING
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 14/08/09
I just read a story by Eric Asimov, wine critic for The New York Times, that reported
In fact, while I was tasting through some flights of inexpensive wines for the book I’m writing for the
So, here’s a list of great wines for almost nothing, in order of price.
WINE COLUMN
DELICIOUS WINES FOR NEXT TO NOTHING
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 14/08/09
I just read a story by Eric Asimov, wine critic for The New York Times, that reported
In fact, while I was tasting through some flights of inexpensive wines for the book I’m writing for the
So, here’s a list of great wines for almost nothing, in order of price.
WINE COLUMN
My New Vice
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 07/08/09
So, there’s a new drink on the horizon that’s well worth knowing about. It’s called Vice and it’s a bottled-single-pour Vodka Icewine Martini. Tasting it at the launch last week, I can honestly say, it is absurdly good. Especially on the rocks with a frozen grape garnish. Vice is a mix of vodka and Vineland Estates’ Icewine, bottled in perfect proportions. Unfortunately, it’s not at the LCBO yet but do snap it up when it hits shelves in autumn. Till then, you can either buy a bottle from the winery or through its website—www.vineland.com—or mix something like it on your own. Here’s how:
WINE COLUMN
FIVE AFFORDABLE FIZZES
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 01/08/09
It’s easy to think of sparkling wine as alcoholic pop or simply toast tipple. But it’s wine. With bubbles. And like all wine, its responsibility is to yield concentration, complexity, and balance. Sure, the style requires it to be lighter, crisper and more restrained than your average still table wine but it should always retain the essential hallmarks of a quality wine. Bubbles are secondary.
WINE COLUMN
WINES THAT COULD SELL FOR TWICE THE PRICE
(Part two of a two-column series)
By Carolyn Evans Hammond published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
Last week’s column revealed a selection of seriously undervalued big brand wines. These are wines I’ve re-tasted recently for my latest book, and are well worth noting. They offer much more than being reliable, easy-to-find, and reasonably-priced. They’re concentrated, complex, and shine with great purity of fruit. In short, they’re all tinglingly exciting finds.
WINE COLUMN
WINES THAT COULD SELL FOR TWICE THE PRICE
(Part one of a two-column series)
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 17/07/09
Research for my current book has led me to rediscover some outstanding big brand wines. I’ve dropped their names piecemeal into this column over the past few months but the time has come to pluck them out, round them up, and bundle them into one succinct column.
WINE COLUMN
SECRET TO GREAT WINE
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 10/07/09
Wine is made in the vineyard. The best winemakers know this. And so they tend their vines with great care and attention, knowing only great fruit makes great wine. It’s about integrity, really. Authenticity. Honouring the fruit, which becomes the wine. Mess up in the vineyard and only so much can be done later, in the winery.
In a world awash with convenient but ultimately pretty average wines, I’m tipping my hat to winemakers who strive for more. Taste any of the bottles noted here and I suspect you’ll instantly experience the difference quality makes when it starts in the vineyard.
WINE COLUMN
BIRTHDAY WINES
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 03/07/09
Why are you having grilled pizza for breakfast?
It’s my birthday.
Why are you drinking
It’s my birthday.
Why are you having a bubble bath at 2pm with Ella Fitzgerald blaring and that Gregory Peck lookalike feeding you peeled grapes when you should be working? Okay. Not really. But I could.
It’s my birthday.
WINE COLUMN
RED BLENDS
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 26/06/09
It’s all about… a good time, really. Three beauties who resemble Brando, Beckham, and Banderos—or Bardot, Kidman, and Jolie if you prefer—are all obviously more than fine alone but together they’re a fierce, light-up-the-night charm squad. It’s alchemy. Halo effect. More than the sum as it goes. And it’s the same with red wine; a blend can improve the overall package.
WINE COLUMN
Pondering Red Wine with Fish
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 19/06/09
So, what about fish with red wine? Tradition says no. And for good reason. Red wine conflicts with iodine in fish to create unpleasant metallic notes. I first learned this from
But I read recently only wines with firm tannins create that adverse effect. So I put it to the test with something much softer—Pinot Noir. The other day, I tasted La Crema Pinot Noir 2007 from the Sonoma Coast of California with halibut and shrimp. No tinny taste whatsoever. Not only that, the wine was balanced and silky, sliding across the palate like a dream—all gently raspberry-scented. And light enough to just lift the fish and seafood a notch without overpowering it.
WINE COLUMN
Bonjour
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 12/06/09
“…the shoe department of Barneys New York is devoted, to an intoxicating degree, to party shoes: feathery, mile-high spangle-y things made of sex and Christmas trees, that transform the wearer into someone with legs and buttocks rivaling those of Rachel Alexandra at the Preakness. “
Rachel Alexandra is a race horse by the way. That aside, this little excerpt from The New York Times says it so well: shoes are so much more than shoes. And you don’t need to be well-off to be well-heeled. Parisians spend more per capita on footwear than anyone on earth, despite lower average incomes.
WINE COLUMN
10 BEST VALUE SUMMER WHITES
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 05/06/09
Grilled fish.
Goat cheese and tomato salad drizzled with really good olive oil.
Salty potato chips in the sunshine.
Chopping onions and fennel for bouillabaisse.
Warm nights on the front porch with a book or on the back deck with friends.
WINE COLUMN
Young, Fresh Whites for Less Than $15
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 05/29/09
Youth and beauty are transient assets. That’s as true for wine as it is for anything. This old adage sprang to mind as I tasted through a bunch of big brand whites this week. Big brand whites are made to be drunk young and fresh. And frankly, they quickly lose their appeal in as few as two or three short years after bottling. This honest truth is why it’s best to reach for the latest vintage—the year marked on the bottle—when choosing cheap and cheerful whites.
WINE COLUMN
BEST NEW WINES
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on
Why do people go to coffee shops, buy muffins and things, and eat them out of little paper bags—hunk by hunk, hand to mouth—without a single, distracted-moment’s notice to the appearance of what they’re consuming.
Oh, this? I don’t know. Was I eating? I didn’t even realize.
WINE COLUMN
Pinot Grigio Lovers: This One’s For You
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 05/15/09
The business of wine tasting is a curious thing, actually. It’s very different than wine drinking. When I taste a wine wearing my critic cap, I pull apart the whole pleasure experience. I hold each aspect of the wine up against the cold yardstick of imaginary perfection. How’s the colour, fruit, alcohol, acidity, tannins, balance, complexity, length, maturity, typicity? There’s no quiet conversation, eye-batting flirtation, suggestive comments, or even jazz. Instead, I’m alone in my home or with other studious wine critics in a lab setting—wee spittoon handy. Yes, I spit; inebriation wreaks havoc on tasting notes. And it’s a hazard to which I’m especially prone weighing in at just 112 pounds soaking wet and naked. Bottom line: The whole process is rather clinical.
Wine Column
Sauvignon Blanc Season
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 05/08/09
There are some things people over 25 just shouldn’t wear. Sweats with the word, Juicy, on the bum. A pair of oversized knee-length shorts with a baggy t-shirt, which always make the male—or female—form look like Fred Flintstone. A sweaty ball cap worn sideways… or, dare I say, a ball cap period. Or a meant-to-be-funny but just awe-inspiringly embarrassing t-shirt that says something like “make awkward sexual advances, not war”.
I’ll get to the wine in a minute but on a not totally unrelated note, I’ve got a newsflash. I’ve just learned modified Speedos are all the rage in
Still trying to visualize that? Okay, I’ll give you a moment.
Wine Column
I HAVE A NEW FAVOURITE DRINK
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection in
I have a new favourite drink.
The other night, I uncorked two bottles of wine—a good red
I think for many of us, the warmer weather brings a longing for crisper, perhaps more austere white wines instead of heavier, rounder reds. So, this week’s column is dedicated to a round-up of refreshing whites I’ve recommended recently, starting with my new favourite drink—that incredible Chablis from the other night.
Wine Column
HERE’S TO A SPIRITED SPRING
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection in
Time to restock the bar. The thought occurred to me at a recent spirits tasting at the LCBO, which our friendly
Never mind. The tasting was inspiring. It reminded me just how good gin, rum, and tequila can be—vodka, less so. Unflavoured vodka is, afterall, made to be a neutral spirit. So endless variations of insipidness seems a bit redundant and irrational to me; and paying for miniscule variations on blandness —unless you’re either huge vodka martini fiend, Polish, or Russian—strikes me as brow-furrowingly cavalier with cash. Who else drinks the stuff neat?
Of the 20 or so bottles I tipped—all released earlier this week, I’m happy to rattle off my favourites.
Wine Column
NINE FINE WINES
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection in
I’m writing my next wine book. So what. I tell you simply because it’s going to change these columns a bit for the next little while so I’m giving you a heads up. How? I’ll probably end up scrapping the long-winded leads and whittling down to the good stuff—the shopping lists of best buys.
You might be breathing a heavy sigh of relief right now. I do tend to ramble at times, especially when there’s something that warrants dragging out my well-worn, proverbial soapbox for a good rant. But I must stay focused; I’ve got to write the book quite quickly. I just finalized the concept and deal; now the whole thing is due—all 272 pages or so—in four months. The looming deadline doesn’t leave me a lot of time to babble, wobble, or stray though so, without further adieu, here’s my list of the nine best wines from
Wine Column
EASTER WINES
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection in
Bring on the ham, the green beans basted in butter, the roasted potatoes, the warm bread, the salad. The sea salt. The wine.
Wine Column
THE NEXT BIG THING: STRAIGHT OUT OF
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection in
The other day, I strode downtown and had a Peeler. It was pretty good actually. Way better than I expected. You should give it a try. Apparently, even Gretzky was seen with one last summer.
Wine Column
A TOAST TO SPRING
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection in
Love the word “but”. Btw, this is not something I should even notice, let alone say, but…. It’s a linguistic u-turn. Normally, I wouldn’t care but…. I shouldn’t tell you but…. I like your shiny purple spandex pants stretched over your 5 ft. 2inch, 300 pound frame but…. It’s a really handy word.
Wine Column
FOUR FABULOUS CANADIAN WINES UNDER $15
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
I’m starting to be persuaded.
Truth be told, I’m often chided for not recommending more Canadian wine. I champion them when I can do so in good conscience but, as I’ve said before, this country’s wines don’t often compare well against similar ones from elsewhere. And quite frankly, there are solid reasons for this fact.
Wine Column
THE $9 WONDER
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
Imagine tasting and spitting upwards of 100 wines. I do it pretty much every week and end up with purple-stained lips and teeth (not a good look), a numbingly furred tongue (feels weird), and a rose-tinged outlook on life (quite fun in the afternoon).
Wine Column
BEST NEW WINES UNDER $15
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 06/03/09
Wine on paper and wine in the mouth are very different things. But, for lack of a better bridge between my experience and your imagination, I use tasting notes. Of course they are sad, sorry, watercolour approximations of the real thing but they are about all we’ve got. If you come up with something better, let me know. I’m all ears, eyes, nose and mouth.
I don’t usually have a penchant for stating the obvious but it seems the tasting note has come under fire lately. Apparently, the tasting note can be tyrannical because it says a wine tastes a certain way. This, the argument goes, denies that a wine’s flavour is subjective; suggests only critics can tell if a wine is good; and in doing so perpetuates a chronic, niggling fear that to enjoy wine you have to know something about it. In short, certain high-profile critics think tasting notes put wine on a pedestal and are far too clinical to describe wine--like describing a concert in decibels and frequencies--so we need a better way to convey the experience.
Wine Column
CALIFORNIA: WHAT'S HOT?
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 27/02/09
My mind has been on
Wine Column
RED WINE LOVERS: THIS ONE'S FOR YOU
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 20/02/09
As I mentioned last week, February 14 was a great day at the LCBO because there were so many stunning wines released. So many that I couldn’t fit them all in last week’s column. So carrying on where I left off, here’s the rest of my shopping list, all of which happen to be reds.
Pio Cesare Barbera d’Alba 2006 from Piedmont,
Wine Column
THIS IS A BLOG
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
I got an angry note from a reader the other day. Her beef: I don’t recommend Canadian wines often enough. Well, truth be told, I’m more of a hedonist than a nationalist when it comes to wine so taste trumps provenance every time. Canadian wines get tasted beside those from other countries and the best ones find their way on this page—though I do make exceptions occasionally.
Wine Column
SECRETS FROM THE SOUTH OF FRANCE
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
Jürgen Görg is not what you think it is. It’s not a (soft furnishing, hot new designer, brand of hand lotion, German grape variety, or the proper name for a snail’s sex organ). It’s actually the name of my favourite artist.
I first encountered his work in La Jolla, an artsy seaside town in southern
Few artists anywhere consummate complex situations like Mr. Görg. And what he does with an etching, Andrew Jefford, the poet and son of a vicar, does with wine writing.
Wine Column
SUPERBOWL MENU: TAKE IT UP A NOTCH
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
If you’re a sports fan, you’re no doubt feeling increasingly aroused by the very thought of the big game February 1st. Truth be told, other than the mild and momentary tickles of amusement I get from glancing at the players prancing around the field in tights patting each other’s bottoms and the perpetually grinning pom-pom girls’ effusive effervescence, I have a hard time getting terribly excited by the Superbowl. I know. Football is strategic. Totally cerebral. The field merely gives form to the deep philosophy that is the game. Right. I believe you. I’m just not that into it.
Wine Column
LE CLOS JORDANNE: IS IT ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE?
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
Le Clos Jordanne wines from Born of a partnership between Vincor, Canada’s largest wine producer, and Boisset, the major French producer originally based in Burgundy, Le Clos Jordanne winery crafts high-end Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines—elegantly labeled and masterly marketed. Admittedly, I have heard of these wines but haven’t had a chance to taste the full range until yesterday, after receiving the bottles from the winery’s VP of Marketing. I opened them with keen anticipation and—sound-the-gong—mindful focus, eager to learn if these wines are indeed all they’re cracked up to be. Afterall, at $30 to $70 a pop, they’re not cheap. So without further adieu, here are my thoughts.
Wine Column
WINTER WARMERS
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
Bloody freezing outside! This long stretch of bone-chilling winter that goes on for the next 10 weeks marked by Torontonians waddling about in poofy parkas, thick toques, and salt-stained boots, shivering and grim in gusty -20°C temperatures, leaves me cold. The whole town seems a little grey and hazy and I don’t mean in that pretty
Wine Column
THE LIST
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
'I have always had the same New Year's resolutions: to stop smoking, to start wearing a bra and to stop shopping,' says Cameron Diaz.
So, have you broken any New Year’s resolutions yet? Or maybe, like me, you decided not to make any. See, I’m anti-emoticon, anti-ponytails on men (except on Karl Lagerfeld because he gets everything else so winningly right), anti-puritan, anti-chick lit, anti-list, and by extension anti-New Year’s resolution. I can jot down the most exhilarating pursuit on a to-do list but the moment it hits paper, all the glossy, plump, moist pleasure evaporates and it’s reduced to a dark, dry pencil mark on my week. An obligation. A rope wrapped around my day tugging at my pant leg like a muddy snoop dog hound. So I refrain from lists pretty much entirely and find the important stuff still gets done, while the rest simply disappears. Magic. Highly recommend the approach. Unless, of course, you have Alzheimer's disease.
Wine Column
POST-POMP WINES
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
My hairdresser, Rico, is allergic to sulphur. His face puffs up and he starts to wheeze. It’s terrible—especially for him. Trouble is, he loves wine; and wine of course contains sulphur. It’s a natural by-product of fermentation and it’s added to keep things clean in the vineyard and winery—though it is minimized in better wine. Used judiciously, it’s a good thing. No doubt about it.
Anyway, Rico is always looking for low-sulphur wines but levels vary by wine and vintage. To make matters worse, levels aren’t generally published anywhere. So I thought I would ferret out a few tasty low-sulphur wines for his stash by talking with friends at the LCBO. They assure me the following bottles have fewer than 20 parts per million (ppm) of free sulphur and those levels will diminish over time in bottle. That’s quite low considering the limit for dry wine is 70ppm federally, 50ppm provincially, and 30ppm if it’s organic. And trust me, not even Rico would want to drink a wine without any sulphur.
Now brace yourself because these wines are not cheap but they are excellent. They’re the perfect thing to relax with after the great wave of anti-relaxation called, the holidays. Uncorking one offers a little post-pomp poetic justice. And if you have the patience, every one of these wines will improve with time in the cellar.
Wine Column
WHAT BOTTLE TO BRING
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
There’s something ethereal about eating salmon roe—it starts like tapioca pudding without the custard then becomes the most amazing series of tiny saline explosions in your mouth. Sea spray fireworks. Doesn’t take much to get into it. It’s like that bubbled packing plastic you used to spend hours popping as a kid.
Wine Column
CHRISTMAS DINNER WINE
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
So I went to Abercombie & Fitch the other day to pick up something sweet and trendy for each of my two teenaged nieces, and was blown away by just how hip the store is. First thing that strikes you is the powerful scent—they clearly brand the air with A&F eau de toilette. Then, within seconds of stepping into the barely lit store with loud pounding house music, beautiful young things in really cute outfits—faded jeans and fitted t-shirts—get right up close so you can hear them mew, “Can I help you find something?” I need something cool for my teenaged nieces. What would you recommend? “Well, it really depends on their style. But we have some great hoodies in the back.” As I headed through the throngs of young shoppers wading through merchandise, I passed huge posters of near naked men—close-ups of bare-chested and seriously-cut boys in low-slung jeans only just held up by rugged leather belts. Nice.
Wine Column
CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 12/12/08
What stokes the spirit—Christmas or otherwise—like giving or receiving wine? If you still have people to shop for, here are a few ideas.
Wine Column
JUST RELEASED: THE MOST QUENCHING WINE IN THE WORLD
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 05/12/08
It’s shameless to say, but gamay is to grape varieties as the harmonica is to music. Rustic and folksy. Friendly yes. But a little… easy. It can be charming if you’re in the right place, time and mood but without those three things properly engaged drinking gamay feels like hearing James Taylor sing, As Time Goes By, when you were expecting Sinatra.
Wine Column
OASI RESTAURANT: AN OASIS OF WINE
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 28/11/08
Oasi, with its swank lounge, majestic bar, upscale restaurant, and
We all know wine and food pairing is usually a crap shoot when dining out. At best, it's missionary position matching. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Take a good restaurant and throw in a proper sommelier who knows the stock well, can read people, and is tight with the chef, and the satisfaction can be intense. I’ve rarely experienced that level of care in
Wine Column
HATS OFF TO FRENCH WINES
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 21/11/08
I love men in hats. There’s something about a man who can pull off a hat—in both senses of the phrase. It suggests not only a sense of personal style but a comfort with having his hair tousled. And that’s a great combination. So imagine my glee when I was living in
Wine Column
WINE QUESTIONS ANSWERED
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 14/11/08
“What about chicken wing wines???????” John
This succinct question arrived in my inbox in response to my pizza wines column last week. Am I the only one who reads this sentence as a frantic bellow in email form? I went to high school with this reader though so I’ll cut him some slack. John, this one’s for you.
Wine Column
PIZZA WINES
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 07/11/08
Ever made pizza? Of course you have. It was the first thing you did in grade six home economics. Well, I made the usual variety the other day with tomato sauce and quickly remembered why you should never do that in a white shirt. It’s a lot like wine tasting that way. And it took me ages to learn the no white shirt rule in that scenario too—to the chagrin and chortle of my colleagues.
Many of my wine writing friends have decades more spitting experience than me yet they still wear dark clothes when they taste. With them, it’s prudent. With me, it should be the law because my spitting precision is the first to go after about the first 50 bottles tasted. Sure, I expectorate; but I also feel it’s only fair to swallow a bit of each wine because it’s a sure way to measure the balance of alcohol; heat in the throat means it’s too high. Although we’re both consenting adults, I won’t bore you with further technicalities or dribbling images of wine tasting.
Wine Column
STICKY WINES
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 31/10/08
Wine Column
WINES FROM A VITICULTURAL PARADISE
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 24/10/08
I took the cobblestone footpath to Soma Chocolatemaker for a small square of caramel dunked in black chocolate sprinkled with sea salt—nirvana sold piecemeal from glass display cases by attractive artsy-cool women wearing surgical gloves. Hair tied back in headscarves or rubber bands. It was the perfect finish to the Chilean tasting in
Wine Column
THANKSGIVING WINES
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 10/10/08
The Fairmont Royal York hotel is offering Thanksgiving dinner "to go" for four, eight or 12 diners. Interested? Me either. Who would do that? Isn’t half the fun of the feast the preparation? I would rather hire someone to clean up—especially when there’s a crowd, which will be the case at my house this year.
Wine Column
GREAT BURGUNDIES AND OTHER NEW RELEASES
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 03/10/08
Ella Fitzgerald and a gin martini. That’s what I’m in the mood for. Such was my train of thought Thursday night and off I strode to a nearby bar. Ella wasn’t there. Neither was my favourite gin nor a bartender who knew her martinis from her highballs but I enjoyed myself nonetheless.
To my mind, one of the great ponderables of our time is the demise of the cocktail in favour of a glass of wine—sans food. I understand wine as an aperitif—that tipple taken while preparing or awaiting dinner with a bite of this or that—but the idea of going to a party or bar and drinking wine all night seems absurd. At least to me.
Wine Column
BEST VIN BLANC AND ROUGE FOR CHÈVRE NOIR
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 26/09/08
I was at my friend’s place the other day and she asked me if I had tasted the cheese, Chèvre Noir. I hadn’t. She sliced me some and it was sublime—struck me as quite similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano cut fresh from the wheel, with its tender-crumbly nutty sharpness. I skipped over to Whole Foods Market to pick some up. Apparently, it’s available at Loblaws, Alex Farm Products and Cheese Boutique too.
Chèvre Noir’s creamy colour against its black wax coating reminds me of peep-toe Betty Boop-style shoes, which are big right now. I like the idea of peep-toe shoes because they extend the footloose and toe free season until possibly snowfall. And on the right women, peep-toe pumps allude to the archetypal film noir seductress circa 1940—a vampy suggestion not lost on certain men including but not limited to drag queens.
Wine Column
LCBO’s Best New Releases
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 19/09/08
Anyway, I did go to a Starbucks recently. And I’m still reeling. I can’t remember the last time I was served something as foul as its version of a cappuccino. I say “version”, but that’s a bit like saying Dot Cotton’s a version of Audrey Hepburn.
To begin with, it took longer to make than a soufflé…. An hour and a half later, I was presented with a mug. A mug. One of those American mugs where the lip is so thick, you have to be an American or able to disengage your jaw like a python to fit it in your mouth. It contained a semipermeable white mousse — the sort of stuff they use to drown teenagers in
Wine Column
DON JUAN WINES
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 12/09/08
Have you seen the movie Vicky Cristina
Wondering what I’m on about? Just watch the trailer at www.vickycristina-movie.com or on YouTube. The storyline goes something like this: hot Spanish artist-man in
Wine Column
HOW TO SALVAGE SAD WINES AND OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 05/09/08
Sometimes, I take a risk and buy a bottle of wine I don’t know, only to be disappointed. There’s nothing technically wrong with it, it’s just not to my taste. They say you shouldn’t cook with a wine you wouldn’t drink because it can ruin the dish so what can I do with it aside from pouring it down the drain? Catherine,
Ah yes. Salvaging sad bottles. In this predicament, you have several options.
Wine Column
11 HOT NEW RELEASES UNDER $20
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 29/08/08
Did you watch the Olympics? I don’t know what was more awe inspiring, the spiritual drive propelling the athletes to run that fast, leap that high or throw that far, or the sheer physicality of their bodies. Is it any wonder some of these stunning creatures bare all for publications as mainstream as Time Magazine as well as the usual lad mags?
Wine Column
SHERRY: NOT JUST FOR THE OVER 60 SET
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 22/08/08
Do you feel that nip in the air? By eight in the evening, it’s time to don a sweater outside. Autumn is near. I don’t particularly like the idea of summer drawing to a close but there’s always consolation in wine. And to me, it’s the advent of Sherry season.
Wine Column
THE WINE-MUSIC CONNECTION
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 15/08/08
Recent findings show the style of music we listen to while drinking wine affects the way it tastes.
Researchers from
Wine Column
BEER OR WINE
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 08/08/08
An old friend I re-met on facebook told me he had spent a summer once in a little village in the
Beer over riesling.
Sometimes maybe.
Beer quenches. Quench that way with riesling—even German riesling that's lucky to top 8% alcohol—and I would be giggling like a giddy auntie.
Wine Column
TASTE: IT'S A CULTURAL THING
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 1/08/08
Canadians think dry and drink sweet. The top selling red wine at the LCBO, Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon, is not bone dry. Nor are most branded wines you can think of, including the entire [yellow tail] range, Mouton Cadet Blanc and Rouge, Masi Valpolicella, pretty much anything from Hillebrand, and on and on. They all have a couple of grams or so per liter because, frankly, sugar all but guarantees bottles will sell.
Wine Column
THE REDS, THE WHITES, AND THE DEEP FRIED WHAT?
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately, Toronto, ON 25/07/08
Deep fried rabbit ears. Plate that for dinner and watch your guests squirm. I would bet even your most daring friends—you know, the ones who secretly fancy themselves true gastronomes—would get that bunny-in-the-headlights look in their eyes. “This is what?” Suddenly your dinner party is theatre of the absurd without intermission. Serve the same thing as part of a 30 course meal at the top restaurant in the world and the hardest place on the planet to get a reservation and then watch what happens.
Wine Column
LCBO'S LATEST AND GREATEST
I opened a bottle of Château de Monbazillac 2001 a friend gave me months ago and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Light amber in the glass but still youthful, fresh, and luscious on the palate with sumptuous richness and serious complexity from seven years of aging. Layers of orange zest, cedar, maple syrup, lemon twist, and an incredibly long Clementine, caramel, toasted nut, and warm vanilla bean finish. You can’t even tell it has 13% alcohol—a testament to the wine’s fine balance.
Wine Column
Wine Questions Answered
It’s time again to reach into my e-mailbag and answer some of those questions that have been piling up.
Wine Column
Nine Fine Wines
Funny weather we’ve been having these days. One day, it’s sunny and sweltering. The next, we’re donning sweaters and shivering under umbrellas. As we wait for the gods to decide if it’s summer or not, let’s have a drink. May I suggest a glass of one of the nine finest wines being released July 5th at the LCBO? Here they are.
Wine Column
Something you should know about Canadian wine… just in time for
The Canadian wine industry has a dirty little secret. Did you know wines with Canadian winery labels with the tiny words “cellared in
Wine Column
Best New Releases at the LCBO
Tomorrow is an exciting day. Usually when the LCBO casts out new releases, I find a handful worth buying with few if any under $15. This time around, I’ll be heading to the LCBO with a list of 13 wines (!) including three bottles that cost less than $15.
What’s more, the whites range from delicious honeyed-lime Riesling for pre-dinner sipping to zippy Spanish Albariño scented with lemon oil and sweet peach made for grilled fish.
Meanwhile, the reds slide from heady Australian Cabernet Sauvignon with a complex palate of chocolate, vanilla and cassis to a Spanish version of this grape variety packed with wild berry notes, cedar and tobacco conveniently sold by the half bottle.
And then there’s the long nutty
Wine Column
The Perfect Summer Refreshment
Sparkling wine always strikes me as the perfect summer refreshment. It’s light, effervescent, and crisp. But the flavours—and price—can vary dramatically region to region. So here’s a crash course in some of the most thrilling styles of bubbly on the planet, along with some of the best examples at the LCBO.
Wine Column
LCBO’s Best Buys for the June 7th Release
“So, what do you think of Canadian wine?” I get asked this question all the time so here’s the scoop.
Wine Column
What the Alcohol Level Says About the Wine
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 23/05/08
If you’re like me, you’re looking for refreshment in wine—especially as the weather turns warmer. A good sip should cleanse the mouth, quench a thirst, slide easily down the throat, and leave you wanting more. And the best way to tell if a bottle will be refreshing is by glancing at the alcohol content.
Wine Column
Splurge-worthy Wines
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 10/05/08
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you don’t need to spend more than about $20 to get a great bottle of wine at the LCBO and you can buy good ones there for much less if you know which to choose. Most of my recommendations, therefore, fall into the $10-$20 price bracket or thereabouts, which is what I usually spend for wines I drink at home.
Wine Column
In Defense of Rosé
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 02/05/08
Scantily clad French folk quaff it on beaches of the
Wine Column
Six Stellar New Releases
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 25/04/08
On Saturday April 26, the LCBO releases a new batch of wines. Of the 100 or so bottles I tasted, only six stood out as ones to recommend in good conscience. The wines noted below, my friends, are worth every penny.
Wine Column
The Food and Wine Pairing "Scam"
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 18/04/08
“Food and wine pairing is just a big scam”. That was the title of a recent blog entry on one of the most popular wine blogs on the web. The blogger ranted on for 27 angry paragraphs, arguing that the wine establishment has cynically “hoodwinked, tricked, bamboozled, and conned” wine drinkers around the world into believing some wines work better with any given food than others.
Wine Column
Hot New Releases at the LCBO
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 11/04/08
On April 12th, a batch of beautiful wines under $20 hit the shelves at the LCBO. Get your pens out; I’ve made a shopping list.
Wine Column
Wines that could sell for twice the price
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 29/03/08
On March 29th, the LCBO releases about 100 new wines. After tasting them through, I find—as usual—the best value wines sit squarely in the $15-$20 range. Fortified, dessert and sparkling wines can command slightly higher prices because they’re more expensive to make shifting the best value bracket to about $20-$30. After sifting through my notes, I’ve decided to list only the bottles that could probably sell for twice their price.
Wine Column
Easter Wines
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 21/03/08
I’m tired of expensive wine. There is absolutely no need to pay more than about $20 for a bottle of wine when you can get a very good one these days for less. We are in the midst of a wine-drinker’s market. Never before has there been so much excellent wine on shelves at affordable prices. And it’s time to take full advantage of that fact.
Wine Column
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 14/03/08
A French winemaker once said as only a French winemaker could, “eef I wont to teaste woood, I wheel lick a plank.” And his words rang out and echoed over the hills and through the vineyards across borders and up into the heavens, expanding and shifting cloudlike across Europe before slowly making its way over the oceans to the New Worlds where the overly-oaked Chardonnays had taken great hold. And then the clouds released the words quietly into the collective consciousness of the people whose palates were starting to tire of the style they knew of only as Chardonnay. And with this, the words crystallized the thoughts of the people and released a powerful backlash against Chardonnay.
That’s not exactly how the story went but close enough. Now a lot of people are saying: I don’t like Chardonnay. What they mean is: I don’t like rich, alcoholic, oak-flavoured wine that reeks of vanilla from American wood. This style of Chardonnay is indeed the overweight gilded lily of the wine world and it recently flooded the market. Other styles of Chardonnay exist but are often disguised with names like Chablis, blanc de blancs, and white
Wine Column
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 07/03/08
The first wine I fell in love with was zinfandel. Did I ever tell you that? Wait. Before you think of the pink sticky stuff called white zinfandel and write off my palate entirely, let me explain. I’m talking about the powerful almost plush red wine packed with black forest fruits and peppery spice.
Wine Column
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 29/02/08
Here’s a secret. The Perrin family, which makes the renowned Château Beaucastel wine that fetches about $100 per bottle, also makes a great value gem that sells for a mere $11.55 at the LCBO and it’s stocked at almost every liquor store in the city. It’s called La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Ventoux. It’s red, smooth, and full of fruit in that restrained French style that recalls an earthy, mineral, berry mix rounded out with floral leafy notes and spice. Bright cherry and blackberry is called to mind along with a hint of pepper. I’m thinking about sauntering over to the LCBO to pick up a bottle or two.
Wine Column
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 22/02/08
My friend is a wine enthusiast. Can you recommend a memorable gift for her 40th birthday?
The gift of wine doesn’t have to come bottled. A ticket to a winemaker’s dinner or a tasting is an exhilarating way to explore wine and these events happen more often than you may think. If you visit http://www.localwineevents.com, you’ll find the details of 35 wine events in
Wine Column
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, Toronto, ON 15/02/08
There’s good news at the LCBO. We should start to see more bottles of good sub-$10 wines according to a recent report in the Globe and Mail. This is welcome news since it is well-known that places such as Australia, Chile, South Africa, and Portugal make some very good value lower-priced wines but Ontario has been largely missing out simply because, until late last month, the LCBO’s buying focus centered squarely on more premium products. Now, the monopoly officially accepts lower-priced submissions so we can expect more $7 and $8 wines to hit shelves as early as April.
Wine Column
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, Published in Outreach 08/02/08
What are the best wines under $15 at the LCBO? I am asked this question a lot. The truth is most inexpensive wines taste confected (with sugar added to hide flaws), are over-extracted (creating heavy clumsy monsters that tire the palate after about a half a glass) or are out of balance, unclean, or just plain bland. But some wines are both inexpensive and a pleasure to drink. They make good mid-week quenchers or casual bottles for the weekend. Here are a few of my favourite lower priced wines at the LCBO.
Wine Column
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach 04/02/08
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to debunk a popular myth.
If you’re reaching for
WINE COLUMN
Good Better Best Wines for the Summer Cheeseboard
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection, at besteveryou.com, wine-tribune.com, and distributed privately on 03
“Tokaji Atzu does for you at the end of a meal what Champagne does for you at the beginning,” said British wine critic Hugh Johnson.
Of course, he’s right. A finishing nip of Tokaji Atzu or other decent sweet wine absolutely improves a meal, especially if it ends with a cheeseboard. And a chilled glass of something crisp, sweet and golden beats Port or Amarone in the summer heat.
Don’t believe me? Try a creamy bite of fresh chevre or a butter-nutty sliver of Ossau Iraty—the handmade cheese from the basque region of France—with a sip of Tokaji Atzu 3 Puttonyos. We’re talking jungle sex in the mouth.
Wine Column
OASI RESTAURANT: AN OASIS OF WINE AND FOOD PAIRING
By Carolyn Evans-Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately,
Oasi, with its swank lounge, majestic bar, upscale restaurant, and