Earth Day is Thursday, April 22 and I can’t think of a better wine standard bearer, vineyard bon-vivant, herd-boss and planetary steward than Jason Haas (not to be confused with Adelita the Spanish Mastiff – the real herd-boss). You met Jason, the General Manager and Partner at Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles in my…
The Regenerative GM: Tablas Creek Vineyard’s Inspiring Circle of Life
When I called Jason Haas, the spirited, (staggeringly!) prolific General Manager at Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, California it was ostensibly to talk chalk. If you’ve driven the dry, winding, oak-strewn roads of the western Adelaida wine district of Paso Robles (I worked harvest there in 2017) you know there’s a white, dusty cloud…
‘Rock and Soil’ Star: Winemaker Cathy Corison Digs Deep
I recently listened to down-to-earth rock star Alecia Moore – aka Pink – talk about how everything in her Santa Barbera vineyard made perfect sense after she dug her first soil pit. “I wanted to know why a vine here is vigorous, and next to it, not at all. Why some vines are healthy and…
Tasting Notes: the DRY Riesling Challenge – Niagara to FLX
Before we ‘taste’, let me be clear. I love all styles of Riesling. That said, it’s fair to say my previous purchase behaviour puts me squarely in the German feinherb camp (~10 – 20 grams/Litre Residual Sugar – RS). Feinherb – for those new to the Riesling game – is a German descriptor for a…
Searching for DRY Riesling: my Niagara to Finger Lakes 8 g/L RS Wine Challenge
I have a friend who might best be described as a wine aficionado. He likes the good stuff but he also likes good value. And he’s seriously miffed at the price of most international, award-winning wines. I suggested he drink local. He meh-ed. Do you like Riesling, I challenged. Yes, he said. But it has…
Breaking News: Pandemic Extends Hot Mulled Wine Season – Recipes from Near and Far
Yes, this pandemic sucks. But winter doesn’t need to…. not when a hot pot of mulled wine and simmering aromatic cheer can transport you to exotic markets and faraway places. Here in cool climate wine country (Ontario), we are surrounded by an international community of friends, all of whom tout a killer recipe for hot,…
Wine that’s Creating Positive Change: the Stratus and Evergreen Sustainable Wine Collection
What’s the perfect pairing? In the food and wine business, we like to say ‘what grows together, goes together’. Some examples? Spring strawberries and rhubarb (the best sweet/sour pie pairing ever), savoury Beef Bourguignon and red Burgundy (classic earthy flavours and aromas) and crisp, minerally Sancerre and creamy Crottin de Chavignol cheese (quintessentially Loire). While…
Part 3 – Sentient Wine and Beer brands Amp up Organic and Sustainability Messaging
Well that’s pretty much a wrap for September. How did you celebrate National Organic Month? If you’ve had the chance to read my last two blog posts (part 1, part 2), you’ll know I’ve spent the last few weeks thinking about why we buy and the factors shaping our 2020 consumer behaviours. There’s nothing more…
Part 2 – Sentient Wine and Alcohol Brands Amp up Organic and Sustainability Messaging
What’s more motivating? Better for Me or Better for the Planet? Understanding why we buy is one of the great 21st century marketing challenges. Neuromarketers say 90+% of the purchase decisions we make are governed by our subconscious, shaped by emotional drivers and motivations we don’t even know are at play. Those Levi’s jeans, that…
Sentient Wine & Alcohol Brands Amp up Organic and Sustainable Messaging
In 2018 – before the name Greta was etched into our consciousness – I was in a grade 3 classroom user-testing an environmental app for kids that explored climate change and plastic pollution in our oceans. Predictably, the students told us the app was buggy (which it was), and had way too much text (which…
Locals Drink Local: The Hidden Gems & Must Try Wines of Prince Edward County
There was a great advertising campaign in 2017 for the high-speed Eurostar train that connects London to Paris. The message read: “Ask a local, not your phone.” The campaign encouraged travellers to ditch their technology and tap the local knowledge and passion of the community. Paris isn’t in the cards for most Canadians living a post…
Bottled Optimism: The Exceptional Wines of Prince Edward County
In a perfect world (audible sigh), I’d be lounging on an outdoor patio chair at (say) Waupoos Winery, in Prince Edward County (PEC) with a beautifully chilled Rosé, enjoying spectacular views of Lake Ontario with friends and family. We’d laugh, we’d high-five, and we might even steal a sip or two from each other’s glass…
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