Tastings & Wine Dinners

(Mar. 13 2013) — “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” Sure, the quotation is about marriage, not wine, but South Australia’s Torbreck Vintners is such a successful marriage of New World and Old World that the adage seems appropriate. The winery is, literally, still a teenager. Founded in 1994 by David Powell, Torbreck is […]

(Feb. 13, 2013) — Oh oh, Winetasters has scheduled a tasting for Ash Wednesday and you were thinking you would give up wine for Lent. Worse, the tasting is the day before Valentine’s Day; and, though you love Cabernet Sauvignon, you love your sweet patootie more. Pause a moment, and consider the following: “No other winery […]

(Jan. 25, 2013) — Please note that this event is being held on a FRIDAY! It has been more than a decade since Winetasters ventured into the world of scotch nosings and as far as anyone is able to remember, the event was a smashing success. We are celebrating the iconic Scottish lyricist and poet on […]

(Dec. 12, 2012) — Mayan prophets and their calendar don`t give much time before the poles flip and the party’s over! December 2012 is coming so let’s celebrate the last days together by tipping our bottles and glasses at Casa Loma. As always we’ll do it with style and taste, great food and stellar wine from […]

(Nov. 14, 2012) — Pinot Noir is not called the heartbreak grape without reason. Delicate, thin skinned, and vulnerable to the vicissitudes of climate and disease, it was slow to arrive in Ontario vineyards. But a few pioneers saw the potential of the terroir to produce great Pinot and began the struggle. Then around the dawn […]

(Oct. 10, 2012) — The right bank of the Gironde is the heartland of Merlot.  Pomerol & St Emilion, in their different ways, expressed the serious side of this grape well before the New World knocked it “sideways” with many easy confections.  This tasting provides an almost perfect opportunity to compare the different terroirs of the […]

(Sept. 12, 2012) — The Brunier family has been producing Vieux Telegraphe for more than 100 years from the tiny little triangle of land called the Plateau de la Crau in southern Rhône. The vines range in age from 50-65 years old on just 75 hectares. The family continues with long established traditions developed over decades […]

(Jun. 13, 2012) — If you hear the adjectives, gobs of fruit, rich, dense, plummy and fat, you are not in Chambolle-Musigny, Dorothy. Instead you are sucking back a Parker 95 point California Pinot the colour of grape jam accompanied by 16 degrees of alcohol.Winetasters are assembling this June to plumb the nuances of Burgundy’s Pinot, […]

(May 9, 2012) — Brunello is a relatively recent viticultural adventure in Italy. It was born out of a preference for a small-berried sangiovese clone that was rot resistant and produced richer, deeper wine than its Chianti cousin. In 1870 Ferruccio Biondi-Santi segregated these grapes and called the clone Brunello (the little brown one). He insisted […]

(Apr. 11, 2012) — The wines of Chablis are truly mirrors of their terroir. They stand before us, shy chardonnay grapes, their pure flavours uncorrupted by the vanilla notes of excess new oak. The French wine writers sometimes refer to these crisp wines as nervous with fine acidity. My favourite is the adjective vivacité, which sums […]

(Mar. 14, 2012) — This tasting started out as a conversation among most of the directors over (oddly enough) a few bottles of wine. The question was asked what are you drinking at home right now and what is your favourite? The responses were as wide and varied as the personalities in the room. A challenge […]

(Jan. 11, 2012) — The Winetasters have voted. We herald Syrah as the club favourite red after years of comparative varietal tastings. This is our exploration of your much-loved grape. A well-known winemaker friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) has said to me on a variety of occasions “it is the place, not the clone […]

(Dec. 14, 2011) — Actually WE get to pull out the cork (with an occasional screw-cap) but everybody wins on December 14. We noticed that, earlier this year, the iconic ‘Roll Up The Rim To Win’ promotion celebrated 25 years. And we can match that too. 25 Years at Casa Loma – which we think is […]

(Nov. 9, 2011) — Our much anticipated November tasting features the great Cabernet of Penfolds Bin 707. This is our third tasting in our Penfolds triumvirate, Grange, Yattarna and Bin 707. Perhaps the best known and most sought after red wine in Australia is Penfolds Grange Hermitage, and Yattarna is at the top of Australian Chardonnay. […]

(Oct. 12, 2011) — Those of you who know Balthasar Ress will already be reserving their place. Balthasar Ress is a family owned estate now in its fifth generation (although our wines come mainly from the previous generation – Stefan Ress). All of their wines come from the Rheingau region of Germany – along with the […]

(Sep. 14, 2011) — Winetaster’s executive committee wanted to begin the 2011-2012 tasting season with a BANG and what better way than to offer our members a HUGE Cabernet vintage sampling from California! Those of you who attended our fall dinner last year at REDS will remember the explosive feature wine from Buccella. We are thrilled […]