Special Features

by Vic Harradine

Winecurrent has been approached by concerned and knowledgeable subscribers about including the level of alcohol in each wine review. Some were concerned about the obvious effect of an alcoholic beverage with 11% alcohol by volume, not an unusually low alcohol level a few years back even for a red, compared with the 16% plus behemoths we see today. Others were concerned about the effect on the taste and enjoyment of the wine. Some find high alcohol wines ‘hot’ to the taste—a result of an unbalanced level of alcohol.

by Vic Harradine

Man/Woman does not live by wine alone. Two brands of the number one selling spirit in North America—vodka—are reviewed for you along with some history and background.

by Vic Harradine

You don't need to break the bank to enjoy a bottle of bubbly! Sparkling wines are made all over world, not just in the Champagne region of France. Some sparkling wines are made exactly the same way as Champagne, using exactly the same grape varieties. Others use, with great results, grapes and technique they wouldn't dream of using in France. Here are 7 sparkling wines from around the world, most under $14, with some tips on how to open, serve, and save them.

by Vic Harradine

Winecurrent tackled the often-asked question, “How long will ice wine age?” We were aided immensely by Mountain Road Winery owner, Steve Koscis, who supplied six vintages of his 375 mL VQA Niagara Peninsula Vidal ice wine, spanning 1999 to 2004. Much appreciated, Steve!

by Zoltan Szabo

Ravine Vineyard is the newest Peter Gamble project. Gamble, a former winemaker at Hillebrand and lead consultant in the creation of Stratus Vineyards, is one of the most respected Canadian winemaking personalities. Truly an icon, he was the founding director of Canada's Vintners Quality Alliance and also the person behind Nova Scotia's Benjamin Bridge Winery and their highly anticipated sparkling and aromatic white wines.

by Vic Harradine winecurrent.com

Winecurrent visited a number of premium Niagara wineries, tasting through barrel samples, '07 whites and '06 reds in bottle. Be on the cutting edge with winery profiles and timely reviews in this third installment.

By Vic Harradine — winecurrent.com

Winecurrent visited a number of premium Niagara wineries, tasting through barrel samples, '07 whites and '06 reds in bottle. Be on the cutting edge with winery profiles and timely reviews in this second installment.

by Vic Harradinewww.winecurrent.com.

Winecurrent visited a number of premium Niagara wineries, tasting though barrel samples, '07 whites and '06 reds in the bottle. Be on the cutting edge with winery profiles and timely reviews in this first installment.

by Vic Harradinewinecurrent.com.

Only half the wine selection of the LCBO reaches retail shelves. The balance is readily available to the general public, but most seasoned wine-lovers (forget the masses) have little idea how easy it is to access them. Only a select few set sail in the uncharted waters of consignment wine. Here's the GPS to help navigate this 'other' distribution channel. It's a whole new stream of interesting wines from the familiar LCBO.

by Vic Harradine — winecurrent.com

James Ewart is an Aussie who, after graduating from Adelaide Uni with a Grad Diploma in Viticulture eventually made his way to Monterey, California following his passion for vines and wines. Passionate and personable, he’s at his public best when joining you in tasting his wines and warms up quickly answering questions. He gets real focused when asked about the management of the vines. The winery is Delicato Family Vineyards, but they’re also known by their brands, especially Gnarly Head, Loredona and Irony which have all had releases through Vintages and General List, or are upcoming Vintages releases. Many of those wines are reviewed in this May 24, 2008 newsletter; it’s a very impressive portfolio.