Ottawa, ON April 2019 Matt's review: A tasty Cabernet from the very impressive and often under-valued, Washington State, where Chateau Smith (of Charles Smith Wines) produces their delicious wines. The nose is full of dark cherry, black currant, chocolate,... Continue Reading →
Ottawa, ON April 2019 Matt's review: A blend of 81% Cabernet, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 3% Malbec from Napa Valley's renowned Oakville, Rutherford, and Oak Knoll District regions. A textbook Napa Cab nose, with dark plum, black currant,... Continue Reading →
Ottawa, ON April 2019 Matt's review: 2017 Arterra Pinot Noir benefits from a touch of appassimento winemaking where a portion of the grapes were carefully set aside and left to dry for a period of time after harvesting, similar to... Continue Reading →
Ottawa, ON March 2019 Matt's review: Iconic Canadian winery, Inniskillin, is renowned for their luxurious Icewines as they consistently deliver the most impressive style of sweet, full bodied, richly textured, and incredibly refreshing (dessert) wine that's sought after in... Continue Reading →
December 20, 2018 – Ottawa, ON Today on CTV Morning Live, Sommelier Matt Steeves showcased his top wine picks for entertaining and gifting this holiday season. Checkout the CTV video here! The holiday season is a great time of year... Continue Reading →
wine review: Frescobaldi Nipozzano Riserva Chianti 2014 – $22.40, now $17.40 for the holiday season!
Ottawa, ON December 2018 Matt's review: This complex value-priced Chianti is bursting with dark cherry, dried fig, clove, fine leather, and graphite. The palate is smooth, layered, and refreshing making it ideally suited with rich braised dishes, grilled rib... Continue Reading →
Ottawa, ON December 2018 Matt's review: There's no surprise that this is Washington State's best selling Cabernet at the LCBO, as it offers great value in a very crowd-friendly style. Chalked full of sweet dark fruit, black currant, black cherry,... Continue Reading →
Ottawa, ON November 2018 Matt's review: 2017 Chateau des Charmes' estate grown and bottled Sauvignon Blanc is a fantastic example of the fine mineral-focused Sauvignon Blanc being produced by this iconic Ontario winery. Herbaceous, with fresh tropical and exotic fruits... Continue Reading →
Ottawa, ON October 2018 Matt's review: Icellars 2016 Pinot Noir, 150 cases total production from the Icel (estate) Vineyard in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake. Inviting sweet spice box aromas with fresh herbs, plum, and cherry notes showing the complexity of the wine from... Continue Reading →
Ottawa, ON September, 2018 Matt's review: Icellars is excelling in the production of high quality red wines, which is earning them a reputation as one of the top fine wine producing wineries in Ontario. Their low production Syrah (145 cases)... Continue Reading →
Ottawa, ON October 2018 Matt's review: Icellars Wiyana Wanda is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, all from their Icel estate vineyards in Niagara on the Lake. Deeply coloured, the nose shows rich dark fruit,... Continue Reading →
Ottawa, ON September 2018 Matt's review: Black Sage Vineyard 2015 Merlot: Deep ruby red, the nose shows dark plum, stewed cherries, mocha, smoky notes, and its namesake in spades, Black Sage - a hallmark of fine Okanagan Merlot. Silky smooth... Continue Reading →
Saskatchewan, Canada August 2018 Matt's review: Featherstone's Cuvée Joy Rosé is a fine example of the mineral-driven premium traditional method sparkling wines that Featherstone Winery is producing on the Twenty Mile Bench. Delicate strawberry, cherry, and rhubarb notes are supported by... Continue Reading →
Ottawa, ON August 2018 Matt's review: Thorn Merlot sources their grapes from acclaimed vineyards throughout the world famous Napa Valley. A blend of 77% Merlot with Malbec and Syrah providing additional structure and complexity, this wine is big, juicy, and incredibly... Continue Reading →
Ottawa, ON April 2018 Matt's review: 2016 was the warmest vintage ever recorded in Niagara, which resulted in the grapes at Icellars' Icel Vineyard being able to hang on the vines until November 17 and be picked at 26.2 brix... Continue Reading →
May 5 in Toronto, join four wonderful female wine personalities from some of the world's famous wine regions, including Champagne France, Napa California, Niagara Ontario, and Mendoza Argentina. I've had the pleasure of meeting Louise Engel of Featherstone Estate Winery... Continue Reading →
