Archives for ‘Food & Drink’

    • Black Cloud Altostratus

      by Adrian Bryksa

      The situation was like a ‘Black Cloud’ hanging over their heads. Sensing an opportunity, the duo decided to buy back the remaining inventory and brand it themselves. With that, Black Cloud was born.

    • Summer Party Naval Styles at Seven RestoLounge

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Oysters, like wine are affected by terroir and these Miyagi’s flavor profiles ranged with one showing a cleaner, almost tropical profile and the other being more salty, marine driven. As I was devouring the seemingly endless plates put in front of us, I sipped on a glass of fine sauvignon blanc.

    • Château Fonbadet

      by Adrian Bryksa

      From a vintage perspective, 2003 was a great yet challenging in Bordeaux with intense heat arriving in August. Take 40 + degree Celsius temperatures and combine with a lack of cooling rain and one of the potential outcomes is roasted, thick skinned grapes contributing to flabby wine.

    • Terre da vino Barolo Poderi Scaronne D.O.C.G.

      by Adrian Bryksa

      I recently spotted a lonely bottle of 2005 Amon-Ra for a bargain basement price that I left on the shelf. When I went back to buy it, it was gone and I swore that I would never leave another deal like that on the table.

    • Le Volte

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Le Volte holds distinction as it is aged in the same oak barriques that previously housed previous vintages of their flagship Ornellaia and Masseto blends.

    • O Restaurant & Lounge revisited

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Calgary has a diverse set of urban communities, most of which have the ubiquitous strip mall watering hole. In the South West community of Marda Loop, a reinvention of this paradigm has been established.

    • Adamas Pinot Noir

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Burgundy: there are few words in the world of wine that can mean so much. Often setting an oenophilles heart aflutter, its wines are esoteric, complicated and more often than not, misunderstood.

    • Willow Bridge Estate Sauvignon Blanc Semillon

      by Adrian Bryksa

      It has been a while since I have covered a white wine; I suppose the changing of the season has had me thinking more red than white. However, that’s not to say that a vino blanco can’t be enjoyable as fall sets in.

    • Rocky Mountain Food and Wine Festival 2009

      by Adrian Bryksa

      For the first few years, we saw it through the eyes of guests and we kept coming for the wide assortment of beers, spirits and wine. We enjoyed the wide swath of restaurants and retails showing off their samples of delectable nosh.

    • Château Latour – Martillac

      by Adrian Bryksa

      If you cellar wine, one of the great pleasures is to pluck out a wine that you have been holding and enjoy it – preferably with friends.

    • St. Supéry Élu

      by Adrian Bryksa

      I decided to check out the selection of wines at a corner market near where I was staying. Amongst the Bud Light Lime and other various malt beverages, I came upon a small but modest wine section.

    • Fresh

      by Pamela Hruska

      I’m hungry and I want to eat. I want to eat well. I wish for it to be sustainable. I wish for it to be accessible. Most importantly, I wish marketing didn’t lead us down the ‘garden path’ to anywhere but the garden.

    • Rosemount Estate Show Reserve Shiraz

      by Adrian Bryksa

      For this months review, I thought it was time to visit my cellar again. When I buy wine to cellar, I usually purchase it with an event in mind. It is a on the rare occasion that pull something out of the cellar to drink on my own and that’s what happened here.

    • Narkoojee Cabernet Sauvignon

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Narkoojee is a family run vineyard located in the relatively obscure Central Gippsland sub-region, which for those familiar with Australia is about 2.5 hours south east of Melbourne.

    • Airlie Maréchal Foch

      by Adrian Bryksa

      The varietal is an interesting one as it is a hybrid grape that may produce wines of tremendous breadth from light, Beaujolais stylized examples to rich, full bodied wines.

    • Hillside Estate Pinotage

      by Adrian Bryksa

      This wine rates in my top 10 Canadian wines, and I would seek it out at if you are interested in giving it a try.

    • Corte Giara Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore

      by Adrian Bryksa

      It is also the reason that Ripasso wines are often referred to as ‘Baby Amarone’ since that secondary fermentation takes place on the same lees used to make Amarone.

    • Clos la Coutale

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Since new world malbec are all the rage for their ripe, bold fruit forwardness, I thought it would be interesting to observe the differences between style and presentation from old to new.

    • La Vieille Ferme Red 2006

      by Adrian Bryksa

      When I saw this inexpensive French red, I imagine myself drinking wine out of a tumbler at some rustic vineyard in the south of France.

    • Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Jim Barry is one of Australia’s finest producers and has some of the most collectible and desirable bottlings year after year.

    • Rhone Gang Hold Up #6

      by Adrian Bryksa

      The appeal for this wine is going to be for consumers looking for flexibility and finesse in a red.

    • Cork Fine Wine Tasting Series featuring Argyle Wines

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Argyle Wines has been called by Wine Spectator as “Oregon’s Premier Winery” and routinely receives ratings in the 90 + rating levels from its critics.

    • Heitz Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

      by Adrian Bryksa

      I have heard people decanting Heitz Cellars wines for 6 hours, probably due to the fact that this wine spends 3 years aging between American and French oak.

    • Cooper Mountain Vineyards Cooper Hill Pinot Noir

      by Adrian Bryksa

      I have been inspired to revisit Pinot Noir as when it is done right, can be heaven in a glass and when done incorrectly, can be a pure disaster. To me it is the thrill of the hunt for that special pinot that is so alluring.

    • Edge Cabernet Sauvignon

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Buying wine on tips is not unlike the stock market, sometimes there are stars but more often than not, there are dogs. Is Edge a star or a dog? Keep reading to find out.

    • Bodegas Enrique Foster Reserva Malbec

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Due to the fact that people know I drink wine, it seems to be the standard gift gesture when people come to my home as a guest. Conversely, when I go to someones house, I like to do the same.

    • What the Squash?

      by Pamela Hruska

      After falling head over heels for butternut squash (I think it looks like beaker off the Muppets without facial characteristics), I moved into exploring the rest of the squash bin!

    • Conti Zecca Donna Marzia Primitivo IGT

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Valentine’s Day might be a commercial holiday for some, but it seemed like a good enough day to hit up the cellar and try out some Italian red.

    • Wine by the glass at Vin Room

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Vin Room, a wine bar and bistro has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue these days. Their expansive offerings of wine by the glass and that everyone has either went or wants to go is making this a hip spot.

    • Wyndham Estates Show Reserve Cabernet Merlot

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Do rewards come to those that wait? I have had this wine in my cellar for a few years and Sunday was going to be its day of reckoning.

    • Does Your Knife Really Cut it?

      by Pamela Hruska

      Toss those horrific finds from your local department store that are wobbly tinfoil productions. That row of Henkles that you all spend time in searching for your kitchen tools drives me crazy.

    • Barefoot Zinfandel

      by Adrian Bryksa

      My expectations for this one aren’t high, but I have seen other consumers walk out of stores with case loads of this wine and big smiles on their faces so who knows….

    • Casual Inspiration

      by Jaymi Newington

      If you love to cook it will come out in the flavor of your food. My dad always told me if you cook with a bad mind, meaning you weren’t into it, your food will taste terrible. If your heart is in it, it will be delicious!!

    • Sustainable Dining at Red Door Bistro

      by Adrian Bryksa

      Using local and provincial producers, Red Door Bistro has tried to ensure that where possible, their materials are as organic and are as free from hormones, pesticides and all those other undesirable ingredients as possible.

    • Confessions of a Sugar Bear Poacher

      by Pamela Hruska

      I swear, after about five of these guys, you'll experience a sympathetic surge of neuroexcitability, sending you into a state of pure non stop chatter and movement.

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