A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1020: London and a Dinner Party for the Ages

Posted on May 24, 2026 by tonyaspler

Sunday, May 10th: London. Deborah and I are staying at the house of our friend Livia Prior in Hampstead. We took her to dinner at a local Lebanese restaurant, coincidentally named Oliviya. We started with Chateau Ksara Blanc de Blancs 2022 and moved on to Chateau Musar Hochar 2021. Back at the house we had a nightcap of Marquis de Sylène Calvados Vieille Reserve.

Chateau Ksara Blanc de Blancs 2022 Continue reading →

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A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1019: Tuscan Anniversary Trip

Posted on May 17, 2026 by tonyaspler

Monday, May 4th: This is the 20th year of the Pauwels-Aspler food & wine tour in Europe.

Deborah and I flew to Florence airport to rendezvous with our group for the bus transfer to Siena. Our initial base was the 5-star Grand Hotel Continental Siena, located only steps from the Piazza del Campo, which, twice a year, hosts the Palio, the world-famous bareback horse race. The group took a 90-minute, guided walking tour of the city centre ending with an aperitif overlooking the Piazza del Campo. Continue reading →

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A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1018: Strewn, Stonebridge and a Marathon Gamay Tasting

Posted on May 2, 2026 by tonyaspler

Monday, April 27th: Tasted the following Strewn wines:

Strewn Sparkling Blush (Charmat process)
Equal parts Cabernet Franc and Riesling. Deep coppery-pink in colour;
lightly floral nose of strawberries. Petillant, medium-bodied, dry, strawberry and yellow cherry flavours; well-balanced and easy drinking with a touch of sweetness in mid-palate. (89)

Strewn Chardonnay 2025 (Niagara Peninsula)
Pale straw in colour; toasty, apple bouquet with vanilla oak spice; medium-bodied, dry, richly extracted apple and pear flavours with well-integrated oak and good length. (90) Continue reading →

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A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1017: Hester Creek, Winemaker’s Cut and a Winemaker’s Dinner

Posted on April 27, 2026 by tonyaspler

Hester Creek wines

Monday, April 20th: Here are the notes on the Hester Creek wines I tasted last week, which are now released.

Hester Creek Character White 2025 (Okanagan Valley)
A blend of Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. Pale straw in colour; aromatic, spicy, peachy-apple bouquet with a floral top note; medium-bodied, dry, apple, lychee and lemon flavours. Well-balanced and lingering. (90)

Hester Creek Pinot Blanc 2025
Pale straw colour; white peach bouquet; medium-bodied, dry, elegant, well-extracted peach and lemon flavours. Lovely mouth-feel, great length. (91)

Hester Creek Pinot Gris 2025
Straw colour; floral, peach pit nose; medium-bodied, dry, peach and green melon flavours. Vibrant acidity, good length. (91) Continue reading →

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A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1016: Harlan Estate, Hester Creek, and Stone Eagle

Posted on April 20, 2026 by tonyaspler

Tasting the Harlan wines

Monday, April 13th: A meeting at Ted Van Geest’s house regarding the Niagara wine project we’ve been working on. Ted always brings out good wines: Cloudsley Cellars Pinot Noir 2017 and Hidden Bench Roman’s Block Riesling 2017.

Cloudsley Cellars Pinot Noir 2017 and Hidden Bench Roman’s Block Riesling 2017

Tuesday, April 14th: Dinner: Tasted wines from Hester Creek Estate in the Golden Mile Bench, Southern Okanagan Valley. They asked me to hold my reviews till the wines are released. In a word, “Terrific.” Continue reading →

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