Jeff Moote gets the boot as the 2026 Paul Pender Rising Star Award
Monday, June 15th: Andrzej Lipinski invited me to Big Head for a tasting of his newly bottled 2023 wines.
Lipinski Chenin Blanc Sparkling 2023 ($65)
Pale straw in colour; biscuity, reductive nose of apple; medium-bodied, crisply dry, elegant, beautifully balanced, green apple flavour with a honeyed note in mid-palate. (91) Continue reading
The Crush winemakers (see Saturday)
Monday, June 8th: Tasted six wines from Hester Creek from Oliver, BC.
Hester Creek Ti Amo 2025
A blend of Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat. Pale straw-ivory in colour with a gentle mousse of fine bubbles; aromatic nose of melon and peach with a tangerine notes; light-bodied, dry, easy drinking, floral, peach flavour, Well made, with balancing acidity, (89)
Hester Creek Riesling 2025
Pale straw in colour with a lime tint; light floral, minerally, grapefruit bouquet; light-bodied, just off-dry with a honeyed grapefruit flavour and lemony acidity. Lovely mouth-feel. (90) Continue reading
Monday, June 1st: Opened a bottle of Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2024 from New Zealand – the first from a case. What a great wine. Happy I bought a dozen.
Tuesday, June 2nd: Dinner: roast chicken with Peller Estates JEP Red.
Monday, May 18th: Dinner: shrimp in cream sauce with rice. And a bottle of Riverlore Sauvignon Blanc 2025.
Tuesday, May 19th: Dinner: chicken wings with a bottle of Stratus White 2010. Continue reading
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.
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