A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1029: Ballgame, Theatre and an Estate Dinner

Posted on July 27, 2026 by tonyaspler

Bill Redelmeier welcomes his guests (see Saturday)

Monday, July 20th: Visited my dentist. Great guy but I hate dental visits. This time to mend a broken front tooth. He discovered a small cavity in another tooth, which means another visit on Wednesday. Dinner: beef stir fry noodles with a bottle of Big Crush Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 from Australia.

Tuesday, July 21st: Dinner at Wellington Court with Bill Redelmeier and John Nadeau. Ordered Lake Erie perch (which I read this morning in the Standard is in short supply). John ordered a bottle of Bill’s Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Sauvignon 2021. Continue reading →

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A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1028: Juice and Back to School

Posted on July 20, 2026 by tonyaspler

Angela Aiello

Tuesday, July 14th: A tasting of The Juice Wine Company portfolio at the Crush on King with co-owner Angela Aiello.

Juice Wine Company Chardonnay 2024 ($33)
Straw colour, fresh bouquet of Granny Smith apple; medium-bodied, dry, Chablis style, with a peachy, apple flavour. (89)

Juice Wine Company Cabernet Franc Rose 2025 ($33)
Pink with a bluish tint; strawberry nose with watermelon; medium-bodied, dry, strawberry and pomegranate flavour. (90) Continue reading →

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A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1027: Township 7, Honky Tonk Heroes and Shades of Syrah

Posted on July 13, 2026 by tonyaspler

Township 7 wines

Monday, July 6th: Tasted the following wines from Township 7 (Naramata Bench in the Okanagan Valley):

Township 7 Seven Stars Aurora 2022 (Blanc de Noirs – 100% Pinot Noir)
Pale straw in colour; active mousse of tiny bubbles; toasty, leesy nose of red apples; medium-bodied, dry, beautifully balanced apple and red berry flavours. Lovely mouth feel, great length. (92)

Township 7 Seven Stars Rigel 2022 (Riesling; Fool’s Gold Vineyard)
Pale straw; persistent mousse of tiny bubbles: toasty, leesy nose of apple and lemon zest; medium-bodied, elegant, green apple flavour with a long, lemony finish. (91) Continue reading →

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A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1026: Street Legal in London Now!

Posted on July 6, 2026 by tonyaspler

Monday, June 30th: My British passport arrived – after weeks of agonising back-and-forth over documents with His Majesty’s Passport Office.

Other arrivals today: our friend Zoltan from Bucharest and his travelling companion Dr. Enno Lippold, whom I knew from his days as a winemaker with Deinhard. They arrived from the Finger Lakes, where they had been attending a Riesling conference. They took an Uber from the New York border direct to Dobbin Estate in Niagara, where Ann Sperling and Peter Gamble had set up a tasting. Continue reading →

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A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1025: Thirty Bench Rieslings, a Birthday Bottle and a Concert

Posted on June 29, 2026 by tonyaspler

A decorative old truck with its bed filled with flowers and Thirty Bench Wine Makers written on the door

Monday. June 22nd: Dinner: chicken pasta with a bottle of Cono Sur Bicicleta Reserva.

Tuesday, June 23rd: Dinner: Lamb chops with a bottle of Creekside Laura’s Blend 2022.

Wednesday, June 24th: No wine.

Thursday, June 25th: Winemaker Emma Garner invited me over to Thirty Bench to taste her Rieslings. Continue reading →

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