Check out the Budometer

The number of taste bids on your tongue can directly affect the kind of wine you like. Generally the more taste buds you have the more sensitive a wine drinker is to astringency and bitterness If you are part of the 25% of the population that has 10 times the taste buds over the people that have the fewest, then chances are you considered a Hyper-Sensitive taster. The people with the fewest are considered Tolerant Tasters and have the least sensitivity to astringency and bitterness.
There are actually four categories Sweet, Hyper-Sensitive, Sensitive and Tolerant. Sweet tasters tend to like sweet wines like white Zinfandel or Ice Wine while Tolerant tasters tend to like red Tannic wines like Barolo or Cabernet Sauvignon.
Tim Hanni has developed a questionnaire that asks you your taste preferences for things like coffee and how you like to take it as well as how you use sweeteners and salt. It also takes into account your life experiences with wine, that can also greatly influence what you like.
There is no right or wrong with what ever you find yourself categorized as. It doesn't mean that you won't drink wines (and enjoy them) that go against your profile. What it will do, is give a starting point to find wines with attributes you will find easy to enjoy.
Click the title of this post to take the questionaire

Another Good One

Finally got around to reviewing this one.
Angels's Gate Sussreserve 2007 Riesling 14.15 at the LCBO
This wine is light gold in colour with a citrus nose and grapefruit hints coming out of the mix. It is sweetened with Riesling juice and makes it suitable by itself or with food.
The wine explodes with the fruit of citrus on the early pallette and then becomes more distinguishable with flavours of lemon and lime in the middle. You then get grapefruit on the late pallette and fininsh with sweet apple. Of course there is enough acidity to make it refreshing.
Personally I would try this with scallops shrimp or crab but I might even take a shot with steak since I am finding that sweeter wines can match with it. (the steak is very much a personal thing but you might consider the other suggestions)
The winemaker recommends it with a light lunch but I think it can match with more than that. My rating 90

Good One Gord Stimmel

I read Gordon Stimmel's brief column for Jan 1 2009 at the Star's website.
Basically, he gets into some examples of pairing food and wines and gives the example of an oaked chardonnay working with a thick sizzling steak and herbed butter. He can't see why it works (but it does). I enjoy Chardonnay with steak (in my case it is more on the fruity side and find fruit wines that are a bit sweeter also go with it). I also like Chardonnay with lamb (without the mint sauce since that doesn't appeal to me ). Not being a chef I can't tell you the actual interaction of the flavours of Stimmel's match, but can say that the herbed butter is flavour balancing for the chardonnay.
I repeat the core premise of matching food and wine, sweet foods and umami make a wine taste stronger while sour foods make a wine taste milder. Salt and lemon juice can be usefull allies if making the wine you like, go with a food that wouldn't otherwise. Tim Hanni has a flavour balancing seasoning called Vignon (http://www.napaseasoning.com/Vignon) that is supposed to allow many foods to go with wines that "would not be acceptable" under traditional rules. (I can't find it in Canada yet so I can't comment on it)
The point is that the potential is here for a wine comsumer to enjoy wine at whatever level they feel comfortable with. They can use the principle I mentioned above or use more traditional wine pairing techniques or whatever criteria they wish. If it makes your wine experience richer who is it for anyone to say that it is wrong to use. Freedom of choice is the bottom line.
To look at Gord Stimmel's article click the title of this entry.

An Exceptional Value

On Christmas eve we scored a windfall by picking up an in store special on crabs legs. They were large sweet and juicy and called for a special wine. I chose the Konzelmann 2006 barrel aged Chardonnay, which is a part of their Winemaster series.
This is a rich wine with hints of the tropics (banana) and vanilla on the nose. The wine comes up with a more traditional vanilla and butter sensation on the early palette but then luscious ice wine like hints of sweetness come to bear on the mid palette and finish that remind you of apple and apricot. The taste is rich throughout.
At 16.50 it's an excellent value in my opinion and a typical example of Herbert Konzelmann's craftsmanship in the wines I have tasted. It is recommended for rich cream sauces, grilled salmon, wild mushroom soup and seafood risotto but we will have it again with shell fish.
My rating 92
Click the title of this post for the limk to the winery

Holiday Pinot Gris

A wine I enjoyed during the holiday season is Southbrook Vineyards 2006 Triomphe Pinot Gris 18.95. I detected grapefruit and other citrus overtones on the nose with the grapefruit dominating the mid and late palate. The acidity made for a crisp finish. It is recommended for complex dishes such as Thai or Chinese food, smoked fish, duck, pates, pork or quiche, but I say enjoy it with whatever you find it goes with
My rating 89
Click the title for the winery website

Stoney Ridge Winery Video

The video for Stoney Ridge Winery is up on the Wine Dining Vlog or on Wine Dining Channel. It is the longest winery I have done at 19 minutes but there was so much to show. Click the title of this post for the Vlog or use the link on the side for the Channel

Stoney Ridge Winery

Stoney Ridge Winery was our first stop on our last trip to Niagara. We anticipated a brief stay but wound up staying two hours taking pictures and filming. I have the video prepped and will be working on it later this month but the pictures we tool reflect a winery property that is the prettiest manmade landscape we have seen in Niagara. I've compiled some of those photo's jusy turn on the player.