Chef Ferran Adria of renowned El Bulli in Spain has influenced many, including TO's Claudio Aprile. In late November, El Bulli emeritus Carles Abellan of Barcelona's Comerc 24 came to town and whipped up some food pairings for Campo Viejo's Riojas at George Brown College.

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One of the highlights of the wine calendar is the big Italian tasting in November. The Trade Commission pulls out the stops, flies over dozens of winery folk - many very smartly dressed - and lays out the glory of Italian wines. This year, the seminar focus was on Prosecco, the little bubbly that could. And Pusateri catered.

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At Fielding Estate Winery, like a few others in Ontario, winemakers have been more and more interested in making blends. Is that just because of the crappy summers we had in 08 and 09, or is it part of a wider trend? Winemaker Ritchie Roberts talks about his Conception blend.

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Osoyoos Larose is a high end Bordeaux blend from the Okanagan that is the product of a joint venture between Canada's Vincor and France's Group Taillan, it's in its 11th year now and the 2006 vintage is  released in Ontario - and winemaker Pascal Madevon is back in town.

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The little bottles are pricey, but you don’t need much to enjoy the unique wine that nobody makes better than Canadians. Icewine is a rich, sweet wine that works best in small quantities with the right food, and it’s an ideal after dinner wine. 

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Howls of protest against "Cellared in Canada" wines from various commentators over the past year - including new Tory leader Tim Hudak’s joining a Facebook group called “Boycott Cellared in Canada Wines" - have spurred Queens Park to action, and there are some new rules.

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Almost every wine region in the world produces low-priced wine because that's where most buyers are looking. Here, relatively expensive grapes mean we need a little help from elsewhere. And we're not the only country in that boat.
 

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Wines by celebrities like Dan Aykroyd, wines that are celebrities - Canadians want both. And while restaurants aren't necessarily crazy about celeb wines, more and better Canadian wine is making it on to the lists. 

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