“We also have many vintages that didn’t get such fantastic scores, especially back in the 1990s,” says Priscilla Incisa della Rochetta, of Tenuta San Guido. “We haven’t adjusted our approach to conform to a certain standard.” open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

As we embrace the sunny weather ahead, shopping for wine targets good and (mostly) affordable bottles to place on the table for everyone to joyously help themselves. Here are recommendations for fun and fancy wine styles that fit that bill. www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

In the Okanagan Valley, wine from the terrific 2025 harvest is filling up cellars, and local hotels are anticipating high occupancy rates for this year’s tourist season. There’s a positive vibe right now, says explains Kerri Wyse-McNolty, of Burrowing Owl. www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

The increasing popularity of white wine means there is always demand for freshness and lighter, less rich options. As the temperature climbs, our preference for crisp and invigorating wine styles grows. www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

Like many Okanagan wineries in the 2024 vintage, 1 Mill Road Winery didn’t have a commercial crop from its Naramata vineyards or any of the blocks under contract in other parts of the valley. Subzero temperatures in January wiped out the harvest. A detour resulted. open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

Between 2024 and 2025, US wine exports declined 33.5%—the steepest single-year drop in recent decades. Import spending fell as well, but by a far smaller margin. As a result, the US wine trade deficit narrowed by only 2.5%. The data point to significant headwinds for US wine in international markets

www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/129d895... Here's a gift link to David Shribman's review of Isabel Vincent's new work RFK Jr.: The Fall and Rise. 2/2

Fourth-generation winemaker Laura Catena is known for her dedication to her country and its signature grape, Malbec. It’s a role that comes with unique challenges, such as facing the inevitable question from journalists: What comes after Malbec in Argentina? open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

Niagara riesling producers are gaining attention after a tourist from Georgia praised its style earlier this month in a letter to the Wine Spectator. Ralph from Columbus asked where he could find rieslings with similar flavours available in the U.S. www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

Malbec’s distinctive combination of juicy fruit, spicy notes and velvety texture has made it one of the world’s top-selling red wines, putting Argentina’s wine industry in the spotlight. www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

Almost all Canadian provinces have banned the purchase and sale of U.S. wine since late February/early March 2025. As of Ap 2026, only Alberta and Saskatchewan — the only two provinces without state liquor monopolies — are formally retailing U.S. wine, having lifted their brief bans in June 2025.

Moray Tawse didn’t plan to make wine in Niagara. His dream was to own vineyards in Burgundy, but there wasn't anything suitable. Twenty-five years later he reflects on how a passion project became an expansive business in Niagara and Burgundy. GIFT LINK: www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/260a807...

Ontario winemakers have once again joined forces to create unique, small-batch wines for the Grapes for Humanity charity auction. Under the Cuvée from the Heart label, the vintners have collaborated to produce 12 wines, which are up for bidding tomorrow. open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

As the LCBO seeks to distinguish its liquor stores from other alcohol retailers, shoppers can expect to see an increase in the availability of Ontario craft wines and spirits at its outlets and online. Gift link: www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/260a807...

A surprising Bordeaux Blanc, a ripe and refined Niagara chardonnay and a rich and generous Rhône white are recommended from this week’s LCBO Vintages release. open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

Sparkling wine is an essential addition to any brunch menu, whether it’s served as the base for a Mimosa or as a glass of bubbly on its own. My choice would be a sparkling rosé like one of these affordable recommendations to elevate your brunch experience. www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

Value of U.S. Wine Exports: 2024–2025 In 2025, U.S. wine export value declined by $428 million (34%), largely attributable to a substantial contraction in exports to Canada (-$343m, -77%). Exports to China (-73%), the UK (-8%), and Panama (-74%) also show substantial declines.

Winemakers in British Columbia are excited to release the first wines from the 2025 vintage, made with homegrown grapes from vineyards threatened by a devastating frost in January 2024. Today’s newsletter shares three that capture that excitement in the glass. open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

Globetrotting wine consultant Michel Rolland, who inspired the term “flying winemaker,” passed away suddenly of a heart attack. Critics have debated whether Rolland’s technical expertise improved wine quality or led to a standardized, recipe-driven approach. www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

Justin Taylor has spent more than 20 years making sales calls to Canada for his family’s Australian wines, and he has never been more optimistic about their fortunes. Gift link: www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/260a807...

Rosehall Run Vineyards is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. This week's newsletter looks at two current release chardonnays from one of Prince Edward County’s enduring success stories, including the stellar JCR Chardonnay pictured below. open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

Axel Heinz, who oversaw SuperTuscan estate Ornellaia for 18 years, present the first wines produced under his leadership at Château Lascombes in Margaux. Behind-the-scenes notes and tasting notes from our Toronto meeting are featured in today’s Substack newsletter. open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

Château Lascombes, an estate established in the Margaux appellation in the 1700s, presented a new challenge for winemaker Axel Heinz. The once prestigious producer in Bordeaux, ranked as a second classified growth, had lost its lustre. Gift link: www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/260a807...

Three notable wines from two of my longtime favourite producers in Niagara reviewed today, including a first look at two of Cave Spring’s most popular labels as they are released to stores in Ontario open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

Twenty-five years after the release of its first red wine, Osoyoos Larose is embarking on a fresh start. New labels and packaging will be introduced in the fall, with the release of the 2022 vintage of Le Grand Vin. open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

I always considered Richie Roberts’ cabernet francs to be some of the finest in the region. These wines offer honest expressions of both the grape and the place, avoiding the temptation to push for excessively ripe grapes and extended aging in new oak barrels. open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

Wineries in Niagara are currently experiencing a surge in sales, leading producers to fast-track the release of white wines made last fall. Homegrown wine sales have increased owing to retail expansion and the removal of U.S. products from liquor stores. www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/260a807...

I was never the intended audience of teen dramas like Gossip Girl and The O.C., but they struck home any way. open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

Blue Mountain’s reserve wines were among the first cult or collectible wines produced in Canada. As the winemaking team continues to focus on the unique qualities of their vineyard, they introduced a terroir-focused single parcel series, including these two chards open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

“For me, the Holy Trinity of wine is a sense of place, a sense of the varietals and a sense of the winemaker,” says Isabel Gassier, the fifth generation of her family to produce wine in Costières de Nîmes in the south of France. www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/260a807...

This week’s Substack newsletter is a reporter’s notebook on recent Globe articles, plus an appreciation of the new season of Shrinking on Apple TV and a playlist that includes my new favourite band, Cardinals, from Cork, Ireland. Link to read and subscribe in bio open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

Hope springs in British Columbia wine country: Severine Pinte is ready to bottle her first Okanagan wines for LaStella and La Vieux Pin since a polar vortex caused widespread damage to vineyards in January, 2024. www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

“For me, the Holy Trinity of wine is a sense of place, a sense of the varietals and a sense of the winemaker,” says Isabel Gassier, a fifth generation vintner from Costières de Nîmes, France. “It’s important to have a perfect balance between the three.” www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

We have finally escaped the cold spell that has gripped southern Ontario since mid-January. It felt like we endured at least a bazillion consecutive days of freezing temperatures as part of a larger North American cold wave. But subzero days aren’t over yet… open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

Ontario and Mendoza have become new members of the Wine Origins Alliance, a global organization dedicated to eliminating barriers to wine trade and protecting the integrity of wine names. open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

Wineries from coast-to-coast have refined their approach to the labour-intensive “traditional method” of Champagne in which bubbles are captured during a secondary fermentation in bottle to produce sophisticated profiles that say “Be Mine” each & every day www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

As climate-induced extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, intense and unpredictable in South Africa, viticulturalist Rosa Kruger is looking for ways her country can continue growing grapes for quality wine well into the future www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

“Horror visited us on the vineyard in the past few days,” Fowles Wine owner Matt Fowles wrote in a Jan. 10 Facebook post. “We lost our home, sheds, vineyards and livestock...” Find his Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Wild Ferment Shiraz at LCBO Vintages outlets www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

Some timely reviews for this week’s LCBO Vintages drop. And, an appreciation for a moment in the Will Arnett comedy-drama, Is This Thing On?, that resonates open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

When it comes to filling the wine rack for February, there should be a balance of nurturing bottles that lean into the cold, and vibrant ones that speak of spring. How better to toast the gradual lengthening of daylight while coping with the persistent cold? www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

Two wines from Niagara’s Domaine Queylus are featured as part of the February 7 LCBO Vintages in Ontario. Read reviews for them and three other recommendations in my latest Substack. open.substack.com/pub/waterson...

A cameo in Taylor Swift’s Disney+ documentary sparked a surge in sales for Domaine de Terres Blanches. One of the winery’s bottles is visible during the last episode of End of an Era, prompting a run on the Sancerre which is released Feb. 7 at LCBO outlets www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

Wine Consumption in Major Wine-Consuming Countries (1840-2024)

People think of icewine as a dessert wine or something for special occasions, but it doesn’t have to be, explains Inniskillin's Sumie Yamakawa. “We want to open people’s eyes to icewine’s potential.” www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

André Morgenthal loved wine. He loved South Africa. He loved connecting people. Mostly, he loved gathering around a table, sharing food, wine and free-ranging conversation. A toast to one of South African wine's greatest champions watersonwine.substack.com/p/my-dinners...

“[Trius Red has] definitely stood the test of time,” says Trius head winemaker Emma Garner. The new vintage of Trius Red is reviewed this week alongside other serious Bordeaux-influenced wines produced in Ontario and British Columbia. www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...

“Wine can be a symbol of resilience against climate change,” explains Spanish winemaker Miguel A. Torres. “We like to have our vineyards and like to produce wine to make people happier.” www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/f...