The Wine Tribune Blog

By Carolyn Evans Hammond 27/08/10
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Eating my way though Niagara wine country last week at some of the “best” establishments—About Thyme, Stone Road Grille and August Restaurant—was memorable alright.  The tap water at About Thyme was vile.  The steak at Stone Road Grille was tough and tasteless.  And the Reuben at August didn’t work at all [...]

By Carolyn Evans Hammond 20/08/10
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Smaller winemakers complain they’re undersung, underappreciated, and underloved.  I totally disagree.
Tonnes of ink is spilled on wines available to 2% of the population at prices higher than most want to spend most of the time.  Just read Decanter, Wine Spectator, The World of Fine Wine, or any newspaper in an area [...]

By Carolyn Evans Hammond, Jul 27/10
Surely no one compassionate or sane would think to offer a berry-chocolate drink called Australian Shiraz with a menu centered on raw fish.  But it’s always there.  On sushi restaurant menus.�
And through some coy and cunning twist of irony, the most appropriate bottles are usually conspicuously absent at these places [...]

By Carolyn Evans Hammond, July 5, 2010.
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The World’s Most Underrated Wine and Food Pairing
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 09/07/10
Just in case you were wondering why no one ever drinks white wine with meat, let me tell you.  It all comes down to Karl Marx.  His father was a [...]

By Carolyn Evans Hammond, July 1, 2010. 

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What’s a good wine to drink with chicken curry?
Jenine Vehkavaara, Toronto, ON, Canada
The key here is high acidity.  High acid makes your mouth water, cleansing the palate—a bodily function you want to encourage with spicy food.  Beyond that, you’ve got a few possibilities.
I love the stone fruit flavours of [...]

By Carolyn Evans Hammond, May 24, 2010.
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[yellow tail] is huge.  It’s the #5 leading brand in the world, according to recent findings by the British consultancy firm, Intangible Business.  But why?  If asked, most wine drinkers would deny drinking the stuff; it’s the wine snobs most love to hate.�
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Why does [yellow tail] fly off [...]

By Carolyn Evans Hammond, April 26, 2010.
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While burgers may be as American as apple pie, they’re not necessarily the tastiest thing to grill.  For fish freaks like me, summer just wouldn’t be my favourite season without salmon steaks, lobster tails and skewers of scallops and shrimp on the grill, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with [...]

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By Carolyn Evans Hammond, April 2, 2010.
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Hogwash.  That’s what I think of the idea you have to spend a bundle to get a decent glass of wine.  Especially if you buy big brand bottles from reliable makers such as Concha y Toro, Lindemans and Beringer.  And though this fact is seldom said out loud, most [...]

By Carolyn Evans Hammond, Friday March 19, 2010
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Torontonians are a funny bunch.  It’s March.  The mercury rises about 10 degrees, it gets a little sunny, and suddenly people are baring all.  Girls start hitting Starbucks in jeans and flip-flops with pretty pink pedicured toes, or schlumping around in ankle Uggs and teensy-weensy shorts.  Boys start [...]

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By Carolyn Evans Hammond,, February 15, 2010
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Lindemans Bin 65 from Australia is probably one of the best Chardonnays you can buy for about $11 in Canada and $6 in the US.  Better yet, it’s a huge brand, which means it’s stocked everywhere, tastes the same year in year out, and is totally affordable.  What’s not [...]