Welcome to Weekend Winedown

Hi, I'm Rebecca, a 30-something wino living in Toronto. Over the past 3 years I have gone from a curious wine drinker to taking individual wine classes to becoming a certified Sommelier through CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers) and a FWS (French Wine Scholar) through IWEG and The Wine Scholar Guild. To say the journey was hard would be a complete understatement; I spent countless hours making notes, memorizing flash cards, pulling all nighters studying, and attempting to blind taste hundreds, if not thousands, of wines correctly, however, looking back I wouldn't change a thing. The past couple of years have really shown me if I want something and put my mind to it, I can do it. Which is, besides my love and passion for wine, a huge reason why I continue to put myself through these intensive courses year after year.

I am starting Weekend Winedown to share my love and passion for wine with a broader audience, with hopes of sparking some interesting conversations, research, and new passion within you, my readers. We'll take closer looks into regions and countries, grapes, winemakers, specific bottles of wine, and much much more. Be sure to let me know in the comments what type of content you're looking for.

Remember wine doesn't always have to be serious and complicated, so pour yourself a glass and winedown with me!

*Image from my CAPS Graduation in 2019 w/ Sara d'Amato and Lynn Abernethy*

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let's taste: Faustino I Gran Reserva

Faustino is one of Rioja's most inconic producers with over 150 years of grape growing and wine making experience and history. As one of my favourite producers, I look forward to their new vintage release year after year. I tend to pick up two bottles per vintage to drink one immediately and save one to see how the wine evolves with even more bottle aging. I have been lucky enough to taste quite a few vintages dating back to 2006, with their latest vintage, 2015, being released last year. Below I have documented vintage by vintage a brief harvest description and tasting note to help understand what's inside the bottle. 🍷 2006 Faustino I Gran Reserva 📍 Rioja, Spain Considered a "Very Good" vintage by the Regulatory Council the 2006 growing season consisted of good weather throughout with only a couple minor incidents of Spring hail and Summer drought. Harvest began September 1st and ended on October 27th, producing a moderate harvest ensuring grapes were at their pea...

what's in your glass: Sauvignon Blanc

Let's talk about sauvy b, one of the world's most popular and planted grapes! It is literally planted everywhere from Old World to New World, from France to New Zealand, but what I love most about this grape is how it takes on the region's terroir and climate making different and unique hallmark styles multiple regions can call their own. Here are some fun facts about our favourite zippy white wine: • Originated in France, with Bordeaux, Loire Valley, and Southern France all claiming as its original home. • Name comes from the two French words "sauvage" (wild) and "blanc" (white). • 8th most planted wine grape. • Produces dry (crisp and refreshing) to dessert (blended) wines. • Primary Notes: Grass/Herbaceous | Gooseberry | Grapefruit | Honeydew | White Peach • Structure: Lighter Body | No Tannin | High Acidity | Medium Alcohol (11.5-13.5%) • Can be Oak Aged, Ex. Pouilly-Fume (Loire Valley) and Fume Blanc (California) • Serving: Temperature 7-10° in a Wh...

winedown with rebecca: Ontario Wine Edition

Let’s dive into the wines we tasted during an Ontario Virtual Tasting that I hosted! Cave Spring, located in the Beamsville Bench (a sub-appellation of the Niagara Escarpment) practices Sustainable Viticulture and Viniculture and is Certified Organic. They also planted the first Riesling vines in the 1970s and helped pioneer the cultivation of European vines. Today 55% of their production is Riesling. The second wine from my Ontario Virtual Tasting was from Stanners. Located in Hillier Village, Prince Edward County, this family owned and operated winery focuses on Premium Pinot Noir by using Organic practices in the vineyard and a minimal approach in the winery. The last wine we tasted was from Stratus, located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and just so happens to be one of my favs! Stratus believes in sustainability from vineyard to winery, incorporating natural eco-systems in their vineyards and a pump-less wine system in their winery. Stratus was also the first LEED (Leadership ...

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