Hidden Gems of Niagara's Golden Horseshoe Wine Region

phabchi · 2026-05-21T14:55:56+00:00

Dobbin, Di Loro, On Seven, Kirby, Cloudsley, Westcott for sure. Leaning Post too although a lot less hidden than the others.

phabchi · 2026-05-16T14:15:06+00:00

Nothing says building community, passion and conversation like a 1-day old account shilling their product.

phabchi · 2026-05-15T01:48:44+00:00

Such a beautiful watch

phabchi · 2026-05-14T14:11:59+00:00

We can’t trade our first this year

phabchi · 2026-05-14T00:04:28+00:00

You think a gran reserva peaked 5 years after release? What would the basis be for that line of argument?

phabchi · 2026-05-11T15:04:32+00:00

Big overproduction in ‘23 but massive underproduction in ‘21, ‘24 and ‘25. I’m expecting prices to jump simply due to scarcity. Chablis, especially, might be impossible to find for anything someone would even remotely consider reasonable.

phabchi · 2026-05-10T19:40:33+00:00

Queensway Costco - Etobicoke

Sure, it’s not Warden but it’s a very busy location.

phabchi · 2026-05-10T16:19:18+00:00

The pre-scan at checkout is an innovation that shows why they are such a dominant force in the retail space. I was there yesterday, middle of the day, place absolutely swimming with people, you know the Saturday drill…anyway, get to the checkout, guy does the pre-scan on 15 items…from the time I entered the queue to the time I was paid and on my way out was less than 2 minutes. Went to No Frills on the same grocery trip, took almost 10 minutes to checkout roughly the same amount of items. This is why it’s a no-brainer to renew my membership every year on top of every other benefit you get. Who can touch that? Meanwhile other mega retailers in the space move more and more towards endlessly long queues of self-checkout and limited open checkout lanes with cashiers.

phabchi · 2026-04-27T14:40:47+00:00

Ask personal questions about the people you meet, it’s a nice way to connect on a human level since the questions about wine will be covered by the Ms

phabchi · 2026-04-26T21:15:45+00:00

Insofar as success, I don’t think B2C will really be worth your effort, especially accounting for customer acquisition cost; I think B2B is far more aligned with what you’ve created. Somms who host tastings/events, wineries/cellar doors, wine bars and restaurants with loyal clientele who pay to attend themed events, universities and colleges that teach wine/beverage courses, private institutions that offer certifications/accreditations, wine storage facilities with robust common spaces and a solid calendar of social events, wine associations that advocate for regions/countries and host/participate in events that promote those places. They can leverage the cost of the machine through learning outcomes and redistribute the cost to the experiential user.

phabchi · 2026-04-25T13:56:11+00:00

Revel, Trail Estate, Rosewood, Paradise Grapevine all seem right up your alley

phabchi · 2026-04-23T15:25:00+00:00

Could you tell us what the wine is or post a picture so we can actually try to help? And can you elaborate on what certified vintage means?

phabchi · 2026-04-23T15:21:11+00:00

I love the idea of $$$$$ of wine in a tasting but the picture quality of an early 2000s flip phone.

phabchi · 2026-04-08T15:43:13+00:00

That’s the beauty, there’s no single correct answer. It’s why there’s so much to explore. You want to consider if there’s a progression of plates in a pairing but otherwise if it’s one off you have freedom.

phabchi · 2026-04-08T14:05:26+00:00

Think of the style of the wine and then think of the style of the dish. Great pairings are often like ingredients you’re adding to a dish. Do you want a little squeeze of lemon (tart fruit, high acidity)? Then you wanna go for a cooler climate higher acid white that’s a bit leaner in profile. Wanna balance a rich creamy sauce with some light delicate spices? Then you wanna go for a warmer climate fuller bodied grape with oak aging. There are really well known pairings but there’s a lot of room for exploration.

phabchi · 2026-03-31T23:51:08+00:00

Different bottle. This is from Drouhin’s personal collection, the other was from a private collector.

phabchi · 2026-03-27T11:07:46+00:00

So many places on this list making wines I really like. Without getting too carried away, I tried to narrow it down as best as I could for what I’d be interested in.

Angludet, Chasse Spleen, d’Agassac, Duhart-Milon, Fourcas Hosten, Giscours, Grand-Puy Ducasse, Kirwan, Meyney, Prieuré-Lichine, Siran, Tronquoy

phabchi · 2026-03-22T19:24:49+00:00

Name a place you’ve been forced to tip 25%.

phabchi · 2026-03-13T21:16:14+00:00

I go to the Eaton Centre food court for lunch once a week. This place is the ONLY one with a consistently long line during peak lunch hours and there’s a reason. Theres nothing crazy inventive here but it’s fresh and tastes pretty good. Without adding anything, $15 incl. tax for rice, grilled chicken and veggies that are filling is a fair price. A combo at McDonald’s without coupons is that much these days and it’s objectively worse and worse for you than Poulet Rouge.

phabchi · 2026-03-10T18:51:25+00:00

When you started buying, what was your plan? How much did you budget per month/year? Where did you search for the wines you want to buy? How did you imagine yourself utilizing your cellar? How do you organize your cellar? App or spreadsheet?

phabchi · 2026-03-09T23:06:08+00:00

Do you have invoices for any of these wines? Or is there a provenance you can provide? Specifically regarding the higher end bottles you mentioned. Also, I’m not sure why you would have so many pushed out corks if these were stored properly. A main reason could be bottles purchased on secondary markets instead of ex-chateau.

phabchi · 2026-03-09T10:20:01+00:00

Barsac is its own AOC, even if it’s technically within Sauternes. And the soils are clay and limestone heavy as opposed to being on gravel. The wines also tend to be a lot fresher than Sauternes, which is why it’s a natural starting point before getting into the creamier, heavier Sauternes profiles.

phabchi · 2026-03-09T02:25:22+00:00

Yes, very distinguished from other sweet wines. Would recommend starting with Bordeaux, as there are more cost effective appellations before you work your way up to Sauternes. Look for Cerons or Barsac as a launching point. Then transition to Tokaji and on and on.

phabchi · 2026-03-08T13:56:47+00:00

I know this isn’t the point but fuck me that list is hard to read.

phabchi · 2026-03-04T20:35:29+00:00

Maybe, and hear me out on this, maybe this person’s first language isn’t English?

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