“I wanted to be a doctor and save the world,” says Angela Maculan, the third generation of her family in wine. “My father wanted me to become a wine maker.
“Two weeks after I started school he took me to meet the new American distributor. We went to New York, San Francisco (we stayed in a villa with a jacuzzi), Los Angelas, Banff. The next year he sent me on my own to New York, because he was busy with harvest. I remember studying our brochure carefully, because, really, I didn’t know.”
Now Angela writes the brochures. She is responsible for sales for the family company and spends about 150 days a year on the road. Three wines for your must try list: The Pino & Toi, a blend of Fruilano (called Tai in the Veneto, called Toi on the label just for fun), Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio, super fragrant, savoury and delicious. The Vespaiolo smells like an orange grove and tastes delicious, with an intriguing texture. The Pinot Nero has pretty aromas of forest and berries, silky round tannins and just the right amount of weight in the mouth. Find at better wine shops in the $25 range.
 Maculan Pinto Nero |
 Maculin Vespaiolo |
After a visit to the Sybille Kuntz estate last year we became ardent fans of her wines. We loved the purity of the fruit, the clear expression of the soil and the vibrancy of the flavours. Sybille and her husband, Markus-Kuntz Riedlin, farm 30 acres of vineyards on grey Devonian slate above the small town of Lieser, near Bernkastel where they have practiced organic agriculture since the ’90s; the vineyards were certified biodynamic in 2016.
Her specialty is dry Riesling (the designation is called trocken, which means fermented to almost bone dry, with less than nine grams per litre of residual sugar.) The wines are superbly balanced, elegant and racy. Find at Color de Vino, Liquor Select and other fine wine shops.
 Sybille Kuntz Mosel-Riesling Kabinett |
 Sybille Kuntz Mosel-Riesling Spatlase |
Marcia J Hamm, the manager of Hicks Fine Wines, successfully completed the WSET Diploma in wines and spirits earlier this year. That makes four diploma holders in town—Juanita Roos, Color de Vino; Margaux Burgess, Lingua Vina and yours truly. Congratulations Marcia.
Laurent Miquel wines from the south of France are available again in Alberta. They do really cool things, well. His father Henri was the one of the first to plant Syrah in Corbieres. Laurent followed innovative family tradition and planted Viognier in 1992. Now the family winery is one of the first to grow Albarino.
The Cazal Viel wines are made from old vines grown in the hills. The GSM (Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache blend) will be ideal with anything on the grill. And the rosé? Love this refreshing, Syrah Grenache Cinsault blend. It has loads of flavour and personality.
The whole idea of the Clacson label is, you guessed it, to make some noise about the quality and value of the wines. This Viognier has tasty peach and apricot flavours, great acidity — it’s the fridge door wine of the summer.
 Clacson Viognier |
 Cazal Viel |
 Cazal Viel |
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Event Calendar |
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| Monday, May 1 Cristiana Tiberio, Tiberio Wines, $20 Hicks Fine Wines, 780-569-5000.May 2-6 Northern Lands Wine Week, Shaw Conference Centre, northernlands.ca.Wednesday, May 3 Andreas Bender Dinner, $145 Kitchen by Brad, info@kitchenbybrad.ca. Wednesday, May 3 Thursday, May 4 Saturday, May 6 Sunday, May 7 Monday, May 8 Wednesday, May 10 Thursday, May 11 Tuesday, May 16 Thursday, May 25 |
Thursday, May 25 George Grant, Glenfarclas, $75 Sherbrooke Liquor Tasting Room, sherbrookeliquor.com/event-calendar.Saturday, May 27 Annual Spring Open House Hicks Fine Wines, 780-569-5000.Saturday, May 27 The Long Table Dinner at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, $130, kitchebybrad.ca. Thursday, June 8 Sat & Sun, June 10-11 Sunday, June 11 Monday, June 12 Tuesday, June 13 Tuesday, June 20
Sunday, July 9 |
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