JULIAN HITNER - TORONTO WINE CONSULTANT
Welcome to the official website of Julian Hitner, independent Toronto wine consultant and professional scholar of wine history! I am delighted to share my knowledge of wine and offer my Toronto wine-based services to those who are interested in everything that is wine. Feel free to explore the many features my site has to offer. There's lots to see! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, just contact me at julianhitner@hitnerwine.com
Be sure to visit often!
FEATURED THIS MONTH
Allow me to set the stage. Our character is an idealistic young man, who has recently become a wine sommelier. The future looks bright for our vinous hero, filled with innumerable opportunities for partaking of fine food and drink, as well as for enjoying unceasing adulation from grateful ‘wine civilians,’ eager to take full advantage of his knowledge of food-and-wine pairings, not to mention his advice on what wines to procure at local shops --- READ MORE
PHOTOS OF FRANCE AND ITALY (OCTOBER, 2007) --- In the past, I have refrained from taking pictures while traveling abroad, always gaping in amazement at other tourists around me who are snapping photos non-stop and never really leisurely taking in their surroundings. This time, however, I decided that a few photos here and there might be nice for my growing audience of true wine enthusiasts. Most of the pictures came out superbly --- HAVE A LOOKPHOTOS OF AUSTRALIA (MARCH-APRIL, 2008) --- Wandering through some of the most famous winegrowing regions of Australia was a real treat. Not only was the scenery beautiful, I was able to capture some excellent shots of both various landscapes, wineries, and even fermentation vats. And yes, the wines were also terrific --- HAVE A LOOK
A LITTLE 'WINE HUMOUR' ANYONE?
WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO
In a few days, I take my final exam for a bartending course I've been taking at George Brown College for the past three months. The course has been a lot of fun; and I certainly have learned a great deal about a genre of beverages not always closely associated with the 'institution' of wine. And yet, cocktails do seem to possess many distinctive flavours of their own, many of which can, in turn, be found in various types of wine. Indeed, in life there are always new things to learn.
On a different note, I'm delighted to report that a comment I sent off to Decanter wine magazine has been published in their March, 2009 issue! To my fellow Torontonians (with a good number of notable exceptions --- and such persons know who they are): I meant every word ...
To elaborate.
Each year, several dozen wine tastings are held in the city of Toronto. Of these, a good number can be incredibly costly. Is it only me, or are the more expensive of these tastings frequented by the more arrogant and uptight sort of persons that genuine wine enthusiasts would just as soon avoid?
Care to respond? Send me a message.
WHAT I'VE BEEN DRINKING THIS MONTH
(PRICES QUOTED ARE THOSE OF THE L.C.B.O., IF PURCHASED AT ONE OF THEIR STORES)
POSTED ON MARCH 18, 2009
POSTED ON MARCH 18, 2009
With the economy in perpetual freefall as a result of interminable greed and childlike mismanagement (*this is as far as this website goes in terms of entering the political arena*), Ontarians have lately been blessed with a marvelous array of well-priced items, courtesy of our beloved LCBO stores.
From Balthasar Ress, a respectable producer from the Rheingau winegrowing region of Germany, comes a 1995 Riesling Kabinett, which hails from the equally agreeable Oestricher Lenchen vineyard. At an incredibly decent price of $17.00 (# 90662), this golden-coloured wine offers notes of petrol, pears, and a hint of lemon on the nose and palate. Personally, though, I think this wine is probably a tad past its prime. But what does it matter? It's still lovely, with real character and grace.
Turning to an entirely different continent (and climate), a short while back I happily made my way through a bottle of '07 Waterwheel 'Memsie,' a wine originating from the Bendigo winegrowing region of Victoria, Australia. Costing $13.95 (# 656637), this particular wine is a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Not likely to garner top honours in competition, nonetheless it's assuredly a nice dark, juicy-fruity, and very tasty drop.
ANYTHING INTERESTING BEEN HAPPENING ON THE TORONTO WINE SCENE?
With these horrific economic times raining down on us, there have been some tremendous wine sales going on at the L.C.B.O., with the head office down by the lake seeming (at least in my eyes) absolutely desperate to clear their warehouse of excess wines.
Aside from the fantastic reduction in prices, what makes this sale really remarkable is that many of the wines on sale are actually items that would have sold out prior to the economic collapse of world markets. My advice: if you have some cash to spare, now is the time to buy --- click here for more information on the Toronto Wine Scene.
UPCOMING WINE EVENTS I'LL BE ATTENDING
For wine enthusiasts in Toronto, the months of April and May are the busiest of the year.
On Monday, April 6, the annual California Wine Fair shall be taking place at the Fairmount Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto, from 7:00 to 9:30 PM. Most likely, this event is already completely sold out! Truly, Torontonians can't seem to get enough of trendy Californian wine.
On Tuesday, May 5, the German Wine Fair: Riesling Rules will be held at Roy Thomson Hall in downtown Toronto, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. This is one of my most favourite tastings of the year. So many great whites from the noble (and adorable) Riesling grape to try!
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
THE TORONTO WINE SCENE?
JUST LET ME KNOW!
COMING TO MY WEBSITE
NEW ANNOUNCEMENT: My website now features all sorts of new topics, from a notably-intellectual 'Wine and Art' page to a just-plain-fun 'Wine and Humour' column! Also, my website is going to soon have a page dedicated to Toronto cheese shops --- keep an eye out for it.
ANY QUESTIONS?
Email me at julianhitner@hitnerwine.com
OR
See Contact information for more details
OR
See Contact information for more details