The nominations for the 31st Annual Genie Awards were announced last week. As we know, these prestigious awards are Canada’s “Oscars” and we thought it would be fun leading up to the March 10th Genie Awards ceremony to feature one of the top 5 Best Motion Pictures nominees each week and match it up with The Wine Ladies pick for award winning culinary and wine combinations. Leading the pack with 11 nominations is Barney’s Version, (produced by Robert Lantos, directed by Richard J. Lewis )including nods for Best Motion Picture and Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Paul Giamatti). The movie is based on Mordecai Richler’s Giller Prize winning novel, this is the story of a checkerd life fully lived. Barney’s story spans four decades, three cities, three wives, one great love, a libidinous dad and a dissolute best friend who appears under suspicious circumstances. Barney Panofsky is played by Paul Giamatti who just won a Golden Globe for his performance in Barney’s Version. He is making a career of playing unremarkable but memorable men. Remember his outstanding performance in the 2004 hit SIDEWAYS about 2 best friends exploring California wine country and “Miles” love of Pinot Noir? Well with that in mind, we thought it would be fitting to select a combination worthy of a Genie Award! Le Clos Jordanne Pinot Noir and Buttery, Dried Rosemary Popcorn This combination really works. Just think of the herbal qualities of a Pinot Noir…. “clean herbal notes”, “herbal flavors”, and “alluring herbal nuances”. And with nothing more complicated than an herb laced popcorn, the Le Clos Jordanne Pinot Noir is a brilliant match. Thomas Bachelder named the 2009 Wine Maker of the Year at the Ontario Wine Awards brings his vision of VQA wines for their quality, distinction and brilliance to Le Clos Jordanne. Le Clos Jordanne wines, both current and special vintage releases, are available for purchase online here. This combination worthy of a Genie Award! Buttery, Dried Rosemary Herbed Popcorn Yield: 6 Servings Ingredients: 6 cups air popped corn 1/2 stick melted butter 3 tablespoon chopped rosemary salt Preparation: 1. Pop popcorn. 2. Drizzle with melted butter and toss with rosemary and salt to taste. Watch The Wine Ladies TV podcasts every Wednesday , 2:30-3:30pm on ThatChannel.com. For all archived shows on The Wine Ladies TV Show and ThatChannel.com, http://thatradio.podhoster.com/index.php?sid=2574 Watch for The Wine Ladies at the 31st Genie Awards with red-carpet interviews, fabulous fashion and more. The Wine Ladies Genie Awards episode brought to you in part by Tribute.

Please join us Friday Feb 5th, 2011 in Niagara Falls for 4th Annual Niagara Spring Bridal Show, Club Italia. No, we are not getting married! We’ll be making a guest appearance on the main stage at 2:00pm. All in great fun. The theme on “Basic tools to get started with wine, proper stemware, decanter, good corkscrew etc…” and “Stocking a wine fridge, for budget conscious wines, as well as a little pricier, lighter styles and fuller bodied styles to have on hand to pair with food, cheese, and chocolate! The first 100 brides to call Niagara Life Magazine (905-641-1984) will receive complimentary tickets for themselves and 3 other guests.( Value $20.00) The 4th Annual Niagara Spring Bridal Show, February 5th will be taking place at the Club Italia in Niagara Falls, Ontario. This event is a one stop shop for brides leading up to their big day. Drop by and say hi. Georgia discovers the magic of Tequila at Casa Herradura, Mexico Georgia’s visit last week to Casa Herradura, the second oldest, most charming, and SOLE tequila distillery can boast being 100% natural! Tequila is much more complex than one might think, starting off with the Blanco up to the Anejo! We experienced the Herradura Selection anejo valued at $400/bottle and worth every peso! Munched on the Mexican delicacy cooked worms! Yup! and also egg larvae! Yup again! What an experience. Check out her adventure here through the magic of Facebook. Also check out a recent The Wine Ladies TV episode all about Tequila here too: Open up your heart….in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario….with The Wine Ladies Wine Tasting Dinner. Don’t be disappointed get your tickets here on line online here or call The Wine Ladies 905-338-6797. Just $125.00 (includes all taxes and gratuities) Every guest receives a loot bag with over $150.00 in gifts. Join us for a fabulous evening of fine wines paired with exquisite food and great entertainment. Get to know the face behind award winning wine labels as select winemakers guide you through the individual wine and food pairings. Experience three award winning winemakers and wineries from the prestigious Niagara region including Marco Piccoli from Jackson-Triggs, Viticulturist Matt Speck from Henry of Pelham and new kid on the block GreenLane Winery with winemaker Dianne Smith. The Wine Ladies TV cameras will be there welcoming you on the red carpet and capturing the magic and special moments of this sparkling night. Walk away with your loot bag as a sweet memory of the evening. Our silent auction table will be abundant with an assortment of incredible prizes, featuring something for everyone. February is Heart Month, open yours and embrace all this fabulous evening has to offer. For a glimpse of what to expect please view: A special thank-you to our Silver Sponsors Fortunes Jewellers, O’Connor Macleod Hanna LLP and Bronze Sponsors Jason Greenlees and Dr. Richard Casey of as well as Rob Dundas our media sponsors at Oakville Voice and TCHAD Quarterly, the lifestyle magazine featuring celebrities, fashion and more. Watch all The Wine Ladies TV podcasts and archived shows on The Wine Ladies TV Show and ThatChannel.com, http://thatradio.podhoster.com/index.php?sid=2574. Meet our celebrity winemakers and the wineries to be featured at the wine tasting! From Jackson –Triggs , winemaker Marco Piccoli. Growing up in north eastern Italy in one of the world’s most established wine regions, it is hardly surprising that Marco Piccoli’s interest in winemaking started at an early age. However, it wasn’t until his late teens that his true passion was fully realized. Having worked on a number of vintages over the past ten years in Italy, Germany and Argentina, Marco’s experience in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres has provided him with enviable knowledge and skills that he now brings to his work at Jackson-Triggs. Brimming with a passion for winemaking that reaches far beyond the cellar door, Marco enhances the Jackson-Triggs style with his own signature. “Wine is alive, and expresses its unique vigour from the vine right through to our palate,” he says, “and I enjoy infusing each grape with part of my own personality.” Recognizing that his challenge is to continue to create wines of exceptional quality and value, Marco looks forward to being part of Jackson-Triggs’ success well into the next decade. View a recent interview with Jackson-Triggs here. From Henry of Pelham, Matt Speck Viticulturalist Meet the fabulous Speck brothers, Paul, Daniel and Matt, owners of the Henry of Pelham winery. Their philosophies are many, but most importantly they make great wine that reflects the quality of their terroir and the spirit they put into their place. They have been working together since their father bought the first plot of land from their ancestry in 1982. In 1984 when their father, along with each of the brothers, tore out the Concord and Niagara grapes, people thought they were crazy. They planted Riesling and Chardonnay under newly contoured hills and under drainage, many said they would never grow. But they knew, that their vineyard was not only suitable for these special varieties but also located on the prime grape growing lands of the Short Hills Bench. The rest as they say is history! Winning numerous domestic and international awards, including those at VinItaly and the London Wine Trade Fair, Henry of Pelham wines are served in the U.K., U.S.A., Japan, and Denmark — and throughout the world. They say “Great wine is grown, not made.” although somewhat of a cliché, you will meet Matt Speck Viticulturalist Henry of Pelham who continues to develop the vineyards into some of the finest in Niagara. His viticultural work was recently recognized when Matt was named Grape King at the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival of 2000-2001. From GreenLane Winery, winemaker Dianne Smith Dianne Smith, winemaker from GreenLane Winery, the newest kid on the block in the Niagara region. With a passion for producing wines through biodynamic and organic practices, Dianne is committed to putting GreenLane on the map in Niagara by creating more environmentally sustainable vineyard practices resulting in the production of unique flavour profile wines for GreenLane Estate Winery. Nestled in the 20 Valley area of the acclaimed wine-growing region of the Niagara Peninsula, GreenLane Estate Winery sits on 22 acres of prime vineyard land and offers wine lovers a genuine Niagara winery experience. Dedicated to producing some of the region’s finest hand harvested wines from our mature vines dating from 1990, GreenLane Estate Winery embraces the art of winemaking through intensive personal methods resulting in the creation of higher quality wines with exceptional flavour and texture profiles. GreenLane produces two unique distinct brands including our flagship brand, GreenLane Estate Winery wine and GREETINGS, which combines grapes from our vineyard with sourced premium Ontario-grown grapes. From vineyard tours and private tastings to shopping in our contemporary wine boutique, GreenLane Estate Winery is committed to making your visit a truly memorable one. The Toronto Star Golf & Travel Show is Canada’s largest consumer golf show! Now in it’s 22nd year, the Golf Show features golf courses and resorts from all over the world, golf-related travel destinations, Ontario PGA professionals giving onsite instructions and ongoing golf demonstrations. Test the newest golf clubs and discover the latest accessories to improve your game. It’s the must-attend event for every golf enthusiast, from beginner to expert.

I’ve heard you talk about enjoying wines with chocolate many times and have dabbled in finding appropriate pairings. I’d love to throw a small party featuring the two but am not really sure where to begin. Could you offer me a couple of suggestions as to how many wines and how many types of chocolate I should offer, as well as the format the evening might take? April Dear April, We do love the idea of pairing wine with chocolate, and with Valentines Day around the corner your timing couldn’t be any better. To planning your party, where to begin? Think about offering a range of chocolates, maybe five or six, with a varying degree of cacao content resulting in different levels of sweetness and pure chocolate strength. Consider too, chocolates that contain nuts or toffee, opening up additional possibilities. Next select a range of wines, keeping in mind that in general sweeter wines such as icewines, sherry, tawny port or a Banyuls from France pair really well with chocolate. Throw in a fruity Zinfandel too for a different experience… don’t forget, it’s all about personal taste! Many sommeliers and experts love the pairing of dry Cabernets or fruity wines with dark chocolate while others opt for the classic, and romantic chocolate dipped strawberries and Champagne. Another option, making life simple and taking out the guesswork would be to consider the absolutely delicious chocolate on the market called BRIX; the first ever to be crafted specifically to pair with wine. After much trial and error, the founder Dr. Proia an Ohio pulmonologist (who appreciated the antioxidants found in both wine and chocolate) developed three blends of chocolate with their root being of single origin Ghanaian chocolate known for their red fruit tones particularly suited to wine. Each of the three blends, of varying cocoa content come with suggested wine selections for optimal enjoyment. We were so impressed with BRIX that we now offer it in our store on our website. A few chocolate tasting tips that we’ve picked up over time include the advice of chocolatiers and connoisseurs to not bite into the chocolate, but rather to allow the chocolate to slowly melt in your mouth maximizing the full range of flavors, texture and finish. Sample the wine first on its own, and then sample the chocolate. Next taste the wine again along with the chocolate in your mouth. Is the sum of the parts greater than the whole? Notice if certain flavors of either the wine or the chocolate are heightened or perhaps diminished? Share your taste experience and your thoughts with the others. Be sure to provide your guests with several palate cleansers such as fresh bread, simple crackers and pitchers of water. A selection of fresh cheeses accompanied by fresh fruit would round out the evening beautifully!