Dave's Pasta Sauce
We're all guessing at life, just trying to do the best that we can. We learn to avoid some things and embrace others; we affect aphorisms and profess certain beliefs; but we're generally going about our business almost at random and it's all just going to turn out how it turns out. Sometimes cooking is like this as well.
2024 A.J. Adam GGs - Return of the Terroir Microscope
I first visited Weingut A.J. Adam in the spring of 2013. Among other revelations, I was completely destroyed by a dry Riesling from a plot of ancient, ungrafted vines in Piesport's Goldtröpfchen vineyard. Returning home, I shared my excitement with a fellow Riesling enthusiast who is my senior by several decades. While the wine was supernal, I bemoaned my lack of optimism to sell Calgary on a dry Riesling from the Mosel—the German region least associated with dry wine at the time—that would cost close to $90 per bottle. I may have lacked confidence, but I’m grateful that my interlocutor had faith in my assessment of the wine.
A Fruitful Pursuit
A few years ago I made a hectic day-trip to Edmonton for business, and happily a small window in the schedule allowed me to visit my grandfather in his care home. After the three-hour drive north, I was dropped there by a colleague under a blindingly clear June sky. I checked in at the front desk and rode the elevator to the third floor, sensing the Reaper lurking around every corner.
2025 German Riesling - The Drinkle Report
Finding Wine with Jesse
Au Revoir, Ad Valorem Wine Tax
We're excited and relieved to share that the Alberta government's ad valorem wine tax has been recalled! In its place will be a slight increase on the “flat” tax that wine has traditionally been subjected to in the province, with positive effects on pricing incrementally working their way through retail shelves and restaurant lists over the weeks and months following April 1, 2026.
Dönnhoff Cover Songs
Drinking Compromises
By Al Drinkle
Wine is basically the only alcoholic beverage that I drink. As if this isn't restrictive enough, it probably goes without saying that I'm somewhat particular about the wines that I imbibe. Consequently, I'm adept at sneaking my wine into venues or situations in which bringing your own booze is either highly unorthodox or blatantly illegal. When this is impossible, instead of compromising my preferences and standards I'll usually just drink water—but there are exceptions.
My wife loves Caesars so I'll occasionally drink one with her, especially on alpine getaways. This is a curious compromise of my drinking patterns as it contravenes my dietary proclivities along with my outright dismissal of distillates. When I'm at Rain Dog Bar, I'll ask Bill or one of his talented colleagues to recommend a beer, something that I'll also drink when I find myself mashing slices in Dandy's taproom¹ . At a Japanese restaurant with a thoughtful sake program, I'll likewise accept the counsel of the onsite authority.
The other evening I attended a punk show which, assuming passionate bands, I find to be exhilarating if socially exhausting. As my introversion increases with my years, it's no longer the kind of event that I can attend entirely sober, especially if my social battery has been depleted from a day at the shop. Generally I would pack bottles of Riesling to drain in the alley in between sets, but on this particular evening it was -20C, and despite having enjoyed wine prior to my arrival, the situation dictated that I further augment my social lubrication.
I approached the bar and, in doomed competition with the music, queried the bartender as to what kind of dark beer they had on offer. She responded that Guinness was the only option, and notwithstanding my fanatical opposition to corporate entities, I'm fleetingly sentimental about the brand having visited the St. James Gate Brewery in my early twenties.
The bartender took my money and, to my naive disappointment, handed me a can of Guinness. I caught her attention once more and asked if I could please have a glass. Hesitating for a moment before the vessel materialised, she leaned across the bar to yell in my ear.
“Just don't take the glass into the mosh pit!” she hollered as I fought to contain my laughter.
“I'm 42-years-old,” I replied, “I'm not going anywhere near the mosh pit, with or without this glass!”
She gave me a look that said “whatever” before turning to the next patron and I walked away from the bar, dutifully circumventing the front of the stage where people half my age and twice my intoxication level pummeled the shit out of each other in the name of dancing. It was then that I realised my mistake.
“Wait a minute!” I thought to myself, “I'm not 42… I'm 43!” When I turned to explain my error to the bartender who was busy setting fire to some ornate cocktail, I immediately realised that she would care even less than I did. So I took a nostalgic swig of black froth, carefully inserted my ear plugs, and enjoyed the punk rock mayhem while subconsciously calculating how many hours past my bedtime it was.
¹ It should be mentioned that Rain Dog Bar and Dandy Brewing both have completely respectable, concise wine lists.
An Update on Alberta's Ad Valorem Tax
On April 1st, 2025 the UCP (Alberta government) added an ad valorem tax to the existing flat tax on wine. You can read more about this tax here, but in essence 94.3% of wine in the province has gone up in price, and 64.7% has been affected by the highest tax tier of 15%. Combined with our weak Canadian dollar and record high shipping costs, this additional tax is having disastrous effects on Alberta’s wine & hospitality industry.
Yesterday, Metrovino hosted a press conference attended by a coalition of industry associations to call upon the Government of Alberta to repeal this tax. This coalition consists of the Alberta Hospitality Association, Alberta Liquor Store Association, Wines of British Columbia, Import Vintners & Spirits Association, Wine Growers Canada and Restaurants Canada.
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