Sip with your Sweetheart

Where: Westside Wine Trail

When: Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012; 12 to 4 p.m.

Price: Complimentary, but tasting fees may apply

Details: Visit the Westside Wine Trail to sample chocolate and wine pairings at each winery.

Last month I attended a horizontal tasting — a tasting of a selection of products from a single producer — of Glenmorangie single malt scotch whisky at the Fairmont Palliser hotel. Glenmorangie is a classic scotch brand and one of the most drinkable. The whiskies are smooth and enjoyable, and depending on your budget, relatively affordable.

During the Calgary Stampede, I took a morning away from the office to sit down with Jeff Arnett, who has the lucky job of being the Master Distiller for the iconic Jack Daniels brand. He’s a big, personable guy who is infinitely knowledgeable about what goes on at the Jack Daniels distillery.

Have you ever had the opportunity to taste and learn about the world's oldest rum from a rum and cocktail expert?

At Wine Access, we had the chance to taste four Mount Gay rums — Eclipse Silver, Eclipse, Extra Old and 1703 — with Chester Brown, Mount Gay's international ambassador and a Barbadian cocktail expert.

Come taste a revolution in a bottle.

Wine Australia and iYellow Wine Club will host Revolution: Taste the New Australia, a festival-style tasting in Toronto, Ontario on May 6 from 7 to 10 p.m.

While the term “revolution” may be a bit strong, attendees will get a chance to meet winemakers and taste a variety of wines, many of them new to the LCBO. The revolutionary part of the tasting? Expect much more than just big, Aussie-style, jammy shiraz wines.

I don’t always drink wine. Sometimes I get a little tired of it and need something different to refresh the palate. I drink beer from time to time, but I don’t drink pop anymore — which somewhat limits my spirit options. I’m not judging anyone, but I don’t feel comfortable walking into a restaurant and asking for 2 ounces of vodka neat.

As the most interesting man in the world stated, “I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, I drink Dos Equis.” So I drink scotch. Sometimes.

Finally! The official release of the first méthode classique wines from Nova Scotia sparkling specialist Benjamin Bridge was celebrated two weeks ago, with advance tastings for media, hospitality, liquor board and private store sales staff in downtown Halifax. They are releasing their 2004 Brut Reserve ($74.50, 960 bottles) and 2004 Blanc de Noirs ($119.50, 200 bottles).

This past Monday was a day I had been looking forward to for quite a while. The plan was spending a whole day tasting burgundies. From a 10am seminar/tasting, a walk around tasting from 12 till 5 and an interview with a Burgundian expert at 1, what's not to love?

The whole program was put on by Burgundy Wines (http://www.burgundy-wines.fr/ ) which incidentally is a great source for information about the region and its wine.

While my weeks are normally filled with an assortment of wine tastings, winery lunches and winemakers dinners, sometimes something comes along that is just plain fun. Monday morning on September 28^th, I got an email invitation to be a guest judge for the Krups Kup of Excellence http://www.krupskupofexcellence.com/ they had a last minute cancellation from a judge and I was able to clear my Tuesday.