Everything to know about drinking wine in Toronto
Drinking wine in Toronto takes many different forms, from an easy-drinking glass at home with dinner to a pimped out Bordeaux at one ofthe city's finest steakhouses. Beer culture has tended to hog the spotlight in this city for the last few years as a full-scale craft brewing movement has taken shape, but the city's wine options deserve plenty of attention as well.
The world of wine can be intimidating for novice drinkers. Staring at a sprawling 20 page wine list or aimlessly wandering the aisles at the LCBO without a few go-to options is unnecessarily stressful and often leads to us all spending more than we need to.
With that in mind, here's a guide to drinking wine in Toronto.
As much as we might love to drink wine out, most of us buy the majority of our wine at the LCBO. Given that this is the case, it's worth knowing which locations are the best and which products offer the most bang for the buck.
In terms of selection, the best LCBO locations for purchasing wine arethose with the largest VINTAGES sections. These would be Summerhill, Queens Quay, the Manulife Centre, Leaside, Bloor and Royal York, Bayview Village Mall, and Avenue Rd. (south of Wilson).
If you're buying from regular stock and not looking to spend a lot of money, this list of10 wines under $11at the LCBO might serve as your go-to buying guide. Each of the bottles on the list is an excellent value.
一件事往往燃烧在LC葡萄酒买家BO are the company's business hours. The majority of locations close by 9 p.m. even on Friday and Saturday nights. It's worth noting, then, that the LCBO at Weston and the 401is open until 11 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
Wine education in Toronto isn't reduced to classes for burgeoning sommeliers. There's plenty of opportunities for newbie wine fans to learn a little while also having fun in a social setting. These are thetop wine classes and programs in the cityto help you get started.
The wine bar trend never caught on in Toronto to the same degree that it did in a city like New York, but that's not to say that we don't have some excellent spots. Two in particular stand out:Midfield Wine BarandArchive Wine Bar, both of which are on Dundas West. The former has a more European vibe, while the latter features lots of local wines.
Thebest of the resttend to be less bar-like, but still have superb wine lists and extensive by-the-glass options. Recent additionChez Nousis also worth mentioning for its Ontario focus and east side location. Ditto forGood Cheese, which doubles as a wine bar (it's a match made in heaven).
There are two ways to drink wine on the cheap in Toronto - by knowing which restaurants have standardly well-priced wine lists, which ones do day-of-the-week discounts, and which offer free or low-fee BYOB.
In terms of the first category,Le Paridishas the best value-driven French wine list in the city whileNodotakes the crown in terms of Italian wines.Cactus Clubalso has surprisingly inexpensive offerings by the glass.Gusto 101is also worth a visit for its buck an ounce deal on draught wine.
Wine specials are harder to keep track of because restaurants and bars tend to change them often. There are, however, some longstanding half-price specials that are exceptions.
Sunday:Globe Bistro,Marben,Biff's Bistro
Monday:Ascari Enoteca,Union,Cava
Tuesday:L'Unita,Boehmer
Wednesday:Montecito,F'Amelia
Thursday:Parts & Labour,The Yukon(before 10 p.m.)
BYOB policies and pricing are also notorious for changing often, but there is asite dedicated to corkage specials and fees in Torontothat does a decent job of keeping up with the various deals around the city.
Not all ofthe best wine lists in Torontoare ridiculously expensive, but if you're looking to play big spender or are celebrating a special occasion, there are a few cellars that standout. For sheer selection, you could spend hours reading the wine lists atVia Allegro,Barberian's,Le Select, andOpus.
If you're looking to splurge on wine that's less big-money than it is hyper-interesting, I'd suggestAlo,Edulis,Figo, and the Coravin selection atMidfield Wine Bar.
If you've become a fanatical wine collector whose condo just can't contain all of your bottles at the proper temperature, you might be a candidate for theFine Wine Reserve, a sprawling private cellar near King and Spadina that rents locker space. It's not cheap, but your wine will also be safe and properly stored.
Those looking to start a home cellar will do well to visit theEnostore, which sells everything from ice buckets and stemware to ridiculously expensive oxygen-controlled serving machines (a.k.a. the Enomatic).
如果只是高质量的酒杯, theWilliam Ashley Warehouse Saleis always a god way to stock up on Riedel products for cheap. Otherwise the Bay and other department stores are a good bet. And, yes, good glasses really do make the wine taste better.
Given the proximity of the province's largest wine growing region to Toronto, there are someamazing winery experiencesto have within a comfortable drive of the city. For quick trips, your best best is to head to theBeamsville Bench, whilePrince Edward Countyis more of a weekend getaway destination.
Jesse Milns at Cactus Club
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