Michael and André crack a bottle of Hinterland 2021 Blanc de Noirs and settle in for another round of Shooting the It — this time with plenty to say about what’s happening in Canadian wine.

First up: Fracette, the new sparkling wine category that uses icewine during production. André questions why the category exists at all, while Michael — who has actually tasted several — isn’t exactly rushing to defend it.

From there, they head east to talk Nova Scotia, including Lightfoot & Wolfville, Blomidon and Tidal Bay, before turning back to Ontario and a much tougher subject: the 2026 harvest. With ripeness becoming a serious challenge in some vineyards, they talk about which grapes consistently work here and introduce the “mighty handful” — Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Gamay.

They also get into whether VQA needs a second tier for Ontario-grown wine, why difficult vintages shouldn’t automatically be written off, the extreme 2026 harvest conditions in France, and why climate change is creating very different problems on opposite sides of the Atlantic.

Plus, an update on Ontario’s Ultimate Wine 2026 as the competition gets ready to crown a new champion.

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You can email André at andre@andrewinereview.ca and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at michael@michaelpinkuswinereview.com and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

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André and Michael sit down with Giacomo Boscaini, seventh generation of the family behind Masi, to talk Amarone, appassimento and the wines of Valpolicella.

They taste through several expressions of Amarone, including Costasera 2020, a five-star 2007 vintage, and the single-vineyard Campolongo di Torbe and Mazzano. Giacomo explains what makes Amarone unique, how the drying process works, and why Masi has been producing single-vineyard wines long before the idea of “cru” became fashionable in the region.

The conversation also gets into changing winemaking styles, climate change in Valpolicella, food pairings, and why Amarone belongs at the dinner table rather than being treated only as a “meditation wine.”

They finish with Recioto, the traditional sweet wine that actually predates Amarone, before getting Giacomo’s thoughts on the use of appassimento outside Valpolicella — including whether the technique really works with Bordeaux varieties and some of the experiments happening here in Ontario.

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at andre@andrewinereview.ca and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at michael@michaelpinkuswinereview.com and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

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The dog days of summer may be behind us, but André and Michael are already thinking about whisky. This week they’re joined by Cooper Sleeman, General Manager of Spring Mill Distillery in Guelph and part of the family behind one of Canada’s best-known names in beer.

Cooper shares the wild history of the Sleeman family — including Prohibition, Al Capone, rum-running and tunnels under Guelph — and explains why the family returned to distilling decades after selling Sleeman Breweries.

The guys tasted the new John Sleeman & Sons Copper Pot Whisky, an Irish-inspired whisky made with Canadian grain, while digging into what separates Irish, Scotch, bourbon-style and Canadian whisky. Cooper also explains the massive investment required to build a whisky business, including 14-foot wooden washbacks imported from Scotland, thousands of barrels aging upstairs and experiments with sherry, cognac and Canadian oak.

They also talk about whether Canadians who discovered domestic spirits during the U.S. alcohol boycott will stick with them when American whisky eventually returns to shelves — and why Spring Mill may have given Michael and André a very good reason for a road trip to Guelph.

Learn more about Spring Mill Distillery here - https://johnsleemanandsons.com/

Ontario’s Ultimate Wine Awards are back for 2026: ontariosultimatewine.com

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at andre@andrewinereview.ca and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at michael@michaelpinkuswinereview.com and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

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