We're both wine writers living in Ontario Canada. We are past-presidents of the Wine Writer Circle of Canada. We travel. We drink wine. And we know things. We're going to share that knowledge with you. Opinionated and Wine fueled content is what you will find here.
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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 (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 (mailto:andre@andrewinereview.ca) and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview
You can email Michael at michael@michaelpinkuswinereview.com (mailto:michael@michaelpinkuswinereview.com) and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy
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22 Sept 2026
Whisky, Al Capone and the Sleeman Family Business
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/ (https://johnsleemanandsons.com/)
Ontario’s Ultimate Wine Awards are back for 2026: ontariosultimatewine.com (https://open.acast.com/networks/6511c60cfcda220011a88b64/shows/6511c62fe7b19e00114600e0/episodes/ontariosultimatewine.com)
You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine (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 (mailto:andre@andrewinereview.ca) and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview
You can email Michael at michael@michaelpinkuswinereview.com (mailto:michael@michaelpinkuswinereview.com) and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy
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8 Sept 2026
Old Vines, Lost Grapes and Southern Italy
Michael and André head to southern Italy for a look at Feudi di San Gregorio in Campania, with Italian brand curator Ophelia joining the conversation to help make sense of the region, the grapes and the people behind the winery.
They talk Fiano, Greco and Aglianico, the growing impact of climate change in Irpinia, and Feudi’s unusual relationship with hundreds of local growers. They also explore the work of agronomist Pierpaolo Sirch and the FeudiStudi project, which looks at how dramatically individual vineyard sites can shape the same grape variety.
Then Michael opens two particularly interesting bottles: Serpico 2017, an Aglianico made from remarkably old pre-phylloxera vines, and Sirica 2019, made from an ancient Campanian grape that was nearly lost before being rediscovered.
That leads André and Michael into a bigger discussion about forgotten varieties, regional identity, the “de-Parkerization” of wine — and, somehow, whether Ontario’s legacy wineries have done enough to lead the industry at home.
Ontario’s Ultimate Wine Awards are back for 2026: ontariosultimatewine.com (ontariosultimatewine.com)
You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine (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 (mailto:andre@andrewinereview.ca) and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview
You can email Michael at michael@michaelpinkuswinereview.com (mailto:michael@michaelpinkuswinereview.com) and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy
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