Alex McMahon
Alex McMahon is the sommelier at Riviera restaurant in Ottawa.
Alex McMahon's Latest Posts
They make wine in Quebec?
Yes, they make wine in Quebec — and in a few cases, some of my favourite wines in the country. Historically, due to the brutal winters, producers in the province mainly planted hybrid grape varietals (grapes developed in a lab to be able to withstand colder temperatures), which can certainly make tasty wines, but rarely […]
Champagne: Why smaller producers are worth a try
When we hear “Champagne,” our minds tend to conjure up images of opulence and prestige. Years of brilliant marketing on the part of Champagne producers have resulted in an instant association between the region and a few major brands — Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot, Moet & Chandon and Pol Roger, to name a few. The […]
Beaujolais: Bold, beautiful and budget-friendly
Beaujolais gets a bad rap. For years, consumers have come to associate the region with the cheap, one-dimensional Beaujolais Nouveau that hits the shelves at the LCBO on the third Thursday of each November. These wines can be fun, but they’re largely responsible for type-casting Beaujolais as a region that makes playful, but not serious, […]
Rethinking California wine
I like to think about California wines as belonging to one of three different categories. Some wines might fit into more than one category or none at all, but for the sake of this column, let’s say there are the modernists, the traditionalists and the avant-garde. As a sommelier, when guests at my restaurant tell […]
Biodynamic wine production up by 20 per cent annually
It’s 2018 and any good wine list in the country will likely include wines produced following the principles of biodynamics. You may be a keen consumer, or you may have even consumed biodynamic wines at top restaurants without realizing it. You may also have heard a sommelier reference the movement while suggesting a wine at […]
Orange wines: Skin-fermented magic
Orange wines have recently captured the attention of sommeliers, winemakers and wine lovers alike. And contrary to what the name might suggest, these wines are not made from oranges. Rather, the word “orange” simply refers to the colour of the wines that results from a process involving the extended maceration of “white” grape skins with […]
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