I’m in Canada, with younger son Louis. The reason? The National Wine Awards of Canada 2015, organized by WineAlign. I had so much fun being a guest judge last year that I’m delighted to be back. This time we are based in Niagara Falls. Louis will be helping behind the scenes while I judge. I’ll also be visiting some Niagara wineries.

What a place! On the one hand, we have the awe-inspiring spectacle of the Niagara Falls. They are huge and powerful and beautiful, and you can get really close. On the other hand, the town itself is like a bad theme park. 12 million tourists come here a year, and they don’t have high expectations when it comes to dining or entertainment. It’s incredibly cheesy and over-the-top.

The room Louis and I have is on the 19th floor of the Sheraton and it has fall views (the picture above is taken from our window). This is epic. I think we will have a lot of fun here.