Again, this year, I’m choosing to list my favourite things I consumed this year, not necessarily what was released in 2024. As noted last year, I almost never drink beer anymore, so that’s gone from the list. And as noted every year, lists are alphabetical unless otherwise specified.

My favourite albums

I am beyond behind in listening to new music this year — I still have albums by Big Brave, Dehd, Amen Dunes (both of them), Pearl Jam, Robber Robber, The Softies, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Julie, Alan Sparhawk, The Smile (the second one), High Vis, Soccer Mommy, Mount Eerie, Father John Misty, Ekko Astral, Nap Eyes, Kendrick Lamar, Kim Deal, and King Hannah to get through — while many others failed to wow me as I’d hoped. So, as of now, only four of major note.

No Title As Of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead by Godspeed You! Black Emperor

With a title destined to perpetually exclaim how much worse things have gotten in Gaza with every day that passes, this album is classic GY!BE: lush, brooding, powerful.

Only God Was Above Us by Vampire Weekend

Not as strong as Father Of The Bride, but not many of their albums are. “Prep-School Gangsters” ended up on my best songs of the year list, but “Mary Boone” is the one that lingers in my head long after I stop listening.

Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee

For a band that was never that far from country, this now-ubiquitous alt-country trend probably came naturally. I didn’t fall in love with MJ Lenderman the way everyone else seemed to, but his collab track was my favourite song on this. A solid, catchy collection…almost in spite of that, IMHO.

No Name by Jack White

The world’s a better place any time Jack White makes a back-to-bluesier-roots album.

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My favourite songs

See caveat above.

1. Being Dead . “Goodnight”
2. Cloud Nothings . “The Golden Halo”
3. The Dandy Warhols . “Teutonic Wine”
4. Dummy . “Soonish…”
5. Future . “Lil Demon”
6. Godspeed You! Black Emperor . “Raindrops Cast In Lead”
7. Horsegirl . “2468”
8. Hurray For The Riff Raff . “Ogallala”
9. Iron & Wine . “All In Good Time (feat. Fiona Apple)”
10. Jack White . “It”S Rough On Rats (If You’re Asking)”
11. Joshua Idehen . “Mum Does The Washing”
12. Kim Gordon . “The Believers”
13. King Hannah . “Davey Says”
14. Les Savy Fav . “Guzzle Blood”
15. Mannequin Pussy . “I Don’t Know You”
16. Nap Eyes . “Passageway”
17. Sleater-Kinney . “Don’t Feel Right”
18. The Smile . “Read The Room”
19. Vampire Weekend . “Prep-School Gangsters”
20. Waxahatchee . “Right Back To It (feat. MJ Lenderman)”

.:.

My favourite movies

I watched just 18 movies this year, only 6 of which actually came out in 2024, and only three of those made this top ten list.

American Fiction (2023)

Treatise on race & literature. Excellent.

Anatomy Of A Fall (2023)

Treatise on relationships and law. Excellent.

Blackberry (2023)

Treatise on innovation and ego. Excellent.

Blackkklansman (2018)

Treatise on racism and power structures. Excellent.

Dune 2

Treatise on politics and zealotism and Zendaya. Excellent.

El Camino (2019)

Treatise on trauma and flashbacks. Excellent.

Society Of The Snow

Treatise on tragedy and survival instinct. Excellent.

Somm IV: Cup Of Salvation (2023)

Treatise on wine and tradition. Excellent.

The Substance

Treatise on sexism and greed. Disgusting, but excellent.

What We Do In The Shadows (2014)

Treatise on vampires and belonging. Excellent.

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My favourite TV shows

As in previous years, most of my eyeball time is reserved for TV. As best I can recall we watched 44 new seasons of TV this year, and are in various stages of watching several others (Blue Eyed Samurai S01, X-Men ‘97 S01, The Penguin S01, Peaky Blinders S06, Lessons In Chemistry S01, You’re The Worst S02, What We Do In The Shadows S01, Say Nothing, Abbott Elementary S04, and Hell’s Kitchen S23) to say nothing of all the shows we re-watched or haven’t even gotten to yet. Anyway, here were my ten favourites.

Abbott Elementary (S03)

Wholesome but edgy. Broad but clever. It’s like they take all the best aspects of classic single-camera sitcoms and build on them into something that feels familiar, but still new.

Black Earth Rising (S01)

I had no idea what this was about. Between the title and Michaela Cole’s huge eyes, I actually thought it was about an alien invasion. That it was about the Rwandan genocide threw me for a loop.

The Diplomat (S02)

Rather silly but oh-so-stylish. The second season, like the first, was a ton of fun to watch…and that was before Allison Janney showed up.

Drops of God (S01)

A French & Japanese story about broken familial relationships, wrapped in a story designed to satisfy the biggest of wine nerds. I heard there’s going to be a second season; I’m not sure I even want it, but I’ll watch it.

Fargo (S05)

A perpetual favourite, especially because it shifts so coolly each season. Juno Temple was excellent in season 5; Jennifer Jason Leigh was a revelation.

House Of The Dragon (S02)

Anything GoT-related will likely end up on this list. Season 2 provided even more character development, but also finally gave us some epic dragon battles!

Patriot (S01)

I started catching up with this entry on some “The best shows you probably haven’t watched” list, and it’s a nice, absurdist twist on the usual spy thrillers. The folks songs kill me.

Severance (S01)

I wish we hadn’t waited so long to watch this, because it was excellent. The only upside is that we finished just a few months before season 2 begins in January.

The Bear (all)

After sleeping on this for a while, I binged all seasons 1 & 2 in the weeks leading up to season 3. I know everyone goes on about “Fishes” but “Forks” is my all-time fav episode thus far.

Veep (all)

I’d started watching this a couple of times but only committed this year, and then we killed the whole six-season run in just a few weeks. So profanely funny, and frankly kinda sad at the end.

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My favourite books

I read just two books in all of 2023, so in 2024 I gave myself an objective to read six. I finished the afternoon of Dec 31st. These were my five favourites.

33 1/3: Sleater-Kinney’s Dig Me Out by Jovana Babovic

From a series of deep dives into seminal albums, this one focuses on one of my all-time favourites. I bought it in ebook format years ago and finally got around to reading it on Dec 28th, finishing it just before going out for new year’s eve.

Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

A through-line from the Fanon book we recently read together. Not just the title, but the philosopher’s gift of delivering damning social critique in the most heartbreakingly poetic manner possible. To wit: “Damn it all. Prince Jones was dead. And hell upon those who tells us to be twice as good and shoot us no matter. Hell for ancestral fear that put black parents under terror. And hell upon those who shatter the holy vessel.”

Doctors And Distillers by Camper English

The history of booze as medicine, and oftentimes quackery: what’s not to like?

Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

I’m glad I read this before seeing part II of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, because I think — with the luxury of knowing where book two would go — he could help shape Paul’s evolution into a more natural arc.

But What If We’re Wrong? by Chuck Klosterman

But seriously, what if we are?

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My favourite (new) podcasts

Setting aside constant favourites like 99% Invisible, Hard Fork, Q, Serial, Smartless, Somm TV, This American Life, Way Down In The Hole, We’re Here To Help, You Are Good, and You’re Wrong About, these are the new-to-me podcasts I got into this year. They are the only things that keep me sane on the long drives to/from Oakville, and the only-slightly-longer flights to/from Moncton.

Against The Rules

I’m cheating a bit here as I’ve barely even started the new season (about fans and the rise of sports gambling) yet, but I can guarantee it’ll be one of the best things I listen to all year.

Matt Talks Wine & Stuff with Interesting People Podcast

An Ontario-based radio guy who interviews mostly local people about wine. So it’s pretty Inside Baseball about Canadian wine, but so am I.

Slow Burn: The Rise Of Fox News

As always, the deep dive into a meaningful political event — in this, the rise of garbage news as a political lever.

The Rest Is History

I don’t listen to all of these, but when they do a miniseries that I’m into (the run-up to WWI; the sinking of the Titanic; the start of the French Revolution, etc.) I love it.

TLDR

A money-related podcast produced by Wealthsimple — brief, to the point, often insightful, and usually at least a little bit funny.

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My favourite meals

In chronological order.

Giulietta, Toronto

A walk-in at a Michelin-noted restaurant is a bold move in Toronto these days, but we pulled it off. Excellent food, great service, and a bottle of Godello that made the night.

Ricky + Olivia, Toronto

Our first time trying new neighbourhood darling Ricky + Olivia (fun fact: Lindsay has known Olivia for years, and we connected with them a couple times when they were running pop-ups at our friend Laura’s wine bar, Chez Nous) was with our friend James and the afore-mentioned Laura, who’d been there before. The space was gorgeous. The wine, all local for us, was terrific. And the food was incredible. We were about one bite into the steak tartare (which is dressed like a Big Mac) when we ordered a second. If I didn’t have a loose rule about including restaurants on this list twice, our New Year’s Eve meal might’ve shown up as well.

Aera, Toronto

Another dinner out with friends & former colleagues Dan B & Abtin, high above The Well, featured excellent steaks, jaw-dropping views of the city, and a bottle of Queylus from Dan’s cellar.

Villa Maya, Thiruvananthapuram

By far the nicest meal we had on the first leg of our India trip, this place was freaking stunning inside, and the food — mutton, prawn, fish curry, pork ularthu, paneer, etc. — blew us away. Extravagant by Kerala standards; exceptional value by Toronto standards.

1888 Chop House, Banff

A pricey dinner (it’s the steak house at the Banff Springs Hotel, so you do the math) featuring multiple Wagyu steaks and a bottle of Andrew Will bordeaux blend, like the stellar one I had at Barberian’s a couple years ago.

Notre Dame de Parkton, Moncton

An entry unlike the others on this list, NDP is a low-key Moncton takeout spot with exceptional sandwiches. The smoked meat sandwich I had was the best I’ve ever had in a place not named Schwartz’s.

Lucie, Toronto

We spent Lindsay’s birthday dinner at this new French place on Yonge. It had ups and downs, but the inventiveness of the food and the quality of the wine list lands it here.

Richmond Station, Toronto

Ricky, Olivia, and Laura appear twice on this list: this time out, we had dinner at perennial favourite Richmond Station, trying half the menu and loving all of it. I recommend eating with top-notch chefs, especially when they’re as sweet and knowledgeable as R+O.

The Everly, Kingston

We were kind of shocked at how much we enjoyed our meals in Kingston, though this one probably stood above the rest even if they were out of half the things we ordered.

20 Victoria, Toronto

Lots of Michelin-starred restaurants in Toronto don’t live up to the hype, but this one did. Delicious food, inventive wine pairings, stellar service, cozy vibe. One of the best meals we’ve had in ages.

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My favourite wines

I try to only list bottles I had for the first time, but there are a couple of repeats on here. This is also, in a nod to Rick Van Sickle’s annual list, becoming more of a “most thrilling” list vs. the ten most technically ideal wines I tried. Listed chronologically in the order I drank them.

Inniskillin/Jaffelin 1995 Alliance Pinot Noir

From my cellar. I won this in a charity auction, and was happy to contribute the money regardless of the state of the wine, but it was actually fantastic.

Clonakilla 2013 Shiraz Viognier

From my cellar. I don’t often love a straight Aussie Shiraz; maybe it just always needs Viognier to round it out? Or maybe it was the years of aging. Either way, this bottle was wonderful.

The Farm 2017 Pinot Noir Mason Vineyard

From my cellar. Maybe the last year of Mason grapes for The Farm, this bottle was — as I said at the time — outrageously good. So glad I have another left in the cellar.

Sula 2023 Chenin Blanc

From the pool bar at the Uday Suites, Thiruvananthapuram, India. Prior going to India I didn’t even know they made wine there. The whole time in Kerala, it’s all I drank. This Sula Chenin served at our friends’ first wedding ceremony was my favourite of what I tried.

Le Vieux Pin 2014 Equinoxe Syrah

From my cellar. We had Laura over one night for a side by side Syrah tasting between this 2014 BC beauty and a 2014 Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels from NZ. Laura favoured the latter; I, the former. I quit the LVP wine club when I knew their forest fire wines were coming, but I’m glad I have several vintages of their reds left to enjoy.

Avondale Sky 2013 Blanc de Noir Brut

From my cellar. Drunk right after I found out I had passed the WSET level 3 wine course. It was stunning on its own, but made all the better by the relief and happiness of the moment.

Andrew Will 2007 “Sorella” Bordeaux blend

From 1888 Chophouse in the Banff Springs Hotel. A rare bargain on the wine list of a steakhouse, I capitalized on the recommendation from a Barberian’s sommelier two years earlier to snag this prize to go with our steaks.

Chateau de Javernand 2022 “Climax” Chiroubles

Drank in our friend Kirsten’s Calgary condo. Purchased at Vine Styles, a fantastic wine store in Calgary, because of the staff’s raves. We paired this Cru Beaujolais with fancy PB&J sandwiches purchased next door, and it was somehow goddamned amazing.

Five Rows 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon

From my cellar. I stopped buying Five Rows’ cab sauv after this vintage. After drinking this one, I regretted that decision. At least I still have one left in the cellar.

Thirty Bench 2015 “Small Lot” Cabernet Franc

From my cellar. One of the wines that made me fall in love with Ontario reds, and with wines in general. Maybe the best vintage of it too. Brightness and power all in one.

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My favourite moments of the year

Listed chronologically.

1. We finally, finally finished the first “season” of Pandemic: Legacy, after 3.5 years.
2. Finally visiting Saskatchewan, the only province I’d never been to.
3. Meeting Polly, my brother’s new dog (and later meeting Yuki too!)
4. Yelling along to “The Dethbridge In Lethbridge” at the Rural Alberta Advantage concert with Shannon & Warren.
5. Hanging out with Adam, my oldest friend, for the first time in many years.
6. Full! Solar! Eclipse!
7. Catsitting Cosmo.
8. Enjoying a rooftop party on a beautiful spring day in Moncton.
9. Waking up next to the ocean in Grande-Digue.
10. After one bad Air Canada employee made us sad, another one saved the day.
11. Sitting on our Amsterdam hotel room balcony, drinking a coffee, eating a pastry, enjoying the breeze.
12. The Etihad first class lounge, possibly the swankiest place I have ever been or ever will be.
13. Seeing our friend get married in India.
14. Catsitting Pluto.
15. Having brunch with my friend Jenna, who I hadn’t seen in years.
16. Finding out I passed the WSET level 3 wine course.
17. Standing atop the rockpile at Moraine Lake.
18. Trying Château d’Yquem for the first time.
19. A quiet walk in Crothers Woods.
20. Bringing home our newly adopted cat Bianca.

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[Cover photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash]