Here are my top picks from the October 13 Vintages Release. You can also get all 80 of my Best Value Wines and Top Rated Wines for red, white, rose, sparkling and dessert wines that encompass many price points, styles and regions. You can add my wine picks to your shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. You can also create a custom list just for this release that will be saved in your account. Print a text-only version of the reviews. Cathedral Cellar Kwv Chardonnay 2011, Western Cape, South Africa Terrific price for such a […]
Month: October 2012
Squash Brulee Paired with Riesling or Gewurztraminer
By: Travis Oke Autumn is my favorite season. Not just because it’s my birthday and I get presents – but also because of the food. Parsnips, squashes of all shapes and sizes, and it’s now cold enough in the afternoon that I want to slow roast various cuts of animals in my oven. Three cheers for slow cooked meat. A trip to the local squash farm is one of my favorite activities. Grey, red, white, stripy – it’s crazy how many there are at the Goode Family Farm near my place in Guelph. My favorite thing to cook is the […]
Drinking Diaries: Women Serve Their Stories Straight Up
Why did you start a blog and then publish a book about women and drinking? It all started with a night of…drinking. We are neighbors, friends and fellow writers who often enjoy sharing a bottle of wine (or two) over dinner at home with our husbands and children. The other thing we share is that both of our mothers have struggled with alcoholism. Yet we both love to drink wine. This contradiction seemed ripe for digging deeper, and we found that—other than descending into a church basement—there was no forum for women to share their stories. So we started one. […]
Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release October 13
By Gaby Israel Here’s my best cellar wines list for this release as a shopping list that you can print and will show you LCBO stock availability. Top picks $16-$26 #1 choice – Italy – Mazzei Ser Lapo Chianti Classico Riserva 2007 (288530)-$25.95 It’s not that often you see WS rating a wine with 95 and the wine costs $26.00. 2007 (together with 2006) was an outstanding vintage in Tuscany. This Chianti Riserva sounds more than promising. These wines can gracefully age for 8-12 years. I would buy 3-12 bottles. #2 choice – Spain – Arrocal 2009 (067868)-$16.95 This wine […]
Chateau des Charmes: Making wine is not what we do, it’s who we are
By Susan Desjardins A long history of winemaking, dating back seven generations to Alsace, stands behind Château des Charmes. In the 1840s, the Bosc family ancestors were granted land in Algeria, then a French colony. Paul Bosc Sr. was born and married there, eventually working as General Manager of one of the country’s largest and most successful wine cooperatives. With the revolution which led to Algeria’s independence in 1962, the Bosc family found itself evacuated back to France, forced to leave all behind and start anew. The French Algerians, known as ‘pieds noirs’, found it difficult to re-establish themselves, leading […]
Red Wine Glazed Meat Loaf Recipe Paired with Tilia Cabernet Sauvignon
Red Wine Glazed Meat Loaf Not your mother’s meat loaf! A red wine reduced glaze caramelizes on top as the dish bakes. Moist, tender comfort food and the perfect pairing for a full bodied, juicy red wine like Tilia Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina. Red Wine Glazed Meat Loaf Ingredients: For the glaze: 1 ¼ red wine ¼ cup brown sugar 1 tomato, seeded and finely diced 1 tsp molasses pinch of allspice For the meat loaf: 2 thick slices bacon, cut into matchstick sized pieces 1 small onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup fresh bread crumbs ¼ […]
Wine and Book Pairings: Breakthrough Research Published in Unquenchable
This decidedly tongue-in-cheek video interview below focuses on the new chapter in the paperback edition of Unquenchable, which hits stores October 23. Find out why wine and book pairing is the new food and pairing and the reason I’ve dedicated my life to this field of research. (Many have tried, but no one makes fun of me like I do.) Here’s the link to online booksellers. In addition to paperback, Unquenchable is also available as an e-book for Amazon’s Kindle, Sony e-Reader, Indigo-Chapters Kobo, Barnes & Noble Nook and Apple iPad. Dorothy Parker said it best: “There’s a […]
Wine Quotes and Wit Round 6
Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink I feel shame. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this wine, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, “It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.” ~ Jack Handy 24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not. ~ Stephen Wright […]
Toronto Symphony Wine Auction November 8
Toronto Symphony Wine Auction Imagine your delight sipping a fine wine, say a 1990 Chateau Cheval Blanc or a 1999 DRC Richebourg, that you acquired at auction for a fraction of its appraised value. This fantasy could become reality by attending the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Annual Fine Wine Auction on Thursday, November 8. Discover the many gems from around the world that will be up for auction this fall. Share the wine list with your friends, colleagues and followers. We are at: http://tsvc.ca/wineauction The complete auction catalogue will be available for download on October 1. This year’s auction will take […]
Open Wines and Suggestions for What to do Tonight
Open Riesling Gewürztraminer Niagara Peninsula, Ontario: This is an incredible wine for the price point! Joyous notes of peach, peach and lychee. The gewurztraminer really comes through in this blend. Pair with: honey glazed BBQ chicken, Asian fusion, fresh salads, and a variety of soft, mild cheeses. Drink: 2012-2014. 988092 11.50% MD 750 mL $11.95 Score: 88/100. Open Sauvignon Blanc Niagara Peninsula, Ontario: A lovely, subtly flavoured Sauvignon Blanc with white melon and lime notes. Not grassy and there’s no aggressive acidity here. Very pleasant aperitif. Top me up! Pair with: grilled seafood, quiche. Drink: 2009-2013. 178681 […]
