Here are my top 10 gobbling-good wines that I recommended on CBC radio this week. (You can listen to the radio interview below.) Got a favourite? I love matching wine with side dishes … pinot noir and cranberry sauce or riesling with green beans. The bonus is that they both work well with the big bird.
Enjoy your holiday weekend!
Mission Hill Family Estate Five Vineyards Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Valley, BC
Terrifically fresh and vibrant! Like a basket of white melons on a summer afternoon. Lovely as an aperitif or companion to many dishes. Pair with: roast turkey, grilled fish, fresh oysters, salads or creamy pasta dishes.
Drink: 2012-2014
Product: 300301
Price: $14.99
Score: 88/100
Mike Weir Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara, Ontario
Lovely refreshment with notes of white melon and lime. Lively, clean finish that makes for a great aperitif, especially as you are approaching the nineteenth tee. Pair with: Thanksgiving side dishes such as green beans, field greens salad, grilled freshwater fish and a hole in one.
Drink: 2012-2014
SKU: 737127
Price: $14.95
Score: 87/100
Sterling Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California
Love it! Gorgeous layers of green apple and peach wrapped in just the right amount of toasty oak. The winery ferments and ages this chardonnay in barrels. The result is classic Californian chardonnay that bottles west coast sunshine. It’s a staggeringly great wine for feed of fresh sweet corn on the cob and boiled lobster dipped in butter or mashed potatoes. You light the fire and I’ll pour the wine.
Price: $21.95
Score: 91/100
Drink: 2012-2016
SKU: 330233
Burgáns Martín Códax Albariño
Rias Baixas, Spain
Clean, crisp and refreshing with bright lime-lemon aromas and flavours. Great aperitif or food companion. Pair with fresh seafood, fall vegetables and long walks in crisp October evenings.
Drink: 2012-2014
Product No: 745825
Price: $17.95
Score: 88/100
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Proprietors’ Grand Reserve Shiraz
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Spectacular! One of Canada’s benchmark wines. A deep core of hedonistic pleasure from the concentrated black plums and blackberries. It’s wrapped in smoke, meaty notes, dark spices and intrigue. The finish says: more please … now! Drink it on your first date, your 50th anniversary and other nights in between.
Drink: 2011-2017
SKU: 33241
Price: $24.95
Score: 93/100
Beringer Zinfandel Founders’ Estate, California
Some kind of wonderful! Purple plums and juicy blueberries tumble across your senses. Full-bodied, smooth and delicious. Perfect for BBQ. Pair with: roast turkey, grilled gourmet sausages, spareribs and chicken with a tangy tomato sauce.
Drink: 2012-2015
SKU: #567453
Price: $11.99
Score: 91/100
Wolf Blass Merlot Yellow Label, Barossa Valley, Australia
A smooth and full-bodied red with wonderfully fleshy, savoury dark fruit flavours. Pulls you right into the glass. Great for casual gatherings and dinner parties: a true bridging wine socially. Pair with grilled pork chops and meat lovers’ pizza.
Drink: 2012-2015
SKU: 598102
Price: $16.55
Score: 88/100
Rosemount Estate Shiraz, Australia
Dark, smoky and delicious! Layers and layers of ripe fleshy dark plums wrapped in just enough toasty oak. Superb taste and quality for this price. Pair with: grilled pepper steaks, hamburgers with all the fixins and any movie with Hugh Jackman in it.
Drink: 2012-2015
SKU: 302349
Price: $15.95
Score: 89/100
Menage a Trois Red, California
Don’t buy it for the naughty name: buy it because it’s good! Loaded with black fruit and dark chocolate aromas. Smooth and full-bodied with a lovely juiciness for many dishes. A blend of zinfandel, merlot and cabernet sauvignon grapes. Pair with: saucy pulled-pork sandwiches, braised short ribs and hamburgers with all the fixins.
Price: $16.99
Drink: 2012-2015
SKU: #719908
Score: 90/100
Persuasion Dragon Blend, California
Arlene Dickinson, the marketing maven on the television show Dragon’s Den, used her business savvy to launch a Sonoma blend of cabernet and merlot called Persuasion last year. She says that some vintages are aggressive and come on strong (presumably like her co-host Kevin O’Leary), while others are smoother, more balanced, more confident of their worth. I wasn’t convinced that Persuasion was anything more than a cash cow extension of Dickinson’s other products such as coffee, chocolate and skin care. Then I tried it. The business case is in the bottle. This robust red is balanced, complex and rich—like Arlene herself. Pair with: prime rib, filet mignon, grilled pork chops, lamb with rosemary.
Drink: 2012-2017
SKU: 736211413314
Price: $40
Score: 93/100
