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 […]
Wine Picks
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Celebrity Wines: Dan Aykroyd, Sonja Smits, Arlene Dickinson
The month’s column in More Magazine focuses on wines made by or endorsed by celebrities such as Arlene Dickinson, Sonja Smits and Dan Aykroyd. Surprisingly, these are well-made wines and range widely in price. Pair them with your favourite movie or television series featuring these stars …
Nova Scotia Wines: Top 25 List
Here are my top 25 wines from Nova Scotia, and like my Top 25 BC Wines, this has been in the works for the last few months. Nova Scotia holds a special place in my heart because I grew up just outside of Halifax, spending my summers in Cape Breton. Although I’ve visited most of the wineries several times when I’m home, I’ll be visiting all of them over the next year again as I start the research for my third book, which will be exclusively about Canadian wines from coast to coast. Nova Scotia’s wine industry may be small, […]
BC Wines: Top 25 List from the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
I’ve been tasting through hundreds of wines for the last few months to select my top 25 wines from British Columbia. This isn’t based solely on numbers, but rather on a broader view of a range of styles and grapes. In fact, wine scores taken out of context are meaningless. I hope that this list will provoke debate, even controversy, as that’s what we need to kick-start a national conversation about the great wines that we produce in this country. What’s easy is sniping from the shadows; what’s hard is taking a stand in the public spotlight for your convictions. […]
Thanksgiving Wines: Turkey, Stuffing and Cranberry Sauce
My latest column in Active Adult Magazine has lots of terrific wines for your Thanksgiving dinner, including pairings for roast turkey, stuffing or cranberry sauce. You can also find my tips for pairing Thanksgiving (or Christmas) turkey and wine in Reuters (second story), Kansas City Star, The Vancouver Province, The Star-Ledger, Contra Costa Times and The Star-Gazette. Let’s give thanks for all of these great bottles!
