In the new year, I signed on to do a weekly syndicated wine pairing column in the Postmedia newspapers across the country, including the Ottawa Citizen, Windsor Star, Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, Regina Leader-Post and Montreal Gazette. The reader response has been phenomenal, with lots of tweets and comments coming in over the wire. You’ll find the sauvignon blanc below here with wine and recipe pairings. Got a wine to suggest that I feature in an upcoming column? Please e-mail me at [email protected].
Wine Picks
Heredad de Baroja, Bellaria Assunto, Clos de Gat Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release May 12
By Gaby Israel The repeating question is what to do with so many wines and a limited budget. Here’s my best cellar wines list for this release as a shopping list that you can print and these are my recommendations in order of preference for an up-to $100 release budget: Spain – 2001 Heredad de Baroja Gran Reserva – $21.95 Bodegas Heredad de Barojas (named after a famous Spanish writer) started to produce wines in 1964. For me, nothing beats an 11 year old Gran Reserva wine from the spectacular 2001 vintage for $22.00. With the given budget, if you […]
Tempranillo and Garnacha Red Guitar: Spanish Version of Cotes du Rhone
By Travis Oke I don’t believe that anybody can dispute the fact that France is the King of wines – actually Queen is a better descriptor as it captures the beauty of French wines. Probably the Italians will argue the point, because they like to, but I’m okay with “debating” my Italian friends. However, lost in this is the role that Spain plays in Old World wines. The Spanish lay claim to two great varietals – Garnacha and Monestral – and interestingly, the French lay claim to the same grapes calling them Grenache and Mourvedre. However, it’s the Spanish approach […]
Graffigna Malbec, Hartley Pinot Noir, Seghesio Zinfandel: Best LCBO Wines Vintages Release May 12
Here are my top picks from the May 12 Vintages Release. You can also get all 69 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. I’ve also already posted my picks for May 12 Vintages Release. You can also 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. Call it your […]
Best Wine Apps in Food & Drink and iPhone Life Magazines
The elegant essayist James Chatto names three of his favourite wine sites in the latest issue of Food & Drink Magazine. We’re thrilled to be one of them and he also mentions our mobile wine app with the bar code scanner that gives real-time inventory stock for the liquor stores closest to you. Meanwhile, the latest issue of iPhone Life Magazine names its top 10 wine apps, and we were honoured to be among them.It notes that there are lots of features packed into the app.
Summer Wines for the Cottage or Beach – Air Miles Magazine
The summer issue of Air Miles’ Inspired Living Magazine has just arrived in Gold Members’ mailboxes loaded with travel ideas, recipes and warm weather wines for its 2 million readers. Close your eyes, feel the sun on your shoulders and take another sip …
Cabernet Sauvignon from Romania’s Dealu Mare Winemaking Region
By Holly Bruns It’s not nomenclature for exotic breeds of horses, nor is it an exotic card game, Dealu Mare is a winemaking region in Romania known for producing red wines. When thinking of Romania, rows of grape vines might not be the first thing that comes to mind – Transylvania and Count Dracula maybe, Communist rule, or the Romani people perhaps – but Romania happens to be the world’s ninth largest wine producer. With a winemaking tradition that dates back some four thousand years, Romanians were drinking wine when most of Europe was not. This might have something to […]
Linden Bay Merlot, Cabernet and Pinot Grigio for Summer Sipping
Linden Bay Winery Cabernet Merlot, Niagara, Ontario Plush and ultra-smooth with lovely dark plum and berry aromas. A superb party wine or one to enjoy with just a few friends. Fantastic price. Pair with: beef, lamb, and pasta dishes. 212142 13% MD 750 mL $10.95 Score: 86/100. Linden Bay Winery Pinot Grigio, Niagara , Ontario Dry and refreshing with lemon-lime notes and white grapefruit. No heavy oak or alcohol. Perfect for the deck or dock. Pair with: salad, shellfish, sushi, light seafood and poultry dishes, spicy Asian cuisine. 212134 12% MD 750 mL $10.95 Score: 85/100. […]
Monte Del Fra Valpolicella, Arnoux & Fils Vacqueyras, Marziano Abbona Barolo Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release April 28
By Gaby Israel Here are the top 5 wines that would be hard to resist. Most of them have at least 2 of the 3 triple “winning elements” – Price, quality and cellaring potential: 2009 Montebuena – $12.95 This $13, 100% Tempranillo from Rioja received 90 by WS and RP. Natalie MacLean gave it 86. Worth trying and seeing which score better represents your palate. The Tempranillo grapes for this wine were hand harvested. Expect the typical Tempranillo in a flavored concentrated package. Potentially, a great house-wine for day-to-day consumption. Here is something untraditional – try it chilled – I was […]
LCBO Vintages May Classics Catalogue Includes Premium Bordeaux, Champagne, Riesling
Sponsored Post: LCBO Vintages Classics Collection: Ultra-premium wines available in small allocations. The mandate of the LCBO Vintages Classics Catalogue is to offer the highest quality in fine wines and premium spirits from the best producers and regions in the world. Vintages buyers seek out a wide variety of products that meet their rigorous standards of excellence. The deadline for pre-orders is Tuesday May 1, 2012. The following wines from Trialto Wine Group Ltd. are now available to order in extremely limited quantities. You can order your wines online here. Chateau Teyssier “Le Dome” 2006 St Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux […]
