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. […]
Wine Picks
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 […]
Dog Point Chardonnay, Andrew Rich Pinot Noir, Sister’s Run Shiraz: Best LCBO Wines Vintages Release April 28
Here are my top picks from the April 28 Vintages Release. You can also get all 74 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 […]
Catena Chardonnay, Spier Creative Block 3, Rioja Bordón Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release April 14
By Gaby Israel Great Whites under $20 Here are 3 different white wines. Two from France that are more similar in their Old World style and one from Argentina that is more modern. All three are perfect for the spring. 2010 Catena Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina – $19.95 2009 Michel Picard Chardonnay Bourgogne, A.C., Burgundy, France – $17.95 2009 Saget La Perrier Marie de Beauregard Vouvray – $17.95 Great Reds Under $20 From Italy to France and Spain and all the way south to South Africa, some great reds for the spring and summer. All of these wines received very supportive […]
Arneis: White Wine with a Past but Little Known as a Grape Today
Nod To The Odd: Arneis By Holly Bruns A memory can rest, tucked away, until suddenly, in an instant, something unlocks it. It might be a certain song that brings back the high school gym and that first dance, it may be the scene of a particular vista that triggers thoughts of a time and place long gone, or a particular aroma may work to capture a feeling of the past. A few years ago, after a long, leisurely lunch, I tried a sip from a bottle of Arneis. At the time it reminded me of an arboreal landscape, pine […]
Michel Picard Chardonnay, Wine Men Of Gotham Shiraz Grenache, Faustino V Tempranillo: Best LCBO Wines Vintages release April 14
Here are my top picks from the April 14 Vintages Release. You can also get all 73 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 April 14. You can also add my wine picks to your custom shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. Stock up for the weekend, then enjoy! Natalie 2011 Famiglia Bianchi Chardonnay, Mendoza Lovely especially for the price. Rich and round with green apple aromas and a toasty […]
Buying Wine at the LCBO that’s Worth the Price – Toronto Star
As do many people, I like drinking wine. But I don’t know how to assess which wines are worth the money and which aren’t. One day, I stumbled upon a book at an Indigo store and bought it right away. I liked the cartoons on the cover and the title, Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wine. I started following author Natalie MacLean, an Ottawa-based sommelier, on Twitter. I found MacLean as bubbly in person as in her videos. In a phone interview, she told me about her free mobile apps for iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. […]
Zinfandel: Tasting and Understanding America’s Great Grape and Wine
By Travis Oke When it comes to American wine I think you need to understand Zinfandel. It’s as misunderstood as how Al Gore invented the internet. Zinfandel used to be your Grandmother’s pink sweet wine. In fact, I had somebody at a party recently ask me, “How is this red wine a Zinfandel, I thought it was a pink wine.” I had the owner of a café recently ask me not to select a Zinfandel for their wine list because people wouldn’t buy it. I am here to sing the praises of Zin as the great American grape – which […]
Terre Nere Brunello Di Montalcino, Corte Riva Cabernet Sauvignon, Finca Sobreno Crianza Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release March 31
By Gaby Israel For the cellar France – Chateau Haut-Surget 2009 – $24.95 So much has been said and written about this amazing vintage in Bordeaux especially in terms of comparing its quality to other legendary vintages such as 1990 and 1982. This wine from Lalande-de-Pomerol is a typical Right-bank blend of 70% Merlot, 15% Cab Sauv, 15% Cab Franc. An excellent review in WS scored it 90-93 and thought the wine a good value. This wine could probably be cellared for 8-12 years, which makes it a GPCi bargain. So if you like good Bordeaux wines and want to try […]
