The last chapter of my new book Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines is about the lovely rosés of Provence. I was fortunate not only to sample many mouth-watering, bone-dry, food-friendly rosés, but I also cooked a multi-course meal with one winemaker and met the rosé-drinking donkey of another. (You’ll just have to read the book : ) Here are my top tips for finding great rosés in your local liquor store, no matter where you live. Cheers, Natalie My Top 3 Insider Tips to Finding Tasty Rosés Forget those notions of pink wine being sweet: […]
Wine Picks
Drylands Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, Ravenswood Zinfandel, California Best Wine Picks for Vintages Release January 21
Here are four fantastic wines from tomorrow’s Vintages Release. You can also get all 53 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. It always helps to have some back-up choices in case those below are already sold out. You can also add my Top Wine Picks to your custom shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. Stock up for the weekend, then enjoy! Natalie [table id=27 /] Posted with permission of the LCBO.
Descendientes De J. Palacios Pétalos, Domaine De Cristia, Beronia Gran Reserva Among Best Cellar Wines in the LCBO Vintages Release January 21
By Gaby Israel 2009 Turkey Flat Butchers Block Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre – $19.95 For all of you out there that love a GSM blend. This one is by Turkey Flat – an excellent consistent wine producer. Obviously, for this price it’s their entry level wine. Nevertheless, got a very good review by JH (94) and RP (90) and seems to be a QPR wine. 2009 Descendientes De J. Palacios Petalos – $21.95 From Bierzo DO, part of the Castilla y León region in Spain (north-west. “above Portugal”). Great vintage in this area (RP rated the vintage as 91). The wine […]
Buying Wines that are Affordable (not cheap) and Delicious – Sympatico Lifestyle
What defines a bargain wine? Is it just a low price or is there something more? What are some tips on finding wines that are affordable but still delicious in the liquor store? Wines mentioned in this video: Segura Viudas Cava, Spain Yum, smells like fresh baked bread just out from the oven! Wonderfully toasty, this bubbly will warm you after a day of sledding or skiing. Love the notes of hazelnuts too. $14.65 Score: 87/100. Freixenet Cava Cordon Rosado, Spain How festive is this pink bubbly? Aromas of ripe field raspberries tickle your note. Float a raspberry on top […]
La Pieve Barolo, Fattoi Brunello di Montalcino, Domaine De L’arnesque Cuvée Capalane Among Top Wine Picks for LCBO Vintages Release January 7
By Gaby Israel The “Day After Tomorrow” is not only a name of a apocalyptic movie. It’s also a phenomena known at the LCBO as the month of January. After all the December hype with a huge variety of expensive wines a person can find in one single release, there isn’t any money left in the wallet (regardless of how deep your pocket used to be), and it seems as if there is nothing interesting left on the shelves… Or is there? Here are my top 3 picks for ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ release: 2007 La Pieve Barolo – $28.95 […]
Inniskillin Chardonnay, Perrin & Fils Les Sinards, Kim Crawford Chardonnay, Urban Malbec among the Best Wines in the Vintages Release January 7
You can get all 48 of the top rated wines and smart buys that I’ve recommended from this release of wines as they encompass many price points, styles and regions. It always helps to have some back-up choices in case those below are already sold out. 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! [table id=23 /]
Top 10 Champagnes and Bubblies to Celebrate the New Year – Festive Fizz from France to Niagara, from Prosecco to Cava
The countdown to New Year’s Eve begins! Here are some terrific sparkling wines to help you celebrate. So many wine regions now produce bubblies: there’s a style and price point to make everyone feel festive. Cheers! Natalie [table id=24 /]
3 Insider Tips to Buy Wine that’s Affordable and Awesome
If you’re heading out to do some wine shopping, you might find these 3 quick tips helpful to spot the wines that taste twice as expensive as they cost: 1. Look for wines from warm regions, like Argentina and Chile. Often the cost of production is cheaper because winemakers aren’t battling disease, rot and weather as much as cool climate producers do. Therefore, there’s less crop loss and lower costs for production. 2. Seek labels that have illegible gothic script and impossibly long names that are difficult to pronounce in the liquor store (or anywhere else). Few people can read […]
If You Have Champagne Tastes but a Boones Farm Budget? – Get Rich Slowly
More than one million wineries currently operate worldwide. Each produces at least three different wines, and plenty of them stomp out 20 or more. That’s a lot of potential hangovers. But if you sip responsibly you can enjoy the taste, the history, and the geography of the grape without any concurrent headaches. And if you have champagne tastes but a Boones Farm budget? Buy the fruit of the vine online. A discount comes in handy at this time of year, given the expenses associated with the holidays. In the next couple of weeks you might be: •Having people over for […]
Seasonal Cellar Wines – Best Picks from LCBO Vintages Release November 26
Yes, it’s this time of year in which all the good AND expensive stuff is offered at the LCBO – very seasonal. Here are a few exceptionally good “investments” to the cellar (in a decline price order) : 2009 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape – $89.95 If Chateauneuf-du-Pape had a similar classification as Bordeaux, no doubt that Beaucastel would be rewarded as “first growth”. However (and this is the good part), for this quality in Bordeaux, you would have paid 10-12 times more. Beaucastel has been consistently top quality wine with a “GPCi worthy” qualification. You can cellar these wines for 20-30 […]
