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 for under $20: Choice #1 – Spain – Rias Baixas – Pazo Pondal Leira Albariño 2011 (115816)-$15.95 I have mentioned the uniqueness of this grape a few times before – it doesn’t resemble any other white grape, yet it’s absolutely delicious. The Albariño white Spanish wine is a great match with fatty sea food. This 2011 Pazo Pondal Leira Albariño receievd 95 by Decanter (I thought Decanter had a […]
Wine Bloggers
Chateau Senejac, Antinori Marchese Chianti Classico Riserva, Meandro Do Vale Meao: Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release October 27
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. This release is dedicated to the very successful 2009 vintage in Bordeaux. Many of the wines seem interesting and fairly priced, however, I tried to pick the ones that fit my palate and are “cost-effective” to my cellar. Here are my top three 2009 Bordeaux wines from this release: France – Bordeaux – Clos Des Moiselles Le Bord’eaux 2009 (191528) $16.85 This is from Cote De Bourg, which is north-west of Saint Emilion […]
Thalia Sauvignon Blanc: Light White Wine from Greece
By Holly Bruns Greece, you have given us so much: the Olympics, Homer and Socrates, tragedy and comedy, the beginnings of governmental process, and while you didn’t really give us wine, per say, you were definitely instrumental in passing it along to the Romans, who then passed it along to the French, who then passed it along to the New World, kai ta hetera. In a busy world where modern progress can blur our connection to the past it’s easy to forget about Greek wine. We see so little of it on our shelves here in Ontario. And indeed the […]
Free My Grapes: Ontario Sequel on Shipping Wine Across Borders
by Susan Desjardins In June 2012, Bill C-311, presented by Dan Albas, MP for Okanagan-Coquihalla, received royal assent just before the House of Commons rose for the summer. Why do we care? Laws governing the transport and sale of alcohol across provincial boundaries dated back to 1928 and the Prohibition Era. Until the passage of Bill C-311 by unanimous vote of the House, it was a criminal offense to take or ship wine across provincial boundaries. Talk to European winemakers about this and they just shake their heads – “How can this be? You are one country, are you not! […]
An Evening of California Wine Tasting with David Mirassou
By Loukia Zigoumis I’ve always been a wine lover… red, white, I wasn’t picky. I went through a phase where I only drank Chianti, and then I made a switch, and decided to only drink Pinot Grigio. Now, I enjoy it all, and will experiment with different flavours and types of wine depending on where I’m going, whom I’m with, and what I’m eating. I’m learning a lot from reading Natalie’s book Unquenchable, too. If I’m just going out for drinks, I’ll choose my wine carefully. I am learning about the different flavours and tastes, and what goes well with what, […]
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 […]
Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release September 29
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. #1 choice – France – Midi – 2010 Les Vignes Bila-Haut Cotes Du Roussillion-Villages (168716) – $14.95 The Roussillon history is complex and compelling, and has at times been quite violent. Terraces on stony soil, with a rich geological background and a climate that man has adopted for his crops. The Roussillon was bound to attract Michel Chapoutier’s attention. He decided to locate his domain at Latour de France. Black and brown […]
Stuffed Zucchini Recipe and Sauvignon Blanc
By Pat Anderson I’m sure most people who have grown zucchini have had the experience of finding the zucchini they missed… which has grown to a massive size, is seedy, and too big to be used in the normal way. What do you do? Here’s what I did: Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 massive overgrown zucchini… this one was 2 pounds 5 ounces. Failing that, use 4 6″ zucchini. 1 small onion 2 cloves garlic 1 oz (by weight) grated romano cheese One large roma tomato, seeded & diced 1 cup cooked arborio rice ¼ fennel bulb Handful of flat parsley, […]
