Red Wine
Caymus Zinfandel 2017, Napa Valley, California, United States: From an iconic producer of Cabernet Sauvignon, Caymus Zinfandel is a big and bold California red from the Napa Valley. Look for ripe plum jam, savoury herbs, spicy and juicy on the palate. The Zinfandel wine grape was a favourite of Charles Wagner Sr. Zinfandel food pairings: venison stew, venison sausage and wild mushroom sauce, spicy spatchcock partridge. Drink: 2020 - 2024 718759 14% D 750 mL $59.95 Score: 90/100. February 2020. Top Rated Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Zenato Alanera 2016, Veneto I.G.T., Italy: From Zenato, a beautifully balanced, full-bodied red wine blend of Merlot and Corvina red wine grapes from the Veneto wine region. Look for dark cherry, ripe plum, dried herbs, cedar spice and dark chocolate flavours on the palate. Structured with grippy tannins. Give it meat! A grilled Bistecca Florentine would do fine. Food pairings: roast beef, meat lover's pizza topped with steak, meaty pasta in tomato sauce. Drink: 2020 - 2025 451724 13.5% D 750 mL $19.95 Score: 91/100. February 2020. Best Value Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Donnachiara Irpinia Aglianico 2017, Campania D.O.C., Italy: Great acidity for food on this full-bodied Aglianico red wine from the Campania wine region. Ripe blackberries, cherry, meaty, savoury herb and flinty flavours finishing long on the palate. Pair with a roast leg of lamb, pork roast. Great value! Enjoy now and for the next three years. Aglianico food pairings: vegetarian pizza, rich tomato sauce and pasta, meat lasagne. Drink: 2023 - 2026 262956 13% D 750 mL $24.95 Score: 88/100. February 2020. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Guado Al Tasso Il Bruciato 2017, Bolgheri, Tuscany D.O.C., Italy: A full-bodied red blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Syrah sourced from several vineyards in the Bogheri. Fermentation was in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for 10 to 15 days. A part of the Merlot and Syrah must was fermented at lower temperatures to better conserve varietal aromas. Malolactic fermentation took place partly in oak barrels and partly in stainless steel tanks. The wine was racked and matured in small oak barrels for seven months prior to bottling. Fresh blackberry, black currant, dried wild herbs finishing flinty and briny on the palate. Decant for one hour prior to serving with a roast beef dinner, or hold in cellar for another year or two for the wine to mellow out. Food pairings: grilled hanger steak, Porchetta, meat and pasta dishes. Drink: 2021 - 2024 674135 13.5% XD 750 mL $25.95 Score: 91/100. February 2020. Top Rated Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Montes Limited Selection Pinot Noir 2017, Aconcagua Costa D.O., Chile: Montes Limited Selection Pinot Noir is dry, medium-bodied and vibrant on the palate with bright red cherry, raspberry, cedar spice and dried herbs flavours. Enjoy now with grilled lamb chops. Pinot Noir food pairings: veal medallions, roasted pork loin, prime rib, coq au vins. Drink: 2020 - 2022 37937 14% XD 750 mL $14.95 Score: 90/100. February 2020. Best Value Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Tablas Creek Côtes de Tablas 2017, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, California, United States: A full-bodied and spicy red Rhoneish red blend with Grenache, Syrah, Counoise and Mourvèdre from the Adelaida District, Paso Robles in California. Wine grapes are sourced from four estates. Lovely, strawberry, dark cherry, dark chocolate, savoury herbs, spicy and smoky flavours on the palate. Food pairings: grilled sausages, meaty stews, meat lover's pizza. Drink: 2020 - 2024 36624 14.8% XD 750 mL $43.95 Score: 89/100. February 2020. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Château Langlais 2009, Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux A.C., France: A velvety Merlot dominant Bordeaux with some Cabernet Franc all produced from organically-grown grapes sourced from Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion wine region. Produced by G. Dupuy, Château Langlais is satiny with dark berries, crushed raspberries, sous bois and baking spice flavours on the palate. Enjoy with a grilled Bavette steak. Food pairings: rack of lamb, pork cassoulet, grilled hanger steak. Drink: 2020 - 2022 463273 13.5% XD 750 mL $39.95 Score: 88/100. February 2020. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Barón de Ley Reserva Tempranillo 2014, Rioja D.O.C.A., Spain: Aromas of leather and spice. Full-bodied and smooth. Pair with lamb in rosemary. Tempranillo food pairings: barbecued chorizo sausage, lamb skewers, French cheeses. Drink: 2016 - 2023 958868 13.5% XD 750 mL $21.95 Score: 89/100. February 2020. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Decoy Merlot 2017, Sonoma County, California, United States: Toasty on the nose with dark ripe plums, ripe red and dark berries, dried herbs and cocoa on the palate. Decoy is a juicy, smooth and generous Merlot from the Sonoma county, Napa Valley winery of Duckhorn which was established in 1985. Pair it with, you got it, duck confit with small roasted potatoes and small pearl onions. Merlot food pairings: borsch (beet soup), quesadillas, Tandoori-flavored dishes, lentil dishes. Drink: 2019 - 2026 460642 13.9% XD 750 mL $34.95 Score: 90/100. February 2020. Top Rated Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Arboleda Carmenère 2017, Aconcagua Valley. D.O., Chile: An elegant, full-bodied Carmenère from Chile's Aconcagua Valley with grapes sourced from the village of Hijuelas, 100 kilometres north of Santiago. Arboleda is a boutique winery producing six, single-vineyard wines. Great value from Eduardo Chadwick. According to the back label, the wine's name is a tribute to the 1,450 hectares of native forest that surround the winery's sustainably farmed vineyards. Look for bright cherry, fresh herbs, black olive and leafy flavours on the palate. Tannins are structured and chewy. Carmenère food pairings: grilled lamb, beef braised in a mole sauce, hearty stews. Drink: 2020 - 2023 46284 14% XD 750 mL $19.95 Score: 92/100. February 2020. Top Rated Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Cathedral Cellar Triptych 2015, Western Cape W.O., South Africa: A full-bodied red wine blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Shiraz, 13% Malbec, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc from the Western Cape wine region. Fresh and aromatic with blue florals, blackberry, blueberry, white pepper and toasty oak flavours on the palate. Tannins are fine. Enjoy now and for the next five years. Pair with braai meats. Food pairings: roast beef, porchetta, slow-cooked venison ribs. Drink: 2020 - 2026 53124 14% D 750 mL $17.95 Score: 91/100. February 2020. Best Value Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Château des Landes Cuvée Prestige 2015, Lussac-Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux A.C., France: A full-bodied 100% Old Vines Merlot sourced from the Lussac-Saint-Émilion appellation. Chateau des Landes Cuvée Prestige is toasty on the palate with blackberry, dark plum, anise and sweet dried tobacco leaf flavours on the palate. Juicy, smooth and sensuous on the palate. Nice now, but can easily cellar for eight years or more. Food pairings: Tourtière, roast beef, turkey. Drink: 2020 - 2028 363101 13.5% XD 750 mL $27.95 Score: 90/100. February 2020. Top Rated Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Pierre Amadieu Domaine Grand Romane Cuvée Prestige Vieilles Vignes Gigondas 2017, Gigondas, Rhône A.C., France: Love this full-bodied, juicy Rhone Valley red wine blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre and 15% Syrah aged in barrel and foudres. Spicy and smoky on the nose with ripe black raspberry, cedar spice, vanilla and smoke on the palate. Enjoy now and for the next five years. Pair with Rosemary, garlic rack of lamb. Food pairings: roast beef, roast veal, hamburgers, venison. Drink: 2020 - 2026 968693 12% D 750 mL $33.95 Score: 89/100. February 2020. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Puech-Haut Prestige Saint-Drézéry 2017, Saint-Drézéry, Languedoc A.P., France: from the Coteaux du Languedoc, the sub-district of Saint-Drézéry is the smallest area of terroir that has been named. Top wines from this producer often sell for more than $100 a bottle. Prestigious flying winemaking consultants have worked with this winery including Michel Rolland, Claude Gros and Philippe Cambie. This particular vintage is a blend of 70-year-old vine Grenache (55%) and 40-year old Syrah (45%) vines, some farmed biodynamically, that grow in limestone soil that is scattered with large rocks (also called galets roules) that are often part of Châteauneuf du Pape vineyards. Concrete tanks rather than oak barrels are used to mature this wine which is not filtered before it's bottled. Juicy and rich with black cherry, wild herb, black olive and cracked pepper flavours finishing satisfyingly long on the palate. Food pairings: beef, duck a l'orange, apple-walnut stuffed mushroom caps, turkey breasts. Drink: 2020 - 2025 12986 14.8% XD 750 mL $29.95 Score: 91/100. February 2020. Top Rated Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Viña Cobos Felino Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Mendoza, Argentina: Produced by Paul Hobbs, Viña Cobos Felino 2016 is a medium-plus-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon from the Mendoza. Love the red berry. dark berry, dark chocolate, savoury dried herbs and black olive flavours on this CS. Finishing long and satisfying. Tannins are fine. Enjoy with roast chicken and slow-braised beef long ribs. Cabernet Sauvignon food pairings: barbecued steaks, roast leg of lamb, gourmet burgers. Drink: 2020 - 2022 132365 14.5% XD 750 mL $19.95 Score: 90/100. February 2020. Best Value Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Acrobat Pinot Noir 2016, Oregon, United States: A rich full-bodied Pinot Noir from Oregon with black cherry, dried herbs, sous bois and smoky, spicy flavours on the palate. Great acidity for food. Pair with roast pheasant or Cornish game hens. Pinot Noir food pairings: veal chops, grilled duck sausages, pork tenderloin, barbecued lamb sirloin. Drink: 2020 - 2023 421149 13.5% D 750 mL $29.95 Score: 90/100. February 2020. Top Rated Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Ridgepoint Pinot Noir 2012, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada: From the Niagara Escarpment, Ridgepoint is a smooth medium-bodied Pinot Noir with bright cherry, earthy florals, fine herbs flavours on the palate. Finishing with bright acidity. Great value. Pair with veal medallions in a red wine and wild mushroom sauce. Ridgepoint was co-founded in 1995 by Anna Gottardo and Mauro Scarsellone. Their parents immigrated from Italy and bringing their wine knowledge and experience with them. Pinot Noir food pairings: goat cheese canapés, goat cheese strawberry and spinach salad, goat cheese bake with green herbs and gooseberry jam. Drink: 2020 - 2022 89003 13.5% XD 750 mL $24.95 Score: 87/100. February 2020. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Ondarre Reserva 2015, Rioja D.O.C.A., Spain: Wow. This is a big, smoky, toasty Rioja red blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 5% Mazuelo wine grapes aged in American and French oak barrels. Dark berries, cherries with dried sweet tobacco leaf, dark spices, chocolate and smoky vanilla flavours on the palate. Tannins are firm. Ondarre is located in the town of Viana, about eight kilometres from Logroño, it is part of Bodegas Olarra Group founded in 1973 and has since been known as the Cathedral of La Rioja. Food pairings: cheesy pizza, grilled pork chops, roast chicken. Drink: 2020 - 2024 723452 12.8% XD 750 mL $19.95 Score: 88/100. February 2020. Best Value Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Château La Caminade Malbec Merlot 2018, Cahors, Languedoc A.P., France: Château La Caminade is a robust deep, dark red wine blend of Malbec and Merlot from Cahors. Fragrant Sous bois with brambleberry, wild herbs and smoky aromas on the nose. Dry, earthy, smoky dark berries, leather, ripe black plum and dried wild herbs on the palate. Powerful but broody and tannins are firm. Give it a few more years in cellar. Pair with big game dishes like venison roasts and boar stew. Malbec Merlot food pairings: beef stew, hard cheese, roast duck. Drink: 2020 - 2026 102954 13.5% XD 750 mL $19.95 Score: 88/100. February 2020. Best Value Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Sparkling Wine
13th Street Winery Cuvée Brut Rosé, Ontario, Canada: This Niagara sparkling wine uses the traditional method also used in Champagne of having the second fermentation occur in the bottle. Crisp with notes of tart strawberry and field berries. Robust yet still refreshing. Pair with fried chicken and potato chips. Rosé food pairings: soft cheese, grilled salmon steak, fresh fruit, veggies, pasta primavera. Drink: 2015 - 2020 147504 12.5% D 750 mL $29.95 Score: 90/100. February 2020. Top Rated Sparkling Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
White Wine
Joseph Cattin Pinot Gris 2018, Alsace A.C., France: Such a pretty Pinot Gris from Alsace. Joseph Cattin is medium-bodied, off-dry with ripe pear, stone fruit with soft citrus flavours on the palate. Chill and enjoy on its own, or pair with a sautéed pork tenderloin. The Cattin family has been making wine in Alsace since the 1850s. Pinot Gris food pairings: sweet red Thai curry, chicken à l’orange, rich cheese, seafood, light pastas. Drink: 2020 - 2022 196956 13% D 750 mL $15.95 Score: 89/100. February 2020. Best Value White Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Château de Fontaine-Audon Sancerre 2018, Loire A.P., France: Château de Fontaine-Audon is one of only four châteaux in Sancerre. Fontaine-Audon Sancerre is produced from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grown in silex terroirs with elevage in stainless steel tank. Medium-bodied and mouth-watering with grapefruit pith, gooseberry, flinty with clean mineral flavours fresh on the palate. Sancerre food pairings: oysters on the half shell, oysters Rockefeller, oyster stew. Drink: 2020 - 2022 745893 12.5% XD 750 mL $32.95 Score: 90/100. February 2020. Top Rated White Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
McManis Chardonnay 2018, River Junction, California, United States: Love this medium-plus-bodied Chardonnay with buttery apple, pear compote and tropical fruit flavours on the palate. Great acidity for grilled pork chops, roast chicken. Chardonnay food pairings: scallops with a sesame ginger dressing, spinach and pepper jack stuffed chicken, pan-fried cod with lemon butter sauce, toasted ravioli served with Alfredo sauce. Drink: 2019 - 2025 265983 13.5% D 750 mL $19.95 Score: 90/100. February 2020. Best Value White Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling 2018, Columbia Valley, Washington, United States: From Chateau Ste. Michelle, a great value Riesling under $20. Floral with lemon-lime citrus aromas on the nose. Off-dry, medium-bodied and mouth-watering with citrus, flinty and bitter almond flavours on the palate. Chill and enjoy with mild curries and spicy crab cakes. Riesling food pairings: roast chicken, spicy pasta dishes, shrimp tempura, grilled salmon with lemon sauce, duck liver pate. Drink: 2020 - 2021 685651 12% M 750 mL $16.95 Score: 92/100. February 2020. Best Value White Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Peter Zemmer Pinot Grigio 2017, Alto Adige D.O.C., Italy: Peter Zemmer is one of the most respected producers of Pinot Grigio with grapes for this 100% PG sourced from some of the best vineyards on Alto Adige region's valley floor as well as its steep slopes. Fresh florals, pear, citrus zest and tropical fruit notes on the nose. Dry, fresh with ripe pear, honeyed apple, citrus zest and clean mineral flavours finishing long on the palate. Well-balanced and fresh. Pair with fresh-steamed shellfish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Pinot Grigio food pairings: seafood chowder, cheese, poultry. Drink: 2020 - 2021 95802 13.5% XD 750 mL $17.95 Score: 90/100. February 2020. Best Value White Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
San Raffaele Pinot Grigio 2018, Veneto D.O.C., Italy: San Raffaele's Monte Tabor is a crisp, dry and zesty Pinot Grigio from the Veneto wine region. San Raffaele is a family-owned winery and have been crafting wines since 1925. This PG is vegan-friendly and the vineyards have been certified organic since 1984. Look for crunchy ripe apple, pear and lemon zest flavors on the palate finishing with mouth-watering acidity. Pair with seafood Alfredo. Pinot Grigio food pairings: fresh water fish, grilled calamari, steamed shrimp with fresh lemon juice. Drink: 2020 - 2021 204768 12.5% XD 750 mL $15.95 Score: 89/100. February 2020. Best Value White Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
La Crema Monterey Chardonnay 2017, Monterey, California, United States: La Crema is a classic buttery California Chardonnay from Monterey. Always enjoyable, lush with ripe pear, tropical fruit, buttery and smoky flavours delivered on a silky palate. Although, there is a lot of warm, sunny days in Monterey moderating cool ocean influences allow the Chardonnay wine grapes to ripen evenly and completely. Nicely balanced. Enjoy with smoked whitefish. Chardonnay food pairings: lobster in butter sauce, spinach and pepper jack stuffed chicken, toasted ravioli served with Alfredo sauce. Drink: 2020 - 2023 158683 13.5% XD 750 mL $26.95 Score: 88/100. February 2020. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart