Bargain Wines - Part 2

Some people like shopping for electronics, some like a good book or magazine and some people are into shoes. Myself...I enjoy surfing the shelves of my local liquor store. I came across another gem from the LCBO clearance sale that's on till February 2nd 2014. I almost missed it as it was on the bottom shelf in the corner of the Vintages section. A nice Aussie Chardonnay from the Margaret River area of south western Australia.

2011 Brookland Valley Verse 1 Chardonnay - Margaret River, Australia

Everything an Australian chardonnay should be. Sur lie aging for six months, some malolactic fermentation to soften the texture and a little oak to bring out the butterscotch gives you a great straw coloured chardonnay with flavours of pink grapefruit and some pear.
Price - $14.25 (originally $17.95 - save $3.70) - Vintages
This wine paired well with a pork tenderloin prepared in a Greek style sauce with feta.





Cheers !!

Bargain Wines

   It's that time of year at the LCBO when they put the end of bin wines on clearance and there are usually some terrific bargains to be had. You need to do a little research before heading to your local LCBO as not all stores have the same selection of wines. I use the product search tool on the LCBO web site or the Vintages web site (see my home page for a link) to search for some good bargains. The bigger the outlet, the more wines will be available so if you have a Saturday afternoon to kill, you could try one of the bigger stores and look through the Vintages section for some great wines. The price discount can be anywhere from $1.50 to $5 per bottle depending on the original listed price. More expensive wines ($40 and up) will have bigger discounts.

Here's one that my wife found and it's a great buy at $14.25 (save $4.70)

2009 Familia Mayol Malbec - Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza Argentina

Oak aged for 12 months this dark and rich Malbec has aromas of cherry, spice and some menthol. The wine really excels in the flavour end with dark cherry, some spice and a long smooth finish of cherry.
Price - originally $18.95 but on sale for $14.25 (Vintages) 
Pork tenderloin, beef short ribs or most BBQ dishes would work well with this wine.







Cheers !!

A New Year and New Resolutions

It's a brand new year and that means that it's time to make some resolutions. A time to reflect on changes we'd like to make in our lives and maybe new paths to follow. The usual promises to shed some pounds and get in shape. It's either lose weight or figure out a way to work jogging pants into my daily wardrobe.

  I was out for a New Years day dinner at a local restaurant and found myself talking to the waiter about wine. He was very enthusiastic about wine and asked for my recommendation on a good red wine to buy. I pondered for a few seconds before suggesting a nice California Zinfandel which I thought he would like. After the waiter left I started to rethink my suggestion. Here's a guy that obviously enjoys wine so my job as a Sommelier is not necessarily to tell him what to buy as it is to stoke that fire of enthusiasm for wine. So I called him back to the table and said "Forget about the wine that I told you buy. My recommendation is that you try different wines. Go outside your comfort zone. Maybe try a Zweigelt from Austria or a Primitivo from Italy, maybe a Rioja from Spain, a port from Portugal or a Baco Noir from Ontario. Try as many different wines as possible."

So my new year resolution is to suggest to you as reader of my blog to try new wines. Be bold, be daring and try wines that you wouldn't normally buy. Here's a few suggestions to get you started.

Try a ...

• Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region in New Zealand
• Malbec from the Mendoza region in Argentina
• Chardonnay from the Sonoma County or Central Coast region of California
• Riesling from the Alsace region in France
• Amarone from Veneto region of Italy
• Baco Noir from Ontario
• Gamay Noir from Prince Edward County
• ....keep trying different wines

Cheers !

T'is the Season for Wine

Ho Ho Ho !! It's that time of year again. There's Christmas parties to attend, a gift for the boss (even if he doesn't deserve it) or a special gift for that someone special. Luckily I have an "inside man" at the North Pole who has the list of best wine buys for the Christmas season. I've looked through the list and pulled out all of the best wines with prices that won't make you cringe like Scrooge

 So let's get started with a couple of sparkling wines to start the party season.

Mumm Napa Cuvee Brut Prestige - California

A blend of mostly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this California sparkling wine is assembled in the traditional method of making champagne. It's a medium bodied sparkling wine with good effervescence and a nice "biscuity" aroma. Citrus and stone fruit coupled with a creamy mouthfeel make this an above average sparkling white wine. Serve it chilled to your guests as they arrive for the party. Pairs well with most seafood appetizers and dips.
Price - under $26 (LCBO - 217273)




Val D'Oca Presecco Superiore DOCG - Valdobbiaedene Italy

A Bright, clear and crisp sparkling wine from Italy. Nice effervescence with a  fruity refreshing crispness. The wine is made from 100% Glera grapes done in a champagne style.
Price - Under $16 (LCB0 - 340570)

How about some white wines for parties and appetizers.

2012 Fairhall Downs Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc - Marlborough New Zealand

A classic Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region with aromas of lemon, lime and that distinctive New Zealand vegetal bouquet. Pale yellow colour with a crisp and clear taste of grapefruit pith and lime. Great for turkey dinner or with appetizers.
Price under $19 (LCBO Vintages 990580)







2010 Ghost Pines Chardonnay - Sonoma, Napa and Monterey Counties California

A classic full bodied Chardonnay. The grapes are sourced from vineyards in Sonoma (70%), Napa (20%) and Monterey (10%) and then they get the full treatment of sur lies aging, malolactic fermentation to soften the wine and storage in french and american oak. Golden in colour with aromas of pear, apple and vanilla. Flavours of butterscotch, honey and vanilla and a soft mouthfeel. Makes for a nice gift or for a Christmas party
Price - under $20 (LCBO - 308122)

Some red wines to keep you warm a night.

2010 Chateau de Galifay Cairanne - Cotes du Rhone Villages, France

A nice blend of Grenache and Syrah grapes gives this Cairanne a dark ruby red colour with aroma's of mint, blackberry and some spice. It has a medium to full bodied mouth feel with flavours of cherry and plum. The wine has mild tannins and a medium to long cherry finish. I nice wine to serve with roast beef or Swedish meatballs
Price - $16 (LCBO Vintages 290080)







2010 Seghesio Zinfandel - Sonoma County California

Looking to suck up to your boss for a promotion ? Buy him a bottle of this premium Zinfandel and he'll know that you know how to spot a good buy. This wine is of consistently high quality year after year. Flavours of black licorice, dark fruit and pepper with mild tannins and a long finish of fig and blackberry. A great sipping wine in front of the fire while you decorate the tree.
Price - under $30 (LCBO Vintages - 942151)






2011 The Wolftrap Syrah (blend) -  Swartland South Africa

A big bold South African blend of 65% Syrah, 32% Mourvedre and 3% Viognier yields a dark red wine with aromas of blackberry and some black pepper with rich flavours of dark fruit. The Syrah has a long dark fruit finish with some fairly mild tannins.

Serve this wine with beef ribs or a Sunday roast

Price under $14 (LCBO 292557) 

Good Value Wines

Whether you're having a party with lots of guests or hosting Christmas dinner and don't want to run out before the turkey is served, here's a list of wines at reasonable prices.

Jackson Triggs Chardonnay (750 ml) - $10.05 (LCBO - 328518)
Lindeman's Bin 85 Pinot Grigio (750 ml) - $10.95 (LCBO - 668947)

Cono Sur Bicicelta Pinot Noir (750ml) - $10.95 (LCBO - 341602)
Graffigna Centenario Reserve Malbec (750 ml) - $13.95 (LCBO - 230474)

Enjoy the holidays and please don't drink and drive.

Cheers

Kim Crawford Wine tasting - Oct 2 2013

What a great day! It's a warm sunny October afternoon and Natalie Maclean invites me to Maxwell's Bistro on Elgin Street in Ottawa to sample some great wines from Kim Crawford vineyards including their new sparkling wine "Fizz Methode Traditionelle 2009" which will hopefully make it into LCBO stores in the near future. The chef at Maxwell's Bistro prepared a variety of delicious plates to be paired with the wines while we had a chance to talk to Kim Crawford winemaker Anthony Walkenhorst about their wines.

Here's the lineup of Kim Crawford wines we sampled

Kim Crawford Fizz Methode Traditionelle 2009

2013 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

2013 Kim Crawford Small Parcels Spitfire Sauvignon Blanc

2012 Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay

2012 Kim Crawford Pinot Noir

2007 Kim Crawford Small Parcels Rise & Shine Pinot Noir




The interesting part of this wine tasting was the contrast between the regional variety wines like Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir and the "Small Parcels" Spitfire Sauvignon Blanc and Rise & Shine Pinot Noir. They're all great wines but the Small Parcels Sauvignon Blanc with it's pronounced minerality and the increased new oak content in the Pinot Noir take the Small Parcels wines to the next level in aroma, taste and finish. The Unoaked Chardonnay was a real treat. I was expecting a crisp citrus type of chardonnay but the 80% malolactic fermentation produced a softer fruit filled and aromatic wine that would work very well with most chicken and seafood dishes. It paired nicely with the shrimp tempura we were served.
I really enjoyed talking to Anthony Walkenhorst in about grape harvesting, the different yeasts that are used in their signature Sauvignon Blanc wine and the selection of new and used oak in the Pinot Noirs. It was a relaxing few hours talking about New Zealand, grape harvests, winemaking and enjoying some great Kim Crawford wines.

Special thanks to Kim Crawford wines, Maxwell's Bistro (great food !) Natalie Maclean and Constellation Wines for hosting the event.

Cheers !!  

5 signs that your Sommelier is not very good

Here's some tell tale signs that your Sommelier is not very good.

1. He describes his wine tastings as fun, interactive and "pants are optional"
2. He thinks Gewurztraminer is one of the wizards from a Harry Potter movie.
3. He doesn't know that the "t" in Merlot and Pinot is silent
4. He uses body odours to describe wine aromas
5. He describes the colour of a Chianti as "like that sweet 1976 red Camaro I nailed Suzy Wazawinski in at the prom. Budda Bing!" 

Here's my picks for this week

2010 Angus The Bull Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia 

 Big flavours on this dark red Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards in Goulburn Valley, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Central Victoria and Heathcote. This dark red Cabernet has aromas of ripe black cherry and vanilla. The flavour is rich with cherry, dark chocolate and some black licorice. It has a long smooth dark fruit finish with well rounded tannin's
Price - under $20 (LCBO Vintages)

What else but a BBQ'd steak

2010 Ghost Pines Chardonnay -  California

With grapes harvested from Sonoma, Monterey and Napa this Chardonnay offers the best from each county. A golden wine with aromas of peach, apple and vanilla and a soft mouthfeel. This chardonnay got the full treatment with sur lies aging, Malolactic fermentation and barrel aging in french and american oak for that signature California oaked Chardonnay taste.

Price - under $20 (LCBO Vintages 308122)

Great with pan fried or grilled halibut

Beer Prices in Ontario too high ?

I know... You're probably saying "What is he doing talking about beer prices on a wine website". Well I've always been a supporter of a responsible open market for beer and wine sales in Ontario. I've posted numerous blog entries on the LCBO and it's ridiculously high wine prices and now I see that the first cannon volley against any plan to sell beer outside of The Beer Store has been fired by the Brewers Association of Canada.
IPSOS Reid was commissioned by the National Brewers Association of Canada or Brewers Association of Canada (BAC) to do a market study on beer price comparisons between the provinces. By the way,  3 board members on the BAC are also the President of Labatts, the Chair of Sleemans and the CEO of Molson Coors which conveniently owns "The Beer Store" so  the market study is totally impartial (wink, wink). They just want to make sure everyone is aware that the beer monopoly they control is way better than any free market system.    

The Ipsos Reid market study compared Ontario beer prices with Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta. Thanks Ipsos Reid but I don't think anyone from Ontario routinely drives out west through Manitoba (which also has cheaper beer prices than Ontario) to BC or Alberta to buy beer so I think you can take those two comparisons and put them in the trash can. I have no idea where they got their Quebec beer prices but it's pretty clear that you guys got ripped off. Never buy beer from a guy selling it out a van in a parking lot.

The study goes on to compare beer prices for an adjusted tax rate and a normalized tax rate. There's also surveys about distribution, selection and serving alcohol to minors which has nothing to do with price comparisons and more to do with the propaganda campaign of how Ontario will descend into an abyss if the TBS is not there to monitor Ontario beer consumption.

So lets stop at this point and answer the obvious question. Instead of hiding behind the tax numbers, lets look at what the average Joe would pay if he bought a 24 of beer in Quebec and the same brand in The Beer Store.

Here's the "markuncorked market study" of Ontario versus Quebec beer prices (based on my sales slips)

Corona Extra (TBS Ont - $40.95 on sale)     Corona Extra (Que - $28.94)
Save $12 by shopping in Quebec

Stella Artois (TBS Ont - $46.95 reg price)    Stella Artois (Que - $28.94)
Save $18 by shopping in Quebec

So Ipsos Reid and the BAC, these are the numbers that count when I shop and this is why (BAC pay attention here because this is important!!) every weekend you can see Ontario plates heading to Quebec to buy beer. It's that simple. Buy two cases of beer and put $30 back in your pocket every time you buy suds in "La Belle Provence".

Here's my beer pick for this week

Spaten Munchen Lager

For 5.2% ABV, this German lager has a nice crisp, clear and almost light taste to it. It's not too hoppy for a german beer and it has a citrus finish that refreshing. Great for drinking on the patio with friends or with grilled pork chops on the BBQ
Price - 2.05 per can (LCBO)





Cheers !

Great Neighbours

Some neighbours come over to borrow a cup of milk or sugar, maybe a lawnmower or a strong back when they need to move 15 railway ties stored in their backyard behind a shed. So when a friend down the street shows up with a nice bottle of wine to taste, I immediately put them in the "good neighbour" category.

So there I am sitting on the porch, my feet up on the coffee table enjoying a glass of wine with my better half watching boats go by on the river while the sun is setting in the distance. Out of the dusk we can hear some familiar footsteps and whistling coming up the driveway. It's my neighbour Dave with a bottle of wine in his hand. He had just purchased a case of wine and tried the first bottle which he really liked. Dave enjoyed it so much that he saved the last quarter of the bottle and wanted me to try it as he knows that I also appreciate a good bottle of wine from time to time. What a great neighbour !

So here's Dave's pic of the week. Thanks for dropping in Dave.

2010 Domaine du Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem - M.Chapoutier
Cotes du Roussillon Villages  - Latour de France

A dark and rich blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan grapes. This full bodied wine is full with aromas and flavours of plum, dark berries and maybe a bit of licorice. The tannins are quite full and a little rough. This wine should age nicely in the next 2 to 5 years
Price - under $25 (LCBO- Vintages)
This wine would pair well with some St Paulin semi-soft cheese.

Happy Canada Day !!!

Happy Canada Day everyone !

This is one of my favourite holiday weekends of the year. It's warm, sometimes hot, with daylight that goes well  past dinner which means you can sit out on the deck with your friends enjoying a nice glass of wine without flicking on the lights and attracting the swarms of bugs. Lets celebrate all that is good in the great white north we call Canada. Invite your friends over, fire up the BBQ and turn up the music. It's party time !

In honour of celebrating all that is Canadian, I've compiled an all-star Canadian list of wines paired with food and music that says I am Canadian ..Eh !

2011 Angels Gate Gamay Noir VQA

A nice ruby coloured Gamay Noir from the Niagara region. Raspberry and some spice as well as a little bit of smoke. This wine is well suited for BBQ pork tenderloin with some roasted root vegetables. A layered wine like this requires  some great jazz music in the background from performers like Diana Krall or Oscar Peterson.
Price - under $13 (LCBO -  107714)







2010 East Dell Estates Unoaked Chardonnay VQA

Light, clear and crisp with lots of citrus flavours and some green apple. The perfect wine for a hot Canada Day weekend sitting on a patio in the Byward market enjoying a fresh chicken Ceasar salad while listening to Canadian rock legends like The Stampeders, The Guess Who or Neil Young.
Price - under $14 (LCBO - 609867)





2011 G.Marquis The Red Line Riesling VQA

Lots of aromas in this Riesling like peach, melon and honey. It's off dry with a really nice peach and melon flavour. We're a multicultural country so why not pair this wine with that order of Thai or Chinese that you and your friends are splitting. Plug in the MP3 player and play some Great Big Sea or Tragically Hip hits.
Price - under $12 (LCBO - 274670)






Cheers.... Go Canada Go !!!!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Wines

So you went wine shopping and picked out a wine that you thought you would really like. The ambiance is set (maybe some Steely Dan on the stereo), the bottle is uncorked, a glass is poured, the first taste of the fermented grape juice hits your lips and you think to yourself that this wine is about exciting as zip lining across the prairies...nothing, bland, boring.
 Well it happens. Not every wine out there is going to give you that euphoric "Eureka!!" moment. There are some wines that are exceptional, some are good, some are mediocre and some are just ... blah!
 The good news or silver lining is that you can pick out the good ones from the bad ones. It takes a lot of practice but after tasting a lot of wines, you begin to notice things like how a wine finishes. Is there a long or short finish of fruit after you tasted it or does it disappear once it goes down your gullet? Are the tannins to strong or too weak. Is the acidity level too high and the wine has almost a sour or bitter aftertaste to it.
 Stick with it my friend. Be brave and keep trying different wines to find that exceptional wine. If you do find it, let me know so I can try it.

Here's my picks for this week.

2011 Las Moras Reserve Chardonnay - San Juan, Coyo, Argentina

 Theses grapes are grown in the Zonda valley, a protected area at nearly 3000 feet above sea level with mountains on the east and west side. This means that even though the daytime temperatures may be high, the late sunrise and early sunset keeps the area relatively cool.
A nice golden Chardonnay stored for 12 months in french oak and 6 months in the bottle. Lots of citrus and pear like fruits blended with vanilla flavours and an oaky finish.
Price - under $13 (LCBO - 270025)
Pairs well with salmon or chicken wings




2012 Wolf Blass Red Label Shiraz Cabernet - South Eastern Australia

Lots of fruit like plum and dark berries flavours with some spice in this purplish Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Australia. A full bodied blend with a nice balance between the Shiraz and Cabernet and at 13% ABV it doesn't have a hot finish from too much alcohol.
Price - under $15 (LCB0 - 311795)
Pairs well with most beef dishes like roast beef or stew




Cheers !