Archive for April, 2010

LCBO Vintages May 1, 2010

by Kato on April 29, 2010 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

Vintages Sat May 1/2010
THE LOW DOWN: Lacks the outstanding values of recent releases but there’s some good explorer wines. Such as a couple of heavy hitting Zinfandels, and a bargain priced red from the south of France. Guigal’s white Rhone and the Moulin-a-Vent would be a delightful French pairing for a summer dinner party.  Prince Edward County wines are not values but offer good local expression. I hope to be featuring lots of local from the next few Vintages releases.
Enjoy!

WHITES
blackprinceWine style: fresh white
BLACK PRINCE 08 Riesling, VQA Prince Edward County 164236 $18.95
Classic dry Riesling – super refreshing, tart and low in alcohol. Perfect summer patio aperitif. Riesling fans should age this for a year or three.

guigalWine style: nice & easy white
GUIGAL 08 Côtes du Rhône Blanc, France 290296 $16.95
A lovely glass of wine. Mid-range everything and understated with delightful hints of this and that. Lots of charm from the Viognier grape. Enjoy with grilled white meats.
kapulaWine style: nice & easy white
SHEPHERDS RIDGE ‘Kapuka’ 09 Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand 163576 $14.95
Mild mannered for a New Zealand Sauvignon, but a wonderful general-purpose summer drink. Think high octane Pinot Grigio. Refreshment and crowd appeal. Pretty package too.
clossonchaseWine style: rich white
CLOSSON CHASE 07 Chardonnay, VQA Prince Edward County 148866 $29.95
Deborah Paskus makes very seductive wines. Such as this silky smooth, exotic, tropical fruit flavoured Chardonnay. Lush, lovely and almost too nice to partner with food.

trumpMillREDS
Wine style: rustic red
THE GRANGE ‘Trumpour’s Mill’ 07 Cabernet Franc, VQA Prince Edward County 173187 $17.95
Those with a European palate will understand and enjoy this wine. Feels light, tart and refreshing. Inviting food. On the second glass, woodsy Fall-day flavours unfold. Very suggestive of something you once enjoyed at a county café in France. Or maybe it was Italy.

moulinaventWine style: lively red
DOMAINE de GRAND GARANT 08 Moulin-a-Vent ‘Les Thorins’, Beaujolais, France 160168 $16.95
Moulin-a-Vent is usually the big daddy of the Beaujolais-Villages clan but this is mainly about refreshment. Along with charm – along with some of the sexy nature of Pinot Noir. I can’t imagine a better partner for BBQ’d salmon. Or any summer patio meal. Lightly chilled, of course.
georgesWine style: rich red
DOMAINE PUIG-PARAHY 07 ‘Georges’, Cotes du Roussillon, France 171025 $13.95
Shiraz fans will love this smooth, jammy-sweet wine. All things nice at a reasonable price.

truchardWine style: rich red
TRUCHARD 07 Zinfandel, Carneros/Napa, California 54858 $21.95
Solid, earthy Zin. Very concentrated, very manly and not unlike a Californian Cabernet. Needs the beef.

ed_zinWine style: rich red
EDMEADS 07 Zinfandel, Mendocino, California 105924 $24.95
Super rich, Port-like and mighty seductive. Heft meets charm. Could be likened to a fifty dollar Amarone. After dinner sipping for sure.

Multi-tasking the Italian Way

by Kato on April 29, 2010 in Billy's World, Food & Restaurants with No comments

After several days of researching car tires, Kato gave me the good news that the best deal was not in Brampton but close to home on Yonge Street. In fact, very close to Grano restaurant. So if you need new rubber call Victor’s Tire & Automotive Centre and enjoy a leisurely Italian lunch while they get fitted. Get an oil change too so you’ll have more Grano time.

Grano 2035 Yonge Street (a few blocks south of Eglinton) www.grano.ca
Victor’s Tire 2128 Yonge Street. Toronto, ON M4S 2A8 (416) 481-5251

Billy’s Online Wine School

by Kato on April 27, 2010 in Billy's Online Wine School, Wine Picks with 2 Comments

MasiCampoLesson #9 ITALY’S RICH RED

Italian families seldom drinks rich red wines. They keep the big hitters for weddings and other celebrations. We, however, drink rich reds all the time. It’s our default wine. But what about a compromise wine – the muscle without the brawn?

Ripasso is a brilliant Italian invention. Enriched Valpolicella. A red wine that feels substantial but not heavy. Vitality and earthiness partnered with nourishment. The last glass won’t knock you out. You could even entertain a second bottle.

The house of Masi are masters of Ripasso and the current 06 vintage is the best ever. Deep earthy flavours are delivered with an assured, confident feeling. You get a feeling of history as opposed to the obvious fruitiness on many of today’s wines. An invitation to put the wine with simply grilled meats, and good friends. Italian wines always invite food and company.

MASI 06 VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO ‘Campofiorin’, Veneto, Italy 155051 $17.45

Profit from Wine ‘Accidents’

by Kato on April 25, 2010 in Billy's World with 1 Comment

Every time a delivery person, a vinter or wine distributor drops a case of wine and one bottle breaks, staining all the others, the sound heard in the minds of the people at Accidental Wine is not that of glass shattering, but the ka-ching of a cash register. Accidental Wine buys up the remaining blemished but otherwise unbroken bottles that a retailer won’t touch, then resells them over the internet for a third to half of the price. (pity…only in the US)

Ontario Chardonnay Heads to England

by Kato on April 24, 2010 in Travel Notes, Wine Picks with No comments

London, England is one of the trendsetting cities for wine. A good place to launch a brand, or region. A few decades ago, London’s wine critics fell in love with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and the world followed.
Bill Redelmeir, owner of Southbrook Winery in Niagara, has a plan to sell Ontario Chardonnay to the Brits. And thereafter, to the world. (And back home too, of course)

At the end of May, in conjunction with the London Wine Fair, twenty of Ontario’s best Chardonnays will be poured for the English press. Bill believes that Chardonnay is Ontario’s ace card. Something we do well, and different. Because it’s an internationally recognized wine the world is interested in up-and-coming stars. Success with Chardonnay could make us a player on the world stage.

Last week I had the opportunity to the taste the Chards going to London and I think we can make an impression. Hopefully a WOW, but at least an impression. We have quality for sure, but I think it’s the diversity that makes Ontario unique. Or confusing.

I’ll report on how the London event goes, but meanwhile here’s my list of favourite local Chardonnays going to London. Most of which are available at the wineries. Prices range from $25 to $35.

COLIO ESTATE 07 Musque . . . herbaceous, citrussy, refresher
HUFF ESTATE 07 South Bay . . . solid, mid-range
CLOSSON CHASE 07 Kocis Vineyard . . . lush, very sexy
LAILEY VINEYARD 08 Old Vines . . . pretty, charming
PELLER ESTATES 07 Signature Series . . . big, bold, down ‘n dirty, very Burgundian
RAVINE VINEYARD 07 Rowan Vineyard . . . pure, lots of mineral, Chablis-style
HILLEBRAND 07 Showcase Wild Ferment . . . lean, tart, novel
SOUTHBROOK VINEYARDS 07 Triomphe . . . earthy, Burgundian-style
LE CLOS JORDANNE 07 Talon Ridge . . . big, bold, manly
TAWSE WINERY 07 Quarry Road Vineyard . . . power combined with charm
HIDDEN BENCH 07 Estate . . . tight now but very concentrated
PENINSULA RIDGE 07 Reserve . . . solid, earthy

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