Hello Nobody really enjoys it, but I say give cold weather a chance. Witness what happens to us as temperatures drop – we get more into drinking and partying. Our appetite for sociability seems to grow. The cold invites us to huddle, eat and drink with our fellow man. And you can’t beat that. Speaking of huddling, many thanks to all who attended our slew of events in November and in particular to the hearty, party gang who came to Allen’s for our annual Bocce in the backyard. The famed Madonna trophy stays ‘in house’ thanks to a brilliant performance by the Allen’s team. Drop by the bar and raise a festive glass to John and Dora. Heartfelt thanks for your wonderful support – readers, store owners, restaurateurs, wine agents, wineries, friends far and wide, and last but not least, Kato my partner and best buddy. Here’s to doing it all again next year. Seasons best. Sláinte, Billy Munnelly www.billysbestbottles.com P.S. Yes Virginia – there’s still time to ship you a copy or two of my Billy’s Best Bottles Wines for 2008. Over 200 great wines – all available, all categorized by mood/situation, all bottle shots in full colour, and all the wine buying and drinking advise you’ll ever need. All this for less than $20 if you order multiple copies from us. Print off an order form.



EXTENDED HOURS Many LCBOs that normally close at 6:00 will remain open till 10:00 through Dec 31. All stores will close at 6:00 on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. A COMPLAINT! A holiday shopper at my local LCBO complained to the cashier that he had heard the same Christmas song twice! Peace to you brother.


WINE WITH THE BIG BIRD As Christmas dinner is usually an early evening event I suggest dry Rosé, light fruity reds such as Beaujolais or Pinot, and white wine too. Something for everyone is the best formula – in keeping with the spirit of the day. Get into Shiraz and other rich stuff after dinner. P.S. A wonderful LOCAL ROSÉ choice would be Niagara’s Fielding. It’s a classic dry Rosé with delicious fruitiness – flavours and feelings of the south of France. At LCBO Vintages. FIELDING ESTATE 06 Rosé, Niagara (53421 $14.95)

	THE NEXT HOT WINE ACCESSORY It’s called a WINESKIN. Not the old edition, this is a bubble wrap container to protect and seal the bottle (in case of breakage) you put in your airline suitcase.

LOOK! NO HANGOVER! Australian doctors saved the life of a poison victim by drip-feeding him with vodka. “We decided to reverse the effect of the poison, ethylene glycol, by giving him alcohol. Fortunately he was in a coma, so by the time he woke up the hangover was gone.”

LCBO DISCOUNTS IN DECEMBER Give Shiraz a rest and get into the original seductive red, Rioja from Spain. Pinot Noir Fans in particular should check out Rioja because it’s kinda similar. And a less expensive. Monticello is reduced to $12.75 till Jan 5. BODEGAS MONTECILLO 03 Rioja, Spain 144493 $14.75 P.S. Discounts (sales, etc) are not from the pockets of the LCBO, but the import agents. Nobody gets a break from he LCBO.

THE DRY RIESLING EXPERIENCE “It’s like getting a pinch on the bum in public.” At a recent tasting this is how a woman described her experience of a glass of dry Riesling. She was tasting blind, not know anything about the wine in her glass. What a beautiful description of the JOLTING and the SUGGESTIVE characteristics of Dry Riesling. A fleeting tease, something to get you going. THE RED BORDEAUX EXPERIENCE “The saturated ruby/plum-tinged 2002 reveals a tight but promising nose of underbrush.” This is how Robert Parker, the world’s most influential wine writer, recently described a top red Bordeaux. I think he needs his bum pinched.

	BUBBLY RECOMMENDATIONS One of the best kept secrets in local sparkling is COLIO ESTATES 'LILY' wines. They manage to feel both classy and yummy – the ultimate experience in sparkling wine. For pleasing family and friends over the holidays I'd choose these over wines at twice the price. COLIO ESTATES Sparkling 'Lily', Ontario 509083 $14.95 COLIO ESTATES 04 Blanc de Noir Sparkling 'Lily', Ontario $14.95 at Colio stores As you know, SPAIN is the home of great value bubbly and a couple of great buys this season are the special LCBO purchase, CODORNIU 'NON PLUS ULTRA'. This is a delicious fruity, toasty drink that's classy enough for the fussy and yummy enough for all the rest. Perfect for New Years. but get extra for drinking in 2008. CODORNIU 'Non plus Ultra' Brut, Spain 53660 $20.95 And don't forget my previous recommedation for CODORNIU's white and rosé gift pack pair. Full story here in case you missed it. Do I need to mention the longtime hero from Spain, SEGURA VIUDAS? Pour at every holiday event and you’ll be loved by all. SEGURA VIUDAS BRUT, Spain 158493 $13.95 CHAMPAGNE PROPER Some occasions call for Champagne (anniversary, celebration, indulgence, loved one at New Years, etc) and here are a couple of options. If you like old-style Champers – very dry, earthy and yeasty get Lanson Black Label Brut. It feels like the cocktail hour at the country club – in a room with a roaring fire and heavy drapes. For a more elegant, understated experience get Roederer Brut. Refreshment for the palate at first, followed by delicate flavours later. Keeps you wanting more. LANSON Black Label Brut Champagne, France 41889 $44.95 ROEDERER Brut Premier Champagne, France 268771 $63.95 If you’re in the mood for glamour look for POL ROGER 98 EXTRA CUVEÉ de RESERVE BRUT (at Vintages). Has the luxury hotel feeling. Wine in a gold frame. Invites you to have a splashy event for two – with this as the cocktail. POL ROGER 98 Extra Cuveé de Reserve Brut Champagne, France 989137 $79.95 Check out my December 8 Vintages report for more champagnes and other treats for the Holidays.

KEEPING THE BUBBLES Thanks to reader T. Leadson for writing in with a great tip for preserving the bubbles in opened bottles of sparkling wine. “Years ago I purchased a gadget called The Champagne Saver. It was a polished piece of stainless steel, about the size of a teaspoon and similarly shaped. The instructions were to place the handle in the neck of the opened bottle of sparkling wine. It didn't make any sense to me, but I tried it. The next day, I retrieved the bottle of bubbly and believe it or not, the wine was every bit as effervescent as when it was first opened! Magic!!!! Naturally, I was quite intrigued. I was with Andrés Wines at the time and our Lab Manager was George Soleas, (now the VP of Quality Assurance at the LCBO). George's background as an Analytical Chemist (years earlier at Stelco) led me to ask him why this little stainless steel device worked its magic. George recalled that carbon dioxide and stainless steel repel one another. Hence ‘stainless’. Anyway, placing a stainless steel teaspoon in the neck of a partly consumed bottle of sparkling wine, will keep the bubbles. No smells or tastes can get past the spoon and spoil the wine, nor can any carbon dioxide escape from the bottle. It's worth a try, Billy.”

	LOCAL – Stonechurch comes alive Stonechurch has been making wine in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region for ages, but has never done much to warrant our attention. However, last week while LCBO browsing my attention was drawn to very smart-looking Cabernet and Riesling offerings by STONECHURCH. Full story here

LOCAL – really good Shiraz As you know I’m really keen on local wineries producing distinctive, cool climate wine. As opposed to editions of something from California. So hats off to CREEKSIDE for crafting a truly Niagara Shiraz. Full story here

.	LOCAL – well, almost Extending local to other parts of the country I’d like to recommend one of the LCBO’s holiday purchases which is a Sparkling Ice Cider from the Eastern Townships in Quebec. This is not at all like Icewine – it feels light, delicate and quite refreshing. The experience is best described as being similar to a lover’s kiss – gentle and sweet. Wonderful for afternoon sipping, apré ski, or as an after dinner interlude before getting into the serious stuff. Comes in an attractive metal box with two flutes. DOM. PINNACLE SPARKLING ICECIDER, Quebec 52365 $44.95/375ml

STARDOM AT LAST Page 24 of the Indigo/Chapters holiday catalog features Billy’s Best for 2008 in the company of other starving artists such as the Beatles, Eric Clapton and Bruce Springsteen. Not bad company! "Hip, yet unpretentious and totally user-friendly: Canadian grape savant Billy Munnelly strikes again."

	ESPRESSO TRAIL With guidence from my wine industry friend, and local resident, Paul DeCampo, I recently took a walk around the traditional Italian part of St Clair Avenue west of Dufferin. A step back in time for sure. Get this: Ticolore Caffé is still pouring a glass of red for $3.75. It’s a decent Valpolicella. Now that has to be the lowest price in town. And the place is quite spiffy. I celebrated by having the wine, a grappa and an espresso. How was the espresso? I think it was good but the wine price stole the show. TRICOLORE BAR CAFFÉ 1240 St. Clair Ave W. Toronto (north side just west of Dufferin)

LAST WORD – from a reader’s letter in a recent issue of Vines magazine “It seems to me that when paired with the right food and company, every bottle of wine deserves a five-star rating.” J. Sardy, Vancouver

P.S. Check out future Vintages recommendations at www.billysbestbottles.com a few days ahead of the release date. Thanks for reading. Happy Holidays and all the best for 2008!