Billy's Best Bottles Wine Blog

An Aussie Menage-a-Trois

Kato — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:37:22 +0000

I often get asked why I don’t recommend more Aussie wines. “People seem to find their own way into that section” or “people need other wines in their life” are my usual answers. When Aussie winemakers deliver something other than crowd-pleasers I’m delighted to spread the word. Such as the wonderful trio under the Long Flat brand.

A lot of low-priced Aussie wines are crafted in an easy, slightly sweet style to appeal to novice drinkers. Long Flat wines are not.

LONG FLAT 08 Semillon/Sauvignon, Australia 183715 $10.05… a livewire loaded with bracing refreshment. A headbanging rocker for sure. Wine to get things going. Unusual low alcohol for an Aussie. Savoury flavours as opposed to the usual fruity niceness.

LONG FLAT 08 Cabernet/Shiraz, Australia 212373 $10.95 …gutsy, rustic and more refreshing than most Aussie reds. Pizza or pasta wine.

LONG FLAT 08 Shiraz, Australia 536763 $11.95…lush and lovely. Full of spicy sweet flavours. Sure to please the Shiraz fan. Buy for the party, or the BBQ.

Local and a Good Thing

Kato — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:14:14 +0000

Fielding in the latest local winery to produce a white blend combining a light, tart feeling with exotic, Muscat flavours. Refreshment with a tease. Simplicity wiht a shot of glamour. See what a little Gewurztraminer and barrel fermented Chardonnay can do for the usually conservative Pinot Gris. I think that Ontairo is on to something with this style of blend because it turns basic dry white wine into something with more crowd appeal. Get the family together for Sunday brunch and be prepared for complements. Also sure to delight at any summer patio lunch. Call the winery. www.fieldingwines.com

FIELDING ESTATE 08 Conception White, VQA Niagara winery only $18.95

P.S. This wine is names after one of Fielding’s vineyards that was once a popular ‘parking’ spot.

Hot News

Kato — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 10:38:17 +0000

Each week we see another few cheapo wines at the LCBO, but later this month they will introduce a premium, limited production, red wine. A stunning Barbaresco from Castello di Neive for $19.95. Details to follow soon.

Billy’s Online Wine School

Kato — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:34:12 +0000

Wine School on the Web

Drink your way through Billy’s Best wine book – a bottle or two at a time. Follow the instructions and you’ll be a wine wizard by Easter. New lessons are posted every week, typically Wednesday. Looking forward to hearing about your ‘homework’!

Lesson #6 EXPERIENCE NICE

Nice is the most wrongly used wine description. When we enjoy a wine we tend to call it nice. What we should be saying is “this wine is hitting the spot, right now”. On a hot day a shrill Sauvignon can feel heavenly, but it’s a mistake to describe the wine as NICE. It’s not nice – it’s a good wine when we’re thirsty.

But there are wines that are NICE. Comfortable, gentle, polite, easy. Wines for relaxation, to sip ‘n chat – hanging out with friends. A lot of Pinot Grigio falls into this category. This week I’d like you to buy the two wines below, open and have both over several evenings. Experience NICE. And an amazing wine value from Gallo.

LINDEMANS 09 Pinot Grigio ‘Bin 85’, Australia 668947 $10.95
Pleasant fruitiness, zippy freshness and a lighthearted feeling. What could be nicer!. Very social, very party gulpable.

GALLO 08 Pinot Grigio ‘Family Vineyards’, California 82594 $7.95
Great blast of lemonade freshness and summer day on the beach feeling. Drier, and way better, than most Californians in the low price range. Bring on the summer party season. Great value.

LCBO Vintages Saturday March 6

Kato — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:26:29 +0000

THE LOW DOWN: The feature wine country for the March 6th Vintages release is Chile – so it’s going to be a mixed feelings release due to the tragic earthquake. While there might not have been loss of life at the wineries, there is talk of substantial loss of wine stocks. This is an unfortunate set back for a country that is poised to become the most exciting New World producer. My five recommendations are all stars for charm and value. Once again, the south of France steals the show in reds and Germany invites you to experience one of its white wine treasures.

WHITES
wine style: fresh white
WYNNS 08 Riesling, Coonawarra, Australia
528216 $16.95
Aussie Riesling is one of the most exciting Summer whites on the planet. Exhilarating, lemon fresh and thirstquenching. A great upper.

wine style: fresh white
BURGERSPITAL 07 Silvaner, Wurzburger Pfaffenberg, Franken, Germany
944504 $19.95
Here’s something different to buy for the Summer season. German wine with the rasping dryness of NZ Sauvignon. But you’ll enjoy lovely delicate honey and lime flavours too. The Boecksbeutel (Mateus-shaped bottle) is fun to behold and hold. Overpriced but worth the splurge.

wine style: rich white
EMILIANA NOVAS 07 Chardonnay/Viognier/Marsanne, Chile
63909 $18.95
Meet the Amarone of white wine. Big, exotic flavours, super rich and high alcohol. Mind and palate blowing stuff to sip long after the kids go to bed. Organic wine.

REDS
wine style: rich red
CHATEAU FABRE 07 Corbieres, France
148783 $13.95
Rich, earthy red with a lively spirit. All my favourite characteristics, and nice price tag too. Just add Herbs de Provence to whatever you’re cooking and enjoy the bistro experience. (Vintages ‘Wine of the Month’ Corbieres #148692 $19.95 is solemn, serious, expensive and not very bistro).

wine style: rich red
TABALI 08 Pinot Noir Reserva, Limari, Chile
47514 $19.95
Lively with delicious bright flavours. Refreshing and charming. My favourite, gulp me style Pinot. A not-to-be-missed wine by Pinot fans.

wine style: rich red
MONTES ALPHA 07 Pinot Noir, Leyda Valley, Chile
143214 $19.95
X-Rated Pinot. Lush, rich ‘n lovely. Your Hollywood idol in a bottle. Could be the most seductive $20 red on the planet.

wine style: rich red
CASA LAPOSTOLLE 08 Merlot, Rapel Valley, Chile
405712 $16.95
New World richness in Old World clothing. Crowdpleaser meets classic. Beefeaters dream wine. Most would charge $50 for this.

wine style: rich red
MONTES ALPHA 07 Carmenere, Colchagua Valley, Chile
143230 $19.95
The ultimate hefty, manly red. Feels like a perfect combination of Cabernet and Shiraz

IRISH WHISKEY
GREEN SPOT, Mitchell & Son, Ireland
699827 $89.95
The four Irish whiskeys offered are good drinks but Green Spot is the most interesting. Very pure, Sauvignon Blanc-style flavours combined with a honeyed richness. I love the elusive character. A sippers delight. Only 6000 bottles produced annually, under contract for the wine merchants, Mitchell. Read more on Wikipedia.

Good Food & Wine at Elmhirst’s

Kato — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:00:40 +0000

Recently Kato and I were fortunate to experience an Ontario resort with a niche market. Elmhirst’s Resort on Rice Lake (south of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes region) delivers excellent food, wine and genuine hospitality in a family orientated, cottage-style resort. Each private cottage (2 to 5 bedroom) is located right on the lake and is equipped with a kitchen and BBQ should you want to cook for your gang.

But why not opt to eat and drink well in the main lodge? Many guests claim that their Angus beef, raised on premise, is ‘the best steak in the country’. Chef Michael Sterpin serves up a tasty and elegant local menu, using the resort’s own heirloom vegetables, fresh brown eggs and Red Fife wheat. The wine list is 100% VQA, with some of the best prices in Canada. Nyari Cellars Cab/Merlot @ $27 is the perfect partner for the great steaks, and Huff Estates Rosé @ $27 has the right colour and feel to match the generous Sunday Brunch buffet. Three generations of the Elmhirst family are involved in running the resort, which is open every day of the year.

Elmhirst’s Resort is offering some fun March break packages for families….cooking classes for kids and outdoor events.

Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene, Ontario K0L 2G0 1.800.461.1940 www.elmhirst.com

Olympic Watching Wine #6

Kato — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:22:52 +0000

‘STEAK DINNER’

Hillebrand’s Trius Red is now in its 20th vintage – a legend in local wine. It’s produced from the Bordeaux grape varieties (Cabs and Merlot) and I like how it manages to feel both stylish and crowd-pleasing. Fancy but not pretentious. The Canadian way. The early vintages of Trius were made by a French guy, and now it’s the work of an Aussie winemaker. A very fitting wine for an international event.

HILLEBRAND 08 Trius Red, VQA Niagara 303800 (Vintages Essential) $21.9

Olympic Watching Wine #5

Kato — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:20:32 +0000

‘A COLD GLASS OF SOMETHING COLD & FUN’

This is the wine to have open in your fridge for short episodes of Olympic watching. The spicy, zesty quality of Gewurztraminer delivers an instant lift – a shot of fun. And Jackson-Triggs is the official wine sponsors of the games. Everyone wins.

JACKSON-TRIGGS 07 Gewurztraminer, VQA Niagara 526269 $11.95

Olympic Watching Wines #4

Kato — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:02:36 +0000

‘PREMIUM SIPPING REDS’

Here’s a thought. If we’re watching our athletes competing against the best why shouldn’t we be sipping on some of our best wines? TV watching is usually associated with low quality drinks, but it doesn’t have to be. Why not multi-task – double the fun – with interesting wine experiences?Not the super-expensive, but certainly an upgrade.

Everyone loves Pinot Noir and it’s one of Canada’a best performers. Several wineries produce gold medal quality editions but I’d like to recommend a pair of ’silvers’ that are more affordable and suited to mid-week sipping. Pelee’s Pinot is a bit of a secret and a great value. A lively partner for pizza. Prospect’s Pinot is more mellow and West Coast. Think hot ‘n spicy foods.

PELEE ISLAND 08 Pinot Noir Reserve, VQA Pelee Island 135939 $14.75
Prospect Winery 07 Pinot Noir ‘Fats Johnson’, VQA Okanagan Valley 92304 $15.95

Olympic Watching Wines #3

Kato — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 10:00:47 +0000

‘THE POWER OF THE UNDERDOG’

While it would be ‘cool’ to match local wines with each Olympic sport I’m not doing it because I didn’t get the contract. Nobody did. Besides it’s probably illegal to mention wine on sports programs. A TV producer once told me that I couldn’t be shown pouring or drinking the wine I was discussing on his program. Perhaps they should edit athletes doing risky somersaults or traveling at speeds in excess of 20 clicks!

As you know I’m into matching wine with mood/situation so this and future Olympic picks is based on how you’re feeling or what you’re eating.

Eating a burger while watching hockey, curling or scantily clad skaters? Several glasses of Henry’s Baco Noir will put you in a relaxed, quietly confident mood. Baco is the under dog red – very Canadian.

HENRY of PELHAM 07 Baco Noir, VQA Ontario 270926 $13.65