All posts tagged Champagne

Champagne Tasting Results

by Kato on August 14, 2011 in Wine Picks with 1 Comment

champangeSo here’s my notes:

ROEDERER PREMIER BRUT $67.95
. .  solid, really good. I’d love to have this every evening.

VEUVE CLICQUOT 2002 VINTAGE BRUT $86.95
. . a bit musty, disappointing.

LOUIS ROEDERER 2004 ‘CRYSTAL’ BRUT $286.95
. . yeasty, a bit wild. And thin.
DOM PERIGNON BRUT $219.95
. . austere, but there is also a suggestion of richness. Classic Champagne. I could see a wonderful cocktail hour with this.
LAURENT-PERRIER ROSE BRUT $99.95
. . spot on, very good. Rosé for someone special.

LCBO Vintages Saturday October 30

by Kato on October 26, 2010 in Vintages Picks with 1 Comment

THE LOW DOWN: California is the feature and just about all the wines are delicious drinks. But at a price. Today other regions are producing similar wines for a lot less money. An exception are the very Champagne-like sparkling wines from Roederer. And I’m recommending two reds for their uniqueness.

France and Italy are the star buys once again. Wonderful wines and values for Fall and Winter evenings. Southbrook’s Syrah is elegant and worth the splurge. Never thought I’d be recommending a pink Port but it’s perfect for the party season.

ormarineWHITES
wine style: nice & easy white
JEAN JEAN 09 ‘Ormarine’ Picpoul de Pinet, Midi, France 525287 $12.95
Novel house wine. Low keyed but tasty and refreshing. Forget Pinot Grigio for a week and go with Picpoul.

zagliawine style: nice & easy white
ZAGLIA 09 Friulano, Friuli, Italy 182204 $12.95
A delicious sipper. Refreshing but also feels slightly sweet – could be a cousin of Gewurz. Pretty floral, spicy fragrances and flavours. Would be a huge hit at family events.

wine style: rich white
GABRIEL D’ARDHUY 09 Chardonnay, Burgundy, France 183699 $17.95
Solid, semi-rich Chardonnay in the international style. Would fit in anywhere. Ideal as your first wine for winter dinner parties.

carmenwine style: rich white
VINA CARMEN 08 Chardonnay Gran Reserva, Casablanca, Chile 961276 $14.95
The new-style rich Chardonnay. Citrussy fresh with liveliness and a ‘drink lots’ personality. The perfect all-evening white.

SPARKLING
wine style: sparkling brut
ROEDERER ESTATE Sparkling Brut, Anderson Valley, California 294181 $28.95
Half-price Champers. Seriously dry, austere sparkling with a Champagne feeling. Stock up.
P.S. The Roederer Rosé is darn good too.

armaniREDS
wine style: fresh red
Albino Armani 08 Refosco, Friuli, Italy 181529 $13.95
Refosco is the Beaujolais of this part of Italy. Light, tart and refreshing. The perfect first bottle of the day. Always show your Armani early!

dolcettowine style: rustic red
MARENCO 08 Dolcetto d’Acqui. Piedmont, Italy 188052 $14.95
The real deal! Rustic, invigorating Dolcetto to terrorize fans of smooth. Real Italian wine for those that love the style. Count me in.

southbrookwine style: rustic red
SOUTHBROOK 08 Syrah ‘Triomphe’, VQA Niagara 129809 $24.95
The peppery flavours of Syrah along with the lighthearted, earthy feeling of a Village Beaujolais. A great tease and partner for white meats. A possible splurge choice for the holiday dinner.

ripassowine style: rich red
FEUDI SAN PIO 07 Valpolicella Ripasso, Italy 181446 $15.95
Big taste, big rich red for the winter season. Lush, with warmhearted, mature flavours. Guaranteed to be a knock out – for heft and charm. And value.

masdoniswine style: rustic red
MAS DONIS 08 Barrica, Montsant, Spain 705863 $16.95
Rustic meets rich and the feeling is friendly and charming. I may be drinking a lot of this.

armoniswine style: rich red
TERRES d’AVIGNON 07 Cotes du Rhone, France 194886 $15.00
The beat goes on. Another super charming Rhone. Fall day meets Moroccan bazaar. The spice of life.

rasteauwine style: rich red
ALAIN JAUME 07 Rasteau ‘Les Valats’, Cotes de Rhone-Villages, France 185876 $18.95
Lovely hit of lushness, richness and the earthy feeling of the Rhone. Lots going on. Heartwarming red for winter. Compares well with wines at twice and three times the price.

midiwine style: rich red
DOMAINE ZUMBAUM TOMASI 07 Pic Saint-Loup, Languedoc, France 185868 $18.95
Think Merlot meets Zin, meets south of France. Many delights. Fireside warmth for a winter dinner.

aldoridgewine style: rich red
ALDERBROOK 04 Zinfandel ‘Old Vine’, Sonoma, California 603696 $23.95
Mature, elegant feeling. Could be a high priced Pinot Noir. Have with a roasted bird or sip with your sweetie.

sanfordwine style: rich red
SANFORD 08 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara, California 206680 $44.95
Mix of delish strawberry flavours and Italina-style gusto. Not typical Californian – more cool climate elegant. Wonderful gift for a Pinot fan.

croftportSWEET
wine style: sweet Port
CROFT PINK Port, Portugal 140871 $19.95
Not for the traditional Port fan, but you’re sure to be popular pouring this at family events. Sweet, but also refreshing and lighthearted. Lightly chill and serve in tumblers. An inch at a time.

Hart House Tasting Series starts this Thursday

by Kato on October 27, 2009 in Events with No comments

tasting_headerHart House 2009 Tasting Series brings together a cross-section of renowned specialists passionate about sharing their tasting knowledge with attendees. This series will run from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm every Thursday night in the Music Room at Hart House beginning October 29th through to December 3rd, 2009. I’m excited about my Bubbly tasting on December 3rd! Come celebrate with me. Tickets are now available for $50 per tasting, or purchase the bundle of all 6 tastings for $250. Spaces are limited. Get on it NOW! www.uofttix.ca or (416) 978-8849.  For more information visit www.harthouse.ca/tasting.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29 / 7:00 pm Quebec Beer & Cheese with Mirella Amato & Julia Roger
Kicking off the 2009 Hart House Tasting Series will be a little taste of Quebec without leaving the GTA. This unique tasting is not to be missed as we import product straight from our French Canadian neighbours just for your tasting pleasure. Let experts Mirella and Julia guide you through a beer and cheese tasting.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5 / 7:00 pm Pinot Camp with Norman Hardie
If you’re a Pinot lover tonight is the night for you! Winemaker Norman Hardie leads us through a detailed tasting of Pinot Noir from the countries that make it best. Afrim Pristine will be bringing along treats from the Cheese Boutique.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12 / 7:00 pm Contemporary Cocktails with Dick Snyder
Dick Snyder of CityBites Magazine hosts a night of cocktails that promises to get you in a Mad Men kind of mood. Bartenders from the Harbord Room, Ame and the Black Hoof will delight us with contemporary twists on classic cocktails.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19 / 7:00 pm Wines from New Regions with Sheila Person and Stephanie Kern
Care for a glass of Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains from Romania? Join Sommeliers Sheila Person and Stephanie Kern as they showcase wines from up and coming regions around the world. A votre sante!

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26 / 7:00 pm Tea Tasting with Karen Hartwick
Smell, swirl and taste. This isn’t another wine tasting – experience a tasting like no other with Karen Hartwick from Tea Leaves in Stratford as she explores the world of tea.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3 / 7:00 pm Billy & Bubbles with Billy Munnelly and Guest Chef Jonathan Gushue
What could be better than a little bubbly and some fancy hors d’oeuvres to match? Langdon Hall’s Executive Chef Jonathan Gushue will partner up with Billy Munnelly as they explain sparkling wines and the foods that love them.

‘Lily’ Sparkling

by Kato on May 2, 2009 in Wine Picks with No comments

People are drinking a lot more sparkling wine. Sales are way up. I have no idea why this is happening so I can only assume it has something to do with the Recession or the Aquarian age of enlightenment. More people celebrating everyday, as opposed to waiting for a big moment.

Another reason may be that sparkling wine has never been so good, and so affordable. If you’re not into the sparkling habit yet may I offer a tip that might help get you started. Don’t think that you always have to finish the bottle. Have a glass or two at the cocktail hour, recork the bottle and repeat the following evening. With the help of a Champagne stopper (an essential wine tool) a refrigerated bottle will remain fizzy and fresh for 3 to 4 days.

lillyThe Zen books tell us to live in, and celebrate, the moment. I try my best by having at least one glass of sparkling wine every day. It’s my ‘made it through the day’ and ‘great to be home’ celebration.

If bubbly-every-day just seems too outrageous for you let me offer a tip: down-style it. Buy one of the great cheapies below and drink it from a tumbler like they do in Italy. And to avoid the temptation of finishing the bottle, recork and return it to the fridge after pouring. It will remain good for up to five days.

Did you know that only Champagne, from that region in France, can be called Champagne? All the other fizzy wines are simply called sparkling. But don’t let wine snobs intimidate you into buying Champagne. You can lead a very happy life with all the other sparkling wines.

One of the best kept secrets in local wine is COLIO ESTATES sparkling wine that goes by the name LILY. It feels both classy and yummy – the ultimate experience in sparkling wine.

Colio Estates Sparkling ‘Lily’, Ontario 509083 $14.95

 

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