All posts tagged Chateau des Charmes

A Holiday Pair

by Billy on December 5, 2011 in Wine Picks with No comments

Here’s my first Holiday Pair pick. A white to start and a red to follow – or however you want to play it. Both are local, and really good.

It’s impossible not to feel good drinking Charmes Riesling. Off-dry with delicious, joyful summer day feelings. Perfect for creating a happy mood. The spicy flavours would partner well with turkey or ham.

As holiday meals are usually earlier in the evening, it’s best to go with light reds such as Pinot. Even lightly chilled. Charmes wine is a good mix of fruity, earthy and refreshing. With the gulpability of something you’d find at a French bistro.

A few years of bottle age has added an extra dimension of flavour, character and charm to these wines. I’ll be shocked if you’re not absolutely delighted.

CHATEAU DES CHARMES 08 Riesling ‘Old Vines’, VQA Niagara on the Lake 277228 (Vintages) $16.95

CHATEAU DES CHARMES 08 Pinot Noir, VQA Niagara on the Lake 195511 $14.55

LCBO Vintages Saturday February 19

by Kato on February 16, 2011 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

LCBO VINTAGES SATURDAY FEB 19

Cabernet is the feature with lots of high priced, highly polished offerings. But as ever, the values are in the regular section of the catalogue.

MY 6 HIGHLIGHTS

rosebubbly#1. ONE OF THE WORLD’S BEST VALUE SPARKLING WINES
Codorniu’s Pink bubbly is back in town. Refreshing with a tease of strawberry flavour, and something earthy. Good fun naturally, but good with food too. Especially anything spicy/hot.
Wine style: Sparkling Dry Rosé
CODORNIU BRUT ROSÉ CAVA, Spain 665372 $16.95


B#2. THE MEDITERRANEAN FEELING FOR ONLY $12.95
Try something different in white wine. Light ‘n refreshing but loaded with bold flavours. Herbs, olives – the Mediterranean feeling. Perfect with a seafood platter. Organic.
Wine-style: Fresh White
PARES BALTA 09 Blanc de Pacs, Penedes, Spain 190603 $12.95

13#3.  A PAIR of LOCAL HEROES – GOOD GAMAY and DELISH SWEET RIESLING
(a) 13th Street is one of the few wineries to take Gamay seriously. This vintage is Italian in spirit. Vibrant, gutsy and big on pucker. Not for the timid, but the perfect partner for a greasy burger or lamb chop. A bit expensive but an exciting local experience.
P.S. 13th Street has moved to beautiful new digs – bright and colourful with an art gallery feeling. The barn next door has been converted into a café with delicious local offerings to eat-in, or take for a picnic. A five star Niagara experience.
Wine style: Rustic Red
13th STREET 08 Gamay, VQA Niagara 177824 $17.95

charmes(b) Late Harvest Riesling is one of the wines that Ontario does best. Hugely concentrated flavours with equal amounts of sweetness and zest are the features in Chateau des Charmes wine. A delicious anytime sipper. Heavenly after an alfresco lunch.
Wine style: Medium-sweet White
CHATEAU DES CHARMES 07 Late Harvest Riesling, VQA Niagara-on-the -Lake 432930 375ml/$21.95

rhone

#4. ONE OF THE WORLD’S BEST VALUES IN RED WINE
What more can I say about Cotes-du-Rhone! This one is delicious and  warmhearted without feeling heavy, and the traditional label suggests a far more expensive wine. A-bottle-a-day drinkers will welcome the handy screw cap. Certain to be one of the buys of the year.
Wine style: Rich Red
LOUIS BERNARD 09 Cotes du Rhone ‘Reserve de Bonpas’, France 194969 $13.95

giorioso

#5. THE SEXY RIOJA THING
A few weeks ago I recommended an everyday Rioja from this winery and now here’s their Saturday night offering. Richer, with more spicy/sweetness and pouring on the charm and seduction. Sip slowly from a big glass.
Wine style: Rich Red
PALACIO GLORIOSO 05 Rioja Reserva, Spain 930164 $19.95

patache#6. WINE SCHOOL – A LESSON IN CABERNET
Meet Cabernet in the raw. The original – unadorned by the sweetness of oak. Lots of vigour, pucker and refreshment. Wine for any Bistro food or mood.

P.S. The catalogue notes by James Suckling (Wine Spectator) are very misleading – he always is.

Wine style: Rustic Red
DOMAINES LAPALU 09 Medoc ‘La Patache’, Bordeaux, France 217307 $14.95

grunerAND A FEW OTHERS…
Leth’s Gruner is a wonderful combination of zest and Spring-like flavours. Imagine a dry Riesling with a little spice and richness. Stock-up for patio lunches.
Wine style: Fresh White
LETH 09 Gruner Veltliner, Austria 207282 $16.95

porcupineGive Chardonnay a rest and explore another style of rich white. A spicy, manly white with a whiskey personality. Cannot wait to have this with summer BBQ’d chicken or pork. A mouthful of a name for a mouthful of a wine.
Wine style: Rich White
BOEKENHOUTSKLOOF 09 Viognier/Grenache Blanc ‘Porcupine Ridge’, South Africa 203893 $16.95

rasteauCotes du Rhone with an extra shot of richness and seduction.
Wine style: Rich Red
CHATEAU GOUDRAY 09 Rasteau, Cotes du Rhone Villages, France 195032 $15.95

luigiRich and plummy in the Merlot style. But not overdone.
Wine style: Rich Red
LUIGI BOSCA 08 Malbec Reserva, Mendoza, Argentina 79293 $17.95

wakefieldWakefield always offers more than Aussie bigness. There’s character too.
Wine style: Rich Red
WAKEFIELD ESTATE 08 Shiraz, Clare Valley, Australia 943787 $17.95

LCBO Vintages Saturday November 13

by Kato on November 10, 2010 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

THE LOW DOWN: I am not able to report on this release because I missed the tasting due to a last minute change in the date. However, I had previously tasted a few of the wines and I’d like to take this opportunity to catch-up on earlier released Italian wines that are still available. All is not lost.

charmesWHITES
Wine-Style: Nice ‘n Easy White
Chateau des Charmes 08 Chardonnay Musque, VQA Niagara-in-the-Lake 640516 $16.95
Chardonnay Musque has become an Ontario speciality and a great example of the distinctive pure quality of local whites. A refreshing non-oaked wine with a delicate hit of Muscat. I’d call it yummy, delightful and fun. Pour this at Holiday events and watch faces light up. Joy to the world.

chiantiREDS
Wine-Style: Rustic Red
Tenuta il Corno 07 Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Tuscany, Italy 123752 $14.95
Another very traditional Italian wine. Earthy, rustic and crying out for the dinner table. With simply grilled or roasted meat.

Wine-Style: Rusticdolcetto Red
Pietro Rinaldi 08 Dolcetto d’Alba ‘Madonna di Como’, Piedmont, Italy 182261 $16.95
My second Dolcetto within a month! A must for fans of traditional very dry, rustic Italian reds. Grabs the taste buds and says let’s eat. Cannot get enough of Italian gusto.

treroseWine-Style: Rich Red
Angelini 07 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ‘Tre Rose’, Tuscany, Italy 963199 $21.95
Vino Nobile is usually serious in style and price, but here’s an exception. Rustic meets charm. A very graceful Tuscan wine with the lighter feeling of Burgundy. At peak now. A Saturday night special for sure. Best from a decanter, and Riedels sitting on linen.

JTWine-Style: Rich Red
Jackson-Triggs 07 Shiraz ‘Delaine Vineyard’, VQA Niagara 86553 $29.95
Crafted in the Rhone style but with enough spicy sweetness to get lots of wows. As exotic as we dare to get in Canada. I love the mix of refreshment and nourishment. Elegant too. I’d go with white meat. A local hero for sure.
P.S. The Delaine vineyard is on the Niagara Parkway and was planted by Donald Triggs (ex Jackson-Triggs) and his partner, Elaine – hence the name. You can find other excellent Delaine wines at WineRack Stores.

FREIWine-Style: Rich Red
Frei Brothers 07 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, California 91025 $22.95
Typical Californian Pinot Noir – spicy sweet and sure to seduce. A delicious dose of niceness. You cannot fail for romance, family events or fireside sipping.

Damn Good Local Chards

by Kato on April 19, 2010 in Wine Picks with No comments

CharmesChardEvery day people tell me that they’ve stopped drinking Chardonnay. “Too rich, too oaky, too whatever.” Chardonnay has become the unfashionable white wine. Well, I don’t mind being out of fashion because I thoroughly enjoy glasses of some of Niagara’s finest. Try these and I bet you’ll NOT be doing the non-Chardonnay thing.

Chateau des Charmes 07 Chardonnay is a lovely mix of charm (honest) and refreshment. No heavy perfume, tiring richness or posing. Instead expect a composed and polite wine. Canadian excellence.

There’s some richness in Henry’s wine but it’s also understated. Shades of the delicious everyday Chardonnays of the Macon region in France. A delightful anytime drink.

CHATEAU des CHARMES 07 Chardonnay ‘Estate’, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake 81653 $13.95 (shown)

HENRY of PELHAM 07 Chardonnay ‘Reserve’, VQA Niagara 252833 $14.95

Niagara Wine Tours

by Kato on April 13, 2009 in Food & Restaurants, Travel Notes, Wine Picks with Comments Off

before you go Pick up a copy of Wineries of Ontario at LCBO stores. It has maps and all the contact info for wineries, restaurant and hotels. www.winesofontario.ca

the low down The wonderful 07 Vintage is the current hot topic but don’t overlook the wines of 06, which are drinking really well right now. This cool year produced light wines that are truly local in character.

There are 2 district regions – the flat lands of Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) and the more sloped escarpment of Beamsville/Jordan/Vineland. The two regions are separated by the city of St. Catharines. If you’re on a day trip, I suggest you don’t try to visit both regions as this involves highway travel and that ruins the Niagara experience. The QEW is to Niagara what Yonge Street is to Toronto – a central artery best avoided. You need at least two days. Three would be better – especially if you want to take time to smell the roses. I like to do the Niagara-on-the-Lake region first, heading down York Road to Queenston, and then up the beautiful Parkway. A little refreshment on the back patio of the Riverbend Inn, and I’m in the zone.

Don’t spend all your time at wineries. At least take a break for lunch.

When confronted by a tasting bar with dozens of wines, try saying this: “Take me through a day of wine – lunch, aperitif, appetizers, main course, after dinner, nite cap. And how about something novel, an adventure?” This way you’re tasting with context in mind.

Niagara is producing some of the most exciting $20-$30 wines in the world.

Treat yourself. If you’re spending a few days consider staying at Inn on the Twenty in Jordan. Upscale but friendly, relaxed and everything in good taste. Some rooms have a garden, and breakfast in the grand dining room is a fab way to start the day.

On the restaurant scene, Stone Road Grille, located just outside Niagara-on-the-Lake is a rare Ontario edition of the bistro experience. Locally popular, personable owners and staff, bustling, informal atmosphere, generous  food portions, a commitment to local produce and wines, reasonable prices…you must go. (Reservations 905-468-3474)

best new attractions: Southbrook’s stunning modern winery – with a ‘great wall’ and pizza patio. Organized Crime’s sexy tasting room. Olson’s Foods and Bakery shop at Ravine Winery. Chefs Michael and Anna Olson have opened a big food shop/café on a lovely woodsy hillside in the village of St. David’s. It’s part of a complex containing Ravine Winery. Top quality foods and a rustic setting – can’t beat that.

Best winery reception on my last visit was by Lindsay at Thirty Bench. Most intelligent restaurant service was Christina at Hillebrand. Continue reading →

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