All posts tagged Germany

LCBO Vintages Saturday Nov 26

by Billy on November 25, 2011 in Vintages Picks with 2 Comments

THE LOW DOWN: This release is loaded with big name, hundred dollar-plus wines. I tasted most of them – felt like being in a boardroom. Lots of power. But there’s wasn’t a wine I’d want to splurge on, or invite to dinner.

My picks include some fabulous Holiday wines and a few others for Winter drinking.

Enjoy.

WHITES
Crowd-pleasing bubbly
BELCANTO DI BELLUSSI N/V Prosecco, Veneto, Italy
53215 $17.95
Delicious fruitiness and drinkability. Off-dry and perfect for any Holiday moment.

Oysters or any seafood
GROTTA DEL SOLE 09 Falanghina, Campania, Italy
247940 $15.95
Crisp, pure and refreshing. Not unlike a $25 Chablis. Perfect seafood partner. Falanghina is an underrated native Italian white grape.

Gorgeous sipper
KURT DARTING 08 Riesling Spatlese, Pfalz, Germany
963207 $19.95
Honeyed flavours combined with lemony freshness. Super light with a suggestion of sweetness. Semi sweet but also feels dry. Exotic/sexy but also pure as snow. Welcome to the German Spatlese  (late harvest) experience. Gorgeous anytime sipper. Or partner for the big bird.

 

REDS
Light red for cold nights
REICHSRAT VON BUHL 08 Pinot Noir, Pfalz, Germany
249649 $19.95
Light Pinot with mature flavours. Woodsy and cuddly. Yes, Germany does Pinot.

Raunchy
ERRAZURIZ 10 Pinot Noir ‘Wild Ferment’, Chile
510396 $19.95
Gamey, raunchy Pinot – strictly for the fan. Drier and more real than most New World Pinots. Needs well seasoned meats, and company. Fermented with natural yeasts – the old fashioned way.

Almost rich red – for almost any situation.
LA FERME DU MONT 09 Cotes du Rhone ‘Le Ponnant’ France
171371 $17.95
Tasty fruit/spice/earthy flavours. And great vitality. Lovely  combination of wine character and sense of fun. Guaranteed to please.

Bistro-style
DUCA DI SALAPARUTA 08 Nero d’Avola, ‘Passo delle Mule’, Sicily
250928 $19.95
If the French grew Nero d’Avola it would be poured at every Bistro in that country. A gutsy red with bright flavours and a drink-lots feeling. Works with just about any food.

Winter nourishment
FATTORIA VALIANO 06 Chianti Classico ‘Poggio Teo’ Tuscany, Italy
250563 $17.95
Mature Chianti with a warmhearted, fireside feeling. Soulful too. Best with grilled meats. Sure to appeal to your Italian spirit.

Really wild
FLAGSTONE 09 Pinotage ‘Writer’s Block’, South Africa
243337 $19.95
Think Baco on steroids. Red wine with intense gamey, backwoods character. Wild and really good at it. A novel experience for a winter night.

Formal local
STRATUS 07 Merlot, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake
131003 $42.20
Not the usual flamboyant Merlot, but one crafted the very dry, Bordeaux style. Concentrated and earthy with a traditional/formal dinner party feeling. Deep at first, becoming delicious later. Needs big glassware and a primo roast of beef or lamb. Impressive gift.

 

SWEET
Exotic Aussie Port
GRANT BURGE 10-Year-Old Tawny, Barossa, Australia
58388 $30.95
Feels warm, exotic and powerful. Somewhere between Tawny Port and a liqueur. Lots of Pow! Sip after dinner, or with all the Christmas candy!

Great mixer
ST-GERMAIN Elderflower Liqueur ‘Delice de Sureau’, France
180695 $49.95
The delicate and hard-to-describe flavours in this liqueur put a lovely spin on just about any cocktail. Shake it up with vodka/gin or add to sparkling wine. Stylish Art Nouveau bottle.

LCBO Vintages Saturday April 30

by Kato on April 27, 2011 in Vintages Picks with 1 Comment

THE LOW DOWN: A very good release.

Must be the first time I’ve recommended four Aussie wines – white, red and a to-die-for sweet. You’ll find four locals too, big ticket wines for a big night. And Italy is also represented with a foursome. Bargain of the release is a Spanish wine that could become your summer house red. Speaking of summer, my German pick is the ultimate sunny afternoon sipper.

Slainte.
Billy

proseccoSPARKLING
wine style: dry sparkling
TENUTA S. ANNA 09 Prosecco Brut, Veneto, Italy 216432 $16.95
Easy drinking bubbly in a stylish package. Perfect for parties. Wins the prize for best looking bubbly at this price.

germanWHITES
wine style: nice & easy white
DOMDECHANT WERNER’SCHES 08 Riesling, Hochheimer Holle, Rheingau, Germany
722413 $18.95
So delicate it almost floats. Suggestions of sweetness but the main show is lovely citrus flavours. Summer breezes never tasted better. Magical. Only 8% alcohol. From a family estate that’s been doing its thing since 1780.

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LCBO Vintages Saturday March 6

by Kato on March 4, 2010 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

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.

connawaraWHITES
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.

BURGwine 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.

NOVASwine 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.

FABREREDS
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).

TABALIwine 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.

ALPHAwine 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.

CASAwine 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.

montesalphawine 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


irishwhiskeyIRISH 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.

LCBO Vintages Saturday November 21, 2009

by Kato on November 19, 2009 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

LCBO Vintages Saturday November 21, 2009

THE LOW DOWN: Fancy wines at fancy prices are the features in this release. Go get em! For something more interesting and affordable check out the following.

P. S. Hate to say it, but I was disappointed with the premium local offerings.

follesWHITES
wine style: NICE & EASY WHITE
Aveleda 08 Alvarinho ‘Follies’, Portugal 59048 $15.95
Imagine the zest of Vinho Verde combined with the pretty, pleasantness of Pinot Grigio. This is one yummy, anytime sipper. Treat self or friends.

dartingwine style: NICE & EASY WHITE
Kurt Darting 07 Riesling Kabinett, Pfalz, Germany 950212 $16.95
Medium-dry wine with heavenly flavours and tingling freshness. A low-alcohol, Sunday afternoon sipper. You MUST get some for the holidays.

muscatwine style: NICE & EASY WHITE
Cave de Frontignan 08 Muscat Sec ‘Terres Blanches’, VDP d’Oc, France 653188 $13.95
Dry Muscat is one of the most exotic wines on the planet. Shades of Gewurztraminer but less of a show-off. Drier and more refreshing. This would be a great Holiday season house wine. You’ll get a lot of wows.

crastoREDS
wine style: RICH RED
Bodegas Martin Codax 07 Mencia ‘Cuatro Pasos’, Bierzo, Spain 39313 $16.95
A mix of richness, hearty flavour and a rustic edge. Spain does a version of Ontario Baco! The feeling of being at the dinner table in winter – with good conversation.

tabaliwine style: RICH RED
Tabali 07 Syrah Reserva, Chile 662692 $16.95
Big and lush. But not overdone. Crowd-pleasing, winter warmer.

missionhillwine style: RICH RED
Mission Hill 07 Syrah ‘S.L.C.’, Okanagan, British Columbia 68379 $36.95
Dark. dense, earthy and very dry. Seriously good. Shades of the original from the Northern Rhone. Cellar a year or two.

OPENSWEET
wine style: SWEET WHITE
Open 07 Vidal Icewine, VQA Niagara 149799 375ml/$29.95
Value-priced Icewine that’s really good. Luscious tropical flavours and lemony zest. Low alcohol too. Would be a lovely afternoon sipper, or add a splash to dry sparkling wine for a festive cocktail.

portwine style: SWEET RED
Quinta de Ventozelo 10-Year-old-Tawny Port, Portugal 141044 $27.95
The exotic, tangy experience of Tawny. Sexy meets earthy. Port with a Middle Eastern feeling. Sip after dinner, or anytime.

LCBO Vintages, Saturday August 15, 2009

by Kato on August 11, 2009 in Vintages Picks with 1 Comment

THE LOW DOWN: Fabulous Furmint, a Chardonnay alternative, a blockbuster local and a fun Riesling are my white recommendations. In reds, you’ll find good value Syrah from the producers of Fuzion, a classic Bordeaux style wine from Chile and a Ripasso that’s perfect for fall meals and moods. The dry Rosé – buy of the year – rounds out my picks.

felderWHITES
LINGENFELDER 07 Riesling ‘Bird Label’, Pfalz, Germany
568634 $14.95
style: nice & easy
Delicious semi-dry Riesling with refreshing lime/lemon zest. Summer day in a glass.

fornintROYAL TOKAJI 05 Furmint, Hungary
653220 $13.95
style: rich white
For once I’m going to quote the catalogue: ‘Strong wine with enough personality to tweak many people’s interest.” The feeling is of rich Chard mixed with the mineral freshness of Riesling. The falvours are apple fresh and the overal experience is excitingly different. Try with foods in a cream sauce. Furmint in the Hungarian grape variety responsible for the famour sweet Tokaji wines.

masbressMAS des BRESSADES 08 Tradition Blanc, Costieres de Nimes, France
701094 $13.95
style: rich white
Why pay high prices for Chardonnay when you can have this gem? Combines richness with refreshment and intriuging herbal falvours. Has a lovely pure, natural feeling. Rich white that gets more interesting with each sip, and which doesn’t try to overpower food. Fantastic now and will evolve over a few years.

wildassWHITEWILDASS 06 White, Stratus Winery, VQA Niagara
85100 $19.95
style: rich white
Novel blend of just about all the locally grown whites. Made in the Stratus winery style of great concentration and richness. Shades of a big Alsace white that partners well with chicken or pork dishes.

ValRipassoREDS
CASA GIRELLI ‘Villalta’ 06 Valpolicella Ripasso, Veneto, Italy
117242 $14.95
style: rich red
Many Ripassos have cooked flavours but this guy achieved richness without losing the gutsy, vibrant fruit quality of Valpolicella. Rich meets rustic – lots of vigour. Very Italian. My style of red for hearty pasta, casseroles or anything off the Q.

StJuliaSANTA JULIA 07 Reserva Syrah. Mendoza, Argentina
127613 $13.95
style: rich red
New World richness with a solid, earthy feeling. Hearty red that’s both invigorating and nourishing. Fall and winter stuff. Another great value from the producers of Fuzion.

CONCHA y TORO 07 Carmenere ‘Winemaker’s Lot’, Chile
30957 $16.95
style: rich red
Chile does a version of Bordeaux at a bargain price. Concentrated, with Old World flavours – combined with modern drinkability. A great value. For a lamb or beef dinner. Set the table nice.

provROSEDRY ROSÉ
BIELER P&F Rosé, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, France
71423 $12.95
style: rich red
Yippee! A very decent Provence Rosé at an everyday price. Spicy and super-charming. Lovely lush, creamy richness…suggesting late summer suppers on the patio. Handy screw cap. Buy of the summer in dry Rosé.

 

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