Wine Lesson #4
Will that be rustic or rich? Playing around with a few Portuguese reds – fun on a winter night.
Sogrape is a big Portuguese winery that churns out some of the world’s great value reds. Really good wines at everyday prices. I’ve been recommending the following for ages but they have never tasted better. And [...]
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 Wednesday. Looking forward to hearing about your ‘homework’!
Lesson #3 Does the situation call for the old wine camp or the new?
The old wine [...]
THE LOW DOWN: Best Vintages release in a long time. Lots of great tasting and distinctive wines for only $12.95. But you must try the Rasteau for $15.
anytime sipper
wine style: fresh white
RAPAURA SPRINGS 08 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, N.Z. 142919 $14.95 New Zealand Sauv in a mellow mood. Well, almost. The usual exuberance is tempered with [...]
Posted in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks | Also tagged Argentina, chardonnay, Chile, Corbieres, France, Italy, New Zealand, Rasteau, red wine, sauvignon blanc, Terra D'Aligi, Vinho Verde, viognier, white wine |
Pick a Port!
Port continues to be one of the great values in wine when you consider the age, flavour concentration and overall character of what you’re buying. Get some and celebrate the season, or any cold winter night.
The drink hails from the Douro River Valley in northern Portugal, where it gets hot as hell in [...]
Posted in Wine Picks | Also tagged Port |
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.
WHITES
wine style: NICE & EASY WHITE
Aveleda 08 Alvarinho ‘Follies’, Portugal [...]
Even the Portuguese are hot on the trail of Fuzion. They’ve introduced a new red with a simple, modern label – and a great name (which even sounds like Fuzion!). Expect the richness and smoothness of all the best sellers along with the ’somethng different’ character found in Portuguese reds – a little rustic wildness. [...]
VINTAGES Oct 24
THE LOW DOWN: It’s the calm before the storm! Just a few picks – but I’m sure the next few releases will get more tempting. Stay tuned.
WHITES
Tamar Ridge 08 Riesling ‘Devil’s Corner’, Tasmania
138289 $18.95
wine style: FRESH WHITE
Refreshing and friendly. A lovely mix of citrus tang and delicate flavours. Weekend sipper.
Crabilis 08 Vermentino, Sardinia, [...]
THE LOW DOWN: 6 REALLY GOOD LOCALS, especially the reds. Thirteen Street Gamay and Lailey’s Pinot Noir are too good to be missed. What a joy to experience local wine of this quality level. Other reds worth considering are an authentic Beaujolais, a Tuscan, and a winter warmer from the Port region. A novel Portuguese [...]
Posted in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks | Also tagged 13th STREET WINERY 07 Gamay Noir, 30benchTHIRTY BENCH 07 Red, CASA de SANTA VITORIA 08 White, DOM de SAINT-ENNEMOND 'Clos Reyssier' 07 Beaujolais-Villages, douroQUINTA de VENTOZELO 05 Touriga Nacional, France, Italy, laileyLAILEY 07 Pinot Noir, LE CLOS JORDANNE 'Talon Ridge' 07 Pinot Noir, MALIVOIRE 07 Gamay, POGGIO MORINO 07 Morellino di Scansano, Tuscany, VQA Niagara, WILDASS 07 Riesling |
VINTAGES JULY 4, 2009
THE LOW DOWN: Most of my selections are from the old wine world. Characterful wines at reasonable prices – the reason to shop at Vintages.
SPARKLING
SIMONNET-FEBVRE Brut, Cremant de Bourgogne, France
126318 $18.95
This Chablis producer has crafted a wine that’s terribly close to Champagne. Not a surprise really, as the two regions have identical [...]
The newest alternative packaging for wine is lightweight aluminum bottles. They look slimmer than glass bottles and they’re screwcap of course. Wineries are touting the fuel and omission savings of lightweight aluminum over glass as well as a shorter chilling time for the drinker. One claims it’s ‘four times faster’. Did someone actually measure?
