All posts tagged south of France

LCBO Vintages Saturday July 24

by Kato on July 22, 2010 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

THE LOW DOWN: South of France is the feature and I URGE you to check out my three red picks. You’ll discover that there’s more to wine than Aussie Shiraz. France also scores high with a wonderful sparkling and a still Rosé. Complete your shopping basket with Aussie Riesling, Italian Pecorino and Californian Zinfandel.

rosesparklingSPARKLING ROSÉ
wine style: Rosé Sparkling
JEAN GEILER Brut Rosé, Alsace 47191 $17.95
Dry Sparkling Rosé with the classy feeling of Champagne. But at a fraction of the price! The perfect summer aperitif.

darenbergWHITES
wine style: fresh white
D’ARENBERG 08 Riesling ‘The Dry Dam’, Australia 942953 $16.95
Lemony, zesty and a little herbaceous. Wonderful exuberant refreshment. Low alcohol. Go get some.

pecorinowine style: fresh white
AGRIVERDE 08 Pecorino ‘Riseis’, Abruzzo, Italy 74112 $13.95
Pecorino is an indigenous Italian grape that produces a very savoury wine – great with food. Seafood or white meats. Or an antipasto platter.

saintrochwine style: nice & easy white
SAINT-ROCH 09 Cotes du Roussillon, France 175232 $13.95
Very pretty sipper. Delicate flavours and lots of charm. Ultra modern white in a stylish package. Lazy summer afternoon wine.

roseprovenceROSÉ
wine style: dry rosé
BIELER PERE & FILS 09 Rosé, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, France 71423 $12.95
Semi-rich with delicious spicy flavours. A hit of Provence at a bargain price. Get a CASE. BBQ’d chicken or seafood.

faugereREDS
wine style: rich red
CHATEAU HAUT LIGNIERES 07 Faugeres, France 177691 $15.95
An amazing red that delivers the spicy richness of Zinfandel along with the earthiness of the Rhone. Nora Jones meets Tom Waits – the pretty and the soulful. Could, and should, convert you to south of France reds.

rochenoireswine style: rich red
CAVE de ROQUEBRUN 07 Saint Chinian-Roquebrun, France 177519 $17.95
Experience the French edition of Shiraz. Pepperty flavours combined with earthy rustic feelings. Richness meets tangy refreshment. Great stuff.

66wine style: rich red
MAS de la DEVEZE 07 Cotes du Roussillon-Villages, France 65797 $17.95
I’m not usually into dark dense reds but this one rocks. Deep, down flavours combined with vigor. There’s a big personality behind the richness. Tells me a story as it nourishes.

bonnaterrawine style: rich red
BONTERRA 07 Zinfandel, Mendocino, California 530139 $18.95
The super-rich Zin experience – from organic grapes. Really good red wine that’s more than ‘just nice’. BBQ’d steaks would be the perfect partner. Of course!

A French Crowd-pleaser

by Kato on May 10, 2010 in Wine Picks with 1 Comment

Domaine_de_VedilA crowd-pleasing white from the south of France!

The New World gets all the attention, but the south of France is still a mecca for good wine. And at good prices. Case in point is this newly arrived Viognier. Gorgeous flavours and a novel mix of refreshment and richness. Crowd-pleasing for sure and a great value. A must for summer parties. Viognier is the south of France answer to Chardonnay.

Wine style: Nice ‘n easy white
DOMAINE de VEDILHAN 08 Viognier, VDO d’OC, France 162081 $12.95

LCBO Vintages Saturday March 20

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

THE LOW DOWN: What a great selection of wines! Everything from white to red to rosé to sparkling. A full bar! Whites cover the spectrum from delicate Riesling to exotic Muscat to rich Chardonnay. And a few styles in between. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience two of Italy’s great everyday reds – Barbera and Valpolicella. And a bargain red from South Africa.
P.S. My dull wine award goes to FRANCIS COPPOLA. The three wines in this release are dreary and over priced. As have been all the previous wines I’ve tasted from this winery.

13bubblySPARKLING
Wine style/fresh white
13 STREET ‘Cuvee 13′ 06 Rosé, VQA Niagara 147504 $24.95
Very dry and tart with just a tease of fruity flavour. Classy aperitif and very Champagneish. Gorgeous salmon/bronze colour.
JTbubblyWine style/rich white
JACKSON-TRIGGS ‘Grand Reserve’ 04 Brut, VQA Niagara 587691 $22.95
Quite rich and golden for sparkling. Big, toasty flavours. Niagara’s answer to Bollinger! Would be a great partner for a seafood appetizer or main dish. Or a fancy lunch. A value for sure.

petitBourgWHITES
Wine style/fresh white
HENRI BOURGEOIS 08 Sauvignon Blanc ‘Petit Bourgeois’, VDP Val du Loire, France 672345 $14.95
Razor sharp and oozing Spring Freshness. Lipsmacking good. A mini Sancerre. The Loire was doing Sauvignon Blanc long before the Kiwis got into the game.

calmusWine style/nice ‘n easy white
CALAMUS ESTATE 07 Riesling, VQA Niagara 158642 $16.95
Off-dry sipper with lovely fruitiness and citrus tang. A nice hit of Summer, and sure to be a fast bottle.

alamosWine style/nice ‘n easy white
CATENA ‘ALAMOS’ 08 Viognier, Mendoza, Argentina 507830 $13.95
Really pretty and out to please. Feels like a Pinot Grigio that’s been to charm school. Or house wine at Club Med!  Lovely, lovely.
muscatWine style/nice ‘n easy white
DOMAINE ALLIMANT-LAUGNER 08 Muscat, Alsace, France 930362 $17.95
Muscat is the most exotic dry white wine on the planet and once in a while we get a very good sample from Alsace. Buy a few bottles, wait for a Summer moment that calls for ‘something different’, and have a Hallelujah moment. Too special to be shared with food.

ubyWine style/nice ‘n easy white
UBY 09 Colombard/Ugni Blanc, Cotes de Gascogne, France 151019 $11.95
Delightful, off-dry anytime sipper produced from the grapes used to produce Cognac. Quite fruity and low in alcohol. Bring on summer parties.
ironstoneWine style/rich white
IRONSTONE 07 RESERVE CHARDONNAY, Sierra Foothills, California 158774 $26.95
Blockbuster Chardonnay with the flavour concentration of whiskey. Earthy and manly for sure. BBQ or late evening sipping.

bressadesnewROSE
Wine style/rich rosé
MAS des BRESSADES 09 Rosé ‘Tradition’, Costieres de Nimes, France 950576 $13.95
My favourite French rosé arrives early this year. As ever it has the perfect combination of refreshment, richness and sexy south of France flavours. Classic food Rosé. And as ever the label is dead boring so get out the decanter, and get an early start on summer.

cesariValREDS
Wine style/lively red
CESARI 08 Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy 159434 $13.95
Cesari Ripasso (Mara) has been a favourite in LCBOs for decades and now it’s time to meet the lighter cousin. Delicious fruitiness, lots of vitality and dangerous drinkability. Will work for pizza, pasta, the chalet, or the party.

goodhopeWine style/lively red
THE WINERY of GOOD HOPE 09 Pinot Noir, South Africa 146415 $14.95
Slightly odd at first till you notice the bright flavours, great refreshment and ‘have fun’ feeling. The Beaujolais spirit with an extra shot or flavour and richness. I’ll be buying lots for Summer – with BBQed whites meats or salmon. And just drinking. Lightly chilled of course.

barberaWine style/rustic red
GIORDANO 07 Barbera d’Asti, Piedmont. Italy 159491 $13.95
Rustic, invigorating red with a down to earth feeling. Love the contrast of tangy bite and bright flavours. Gets the taste buds humming. See why Italians drink millions of bottles daily. With Italian food of course.
grandvillageWine style/rustic red
CHATEAU GRAND VILLAGE 06 Bordeaux, France 565317 $17.00
Today most Bordeaux are crafted in the popular smooth, rich, commercial style but not this guy. Meet the traditional. Very dry with pure flavours and lots of gusto.  Classic bistro red. Bring on the food.
zucarddiWine style/rich red
ZUCCARDI 08 SYRAH ‘Serie A’, Mendoza, Argentina 141317 $16.95
Tastes a lot like Crozes Hermitage from the Rhone Valley. Feels both rich and refreshing. Very dry with earthy, and peppery flavours. Think lamb dishes. Could be cellared for two or three years.
P.S. A lot of the Zuccardi wines (makers of Fuzion) have traditional European styling.

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.

 

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