All posts tagged viognier

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 January 9, 2010

by Kato on January 8, 2010 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with 1 Comment

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.

rapaanytime 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 fruitiness and a little richness. Gentle refreshment. An anytime sipper.

akamemayummy white
wine style: nice & easy white
ANAKENA 09 Viognier, Chile 45138 $12.95 Zesty, fruity and pleasant. All in moderation. The nice guy/girl. The perfect party pleaser. Yummy champion for the month.

donaPgreat value Chard
wine style: rich white
DONA PAULA 08 Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina 93898 $12.95 Rich, exotic flavoured Chard. Manages to feel both citrussy dry and seductively rich – with charm to burn. Go get it.

lesPiliersrich Chardonnay alternative
wine style: rich white
MICHEL GASSIER 08 Viognier ‘Les Piliers’, VDP d’Oc, France 669531 $16.95 A whopper! Super rich white wine in the Chardonnay style. Warming, spicy and quite seductive. White meats or fish with lots of herbs.

saumurseafood partner
wine style: fresh white
DOM de la SEIGNEURIE des TOURNELLES 08 Saumur Blanc, Loire, France 141879 $12.95 Wow! Takes your breath away – seriously tart and dry along with an earthy sense of place. A great example of cool climate wine. Challenging, a bit raunchy and in need of a platter of seafood. Produced from the Chenin Blanc grape.

Azevedobuy for summer
wine style: fresh white
QUINTA de AZEVEDO 08 Vinho Verde, Portugal 727115 $11.95 White wine doesn’t get more refreshing and exuberant. Low alcohol, lighthearted and dying for seafood on a hot summer evening. Worth the wait.

teixeirobuy for summer
wine style: fresh white
PACO de TEIXEIRO 08, Minho, Portugal 21469 $12.95 Vinho Verde style – light and tart with the herbaceous flavours of Sauvignon Blanc. Another wine to buy for summer guzzling.

terrawinter warmer
wine style: rich red
TERRA d’ALIGI 06 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ‘Tatone’, Abruzzo, Italy 994616 $15.95 A blockbuster. Deep and hearty with an old world, rustic feeling.

chVCobieriesbistro red
wine style: rich red
Ch. de VAUGELAS 07 Corbieres ‘Le Prieuré’, France 154617 $12.95 Lots of warmth and richness, backed up with a rustic tang. Bistro wine. Enjoy with hearty winter foods.

rasteauvive la France!
wine style: rich red
CAVE de RASTEAU 08 Rasteau ‘Ortas’, Cotes du Rhône-Villages’, France 998716 $15.00 Plush and lush. Lots of comfort, peppery flavours and a warmhearted feeling. Chateauneuf-style wine at a THIRD of the price. Wonderful stuff. You may never buy another Aussie Shiraz. (**Kato’s favourite pick!)

Proud Chardonnay

by Kato on June 25, 2009 in Wine Picks with No comments

pridelabel

Niagara’s  Daniel Lenko winery has released a special edition ‘Rainbow’ label of his 07 Unoaked Chardonnay $19.95 (called Chardonngay). A great everyday white that spans the refreshment and easy sipping categories. A dollar from each bottle goes to AIDS research.

The Lenko family were one of the first to plant vinifera grapes in Beamsville so all of their wines are full of character. And premium priced. Old Vines 06 Merlot $29.95 is rustic, earthy and very French Bistro. Two stunning whites are the exotic, powerfully flavoured 07 Gewurztraminer  $29.95, and the rich and charming 07 Viognier $39.95.

LCBO Vintages June 20, 2009

by Kato on June 17, 2009 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

THE LOW DOWN: There’s lots of super-rich, crowd-pleasing reds in the Malbec feature – go get em! My single  recommendation is more in the traditional style. As is the wonderful Fontodi Chianti Classico. Something different in a picnic red is the Gamay/Pinot blend from Switzerland. And fans of the juicy Porcupine Ridge will be happy to see a return visit of this South African treat.

The Viognier from Peninsula Ridge and a white from Gascony are must-try charmers for summer drinking. An Aussie and a French dry Rosé completes my  picks. You can never have enough good Rosé on hand!

REDS
andeanrich red
ANDEAN VINEYARDS 07 Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 125963 $15.95
Starts out rich and yummy but there’s a solidness too – even a refreshing bite. The manly Argentina experience, with old-style French manners. Wonderful stuff. And organic too.

fontodirustic red
FONTODI 06 Chianti Classico. Italy 933317 $28.95
Fontodi is one of the few Chianti producers who hasn’t sold out to the current fashion for rich ‘n smooth. The wine is firm and gutsy with wonderful earthy flavours. Expensive but worth every penny if you love Tuscany. Wine for grilled or roasted meats.

morgeslively red
CAVE de la CÔTE 07 MORGES, Côtes Vaudoise, Switzerland 123414 $18.95
A frisky, light, refreshing red produced from Gamay, Pinot and some local oddities. Summer picnic wine – you’ll be the only on who brought Swiss.

rich red
porcupineBOEKENHOUTSKLOOF WINERY ‘Porcupine Ridge’ 08 Syrah, South Africa  595280 $15.00
Vibrant, juicy-sweet wine with enormous BBQ appeal. It’s smooth, it’s easy to like and the slight smokiness will cuddle up to food. Terribly easy to guzzle, but watch out for the high alcohol.
WHITES
penridgevionierNice and easy
PENINSULA RIDGE 07 Viognier, VQA Niagara 662601 $14.95
Viognier is the new hot white – taste and see why. Delicious honeyed-flavours and a nice-guy personality. Somewhere between Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. Yummy for sure. Charred foods are a good contrast with the sweetish style of the wine.

pellehautNice and easy
DOMAINE de PELLEHAUT 08 Blanc, Côtes de Gascogne, France 126136 $14.95
Low-alcohol, light bodied white with an amazing array of smells and flavours – which might have something to do with the half dozen grape varieties used. Crisp and refreshing but also quite pretty. A Sunday brunch showstopper.
ROSÉ
lehmannroseFresh Rosé
PETER LEHMANN 08 Rosé, Barossa, Australia 34298 $15.95
Fresh, frank, mid-range Rosé. Drier than most out of Australia. And you get to enjoy bright cheerful art on the label. Perfect patio lunch stuff.

plasirRch Rosé
MAS AMIEL 08 Rosé ‘Le Plaisir’, Côtes du Roussillon, France 117051 $18.95
The rich, south of France style. Very seductive. Bring on the seafood! A bit pricy but the stylish packages softens the blow. And you gotta love a wine called Le Plaisir.

Wow Wines

by Billy on April 11, 2009 in Wine Picks with No comments

Here’s ten locals that I’d take to my hideaway island.

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