All posts tagged Zinfandel

LCBO Vintages Saturday November 27

by Kato on November 26, 2010 in Vintages Picks with 1 Comment

THE LOW DOWN: It’s getting close to the Holidays and Vintages is cranking up its offering of high priced glamour wines. You’re bound to be tempted by the beautiful catalog. I tasted all of the $100+ offerings and will not be buying. If you need a sure fire hit for a gift item – that’s going to be opened, go with Wolf Blass Black Label Cab/Shiraz (#960468 $95.95).

I’ve included a few semi-expensive picks for Holiday treats, or gifts. And a few wines from the November 13 release. Along with my usual bargains.

Enjoy.

P.S. Keep checking here for lots of Holiday picks at regular LCBOs.

WHITES

soligowine style: fresh white
SOLIGO 09 Pinot Grigio, Piave, Italy 181560 $13.95
The fresh, fruity and fun character of good PInot Grigio. Ideal Holiday season house white.

flatrockwine style: fresh white
FLATROCK 09 Riesling ‘Nadja’s Vineyard, VQA 20 Mile Bench 578625 $19.95 (Nov 13)
One of Ontario’s best dry Rieslings. Very sharp, very pure and very good for aperitif.

zenatowine style: nice & easy white
ZENATO 09 Lugana, Lombardy, Italy 707158 $13.95
Zenato’s Lugana is the Michael Buble of white wine. One of the nicest drinks on the planet. Shades of non-oaked Chard.

hiddenbenchwine style: rich white
HIDDEN BENCH 07 Chardonnay, VQA Beamsville Bench 68817 $35.20
Super lush, rich, exotic. Glam local Chardonnay in HD. Fireside sipper.

stratusWhitewine style: rich white
STRATUS 07 White, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake 660704 $44.20 (Nov 13)
A multi grape blend with amazing flavour concentration. The hit of a big Chardonnay but with a greater variety of flavours. Vibrant and refreshing too. Something special for sure.

santaritawine style: rich white
SANTA RITA 08 Chardonnay ‘Medalla Real’, Limari Valley, Chile 303628 $17.95
Santa Rita is the master of blockbuster wines at Honest Ed prices. Get the rich Chardonnay experience for less than twenty bucks.

SPARKLING

mummnapawine style: sparkling Rosé
MUMM NAPA Brut Rosé, California 205641 $29.95
Tart, with a delicious tease of berry flavours. Classic and classy aperitif. Treat yourself and your best friends.

REDS

madonnawine style: rustic red
GEMMA 09 Dolcetto D’Alba ‘Madonna Della Neve’, Piedmont, Italy 185017 $13.95
Tart, vigorous, earthy – pure Italian. Lasagna or burgers.
capraiawine style: rustic red
TENUTA di CAPRAIA 06 Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany, Italy 23374 $28.95
Hail to the original Chianti. Earthy, rustic and challenging. Next best thing to being at a farm house in Tuscany. Wild boar on the spit? Enjoy with any grilled red meat.

macRostiewine style: rich red
MacROSTIE 07 Pinot Noir, Carneros, California 674911 $24.95
Rich, spicy sweet, Californian Pinot. Very seductive, very pretty, very easy. The mood for cuddles.

galevanwine style: rich red
DOMAINE GALEVAN 07 Cotes du Rhone ‘Paroles de Femme’, France 125930 $15.00
The French edition of Shiraz – spicy sweet, nourishing and very yummy. Perfect for Holiday entertaining.

closduVALwine style: rich red
CLOS DU VAL 08 Zinfandel, Napa Valley, California 590216 $22.95
Zin in a pure, Pinot Noir style. Bright flavours and invigorating personality. Refreshing and charming. My favourite combination in red wine.

stratusredwine style: rich red
STRATUS 07 Red, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake 131037 $44.20
Niagara’s edition of traditional red Bordeaux – solid and serious. A bit tight and tuxedo-ish right now, but would be perfect for a formal event in 3-5 years. Start planning! The perfect gift for a wine geek.

torreswine style: rich red
TORRES 05 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Mas La Plana’. Penedes, Spain 129676 $44.95 (Nov 13)
Wonderful solid Cabernet expression. But not taking itself too seriously. Enjoy now or could be aged. This is the wine that beat the Bordeaux boys in a famous tasting several years ago.

SWEET WINE, PORT & BOOZE

essensiaQUADY 07 Orange Muscat ‘Essensia’, California 299552 375ml/$13.95 (Nov 13)
A huge blast of delicious apricot and orange sweetness. But not sticky. You’ll not find a more crowdpleasing and value priced sweet wine. Great to see Essensia back on the shelf.

delaforceDELAFORCE Vintage Port 1994, Portugal 163063 $69.95
Huge flavour concentration and sweetness. Late evening sipper, solo or with aged cheddar. Decant. Great value for the Port lover.

stgermainST. GERMAIN Delice De Sureau, France 180695 $49.95
An elderflower infused eau-de-vie in one of the most beautiful bottles I’ve ever seen. Fruity herbal flavours combine with a mix of freshness and sweetness. Very delicate, very delicious. On the rocks or mix with sparkling wine or mineral water. Something new and different for the Holidays. For cocktail recipes visit www.stgermain.fr

greenspotGREEN SPOT, IRISH WHISKEY 699827 $84.95
For those who enjoy a dry, earthy style whiskey. Unique and very nourishing. A very pleasant way to support the struggling Irish economy.

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!

LCBO Vintages May 1, 2010

by Kato on April 29, 2010 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

Vintages Sat May 1/2010
THE LOW DOWN: Lacks the outstanding values of recent releases but there’s some good explorer wines. Such as a couple of heavy hitting Zinfandels, and a bargain priced red from the south of France. Guigal’s white Rhone and the Moulin-a-Vent would be a delightful French pairing for a summer dinner party.  Prince Edward County wines are not values but offer good local expression. I hope to be featuring lots of local from the next few Vintages releases.
Enjoy!

WHITES
blackprinceWine style: fresh white
BLACK PRINCE 08 Riesling, VQA Prince Edward County 164236 $18.95
Classic dry Riesling – super refreshing, tart and low in alcohol. Perfect summer patio aperitif. Riesling fans should age this for a year or three.

guigalWine style: nice & easy white
GUIGAL 08 Côtes du Rhône Blanc, France 290296 $16.95
A lovely glass of wine. Mid-range everything and understated with delightful hints of this and that. Lots of charm from the Viognier grape. Enjoy with grilled white meats.
kapulaWine style: nice & easy white
SHEPHERDS RIDGE ‘Kapuka’ 09 Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand 163576 $14.95
Mild mannered for a New Zealand Sauvignon, but a wonderful general-purpose summer drink. Think high octane Pinot Grigio. Refreshment and crowd appeal. Pretty package too.
clossonchaseWine style: rich white
CLOSSON CHASE 07 Chardonnay, VQA Prince Edward County 148866 $29.95
Deborah Paskus makes very seductive wines. Such as this silky smooth, exotic, tropical fruit flavoured Chardonnay. Lush, lovely and almost too nice to partner with food.

trumpMillREDS
Wine style: rustic red
THE GRANGE ‘Trumpour’s Mill’ 07 Cabernet Franc, VQA Prince Edward County 173187 $17.95
Those with a European palate will understand and enjoy this wine. Feels light, tart and refreshing. Inviting food. On the second glass, woodsy Fall-day flavours unfold. Very suggestive of something you once enjoyed at a county café in France. Or maybe it was Italy.

moulinaventWine style: lively red
DOMAINE de GRAND GARANT 08 Moulin-a-Vent ‘Les Thorins’, Beaujolais, France 160168 $16.95
Moulin-a-Vent is usually the big daddy of the Beaujolais-Villages clan but this is mainly about refreshment. Along with charm – along with some of the sexy nature of Pinot Noir. I can’t imagine a better partner for BBQ’d salmon. Or any summer patio meal. Lightly chilled, of course.
georgesWine style: rich red
DOMAINE PUIG-PARAHY 07 ‘Georges’, Cotes du Roussillon, France 171025 $13.95
Shiraz fans will love this smooth, jammy-sweet wine. All things nice at a reasonable price.

truchardWine style: rich red
TRUCHARD 07 Zinfandel, Carneros/Napa, California 54858 $21.95
Solid, earthy Zin. Very concentrated, very manly and not unlike a Californian Cabernet. Needs the beef.

ed_zinWine style: rich red
EDMEADS 07 Zinfandel, Mendocino, California 105924 $24.95
Super rich, Port-like and mighty seductive. Heft meets charm. Could be likened to a fifty dollar Amarone. After dinner sipping for sure.

LCBO Vintages May 23, 2009

by Kato on May 21, 2009 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

THE LOW DOWN: New Zealand reds are the feature and I found three to recommend. The style could be likened to our local reds – bright, lively and appetizing. South African Shiraz and Californian Zinfandel are my favourite BBQ reds – check out Linton Park and Ravenswood. Pelham’s Cuvee Catharine is inching its way towards Champagne in style and quality. Something to celebrate!

A lovely Niagara Pinot Gris, an exuberant Riesling from New Zealand and a knock-out Gewurz from Italy are the pick of the whites. Finally, I recommend you work a little cider refreshment into your summer with Clos Saint-Denis from Quebec.

Cheers!
Billy

P.S. Loved the wine name ‘Hazyblur’, too bad this Aussie red is not worth the $35 price tag.

malivoireStyle: EVERYDAY NICE WHITE
MALIVOIRE 08 Pinot Gris, VQA Niagara 591305 $18.95
Lighthearted, everyday white. Crisp enough to refresh and pleasant enough to gulp. Stylish new packaging. Perfect hostess gift.

kimcrawfordStyle: EVERYDAY NICE WHITE
KIM CRAWFORD 05 Riesling ‘The Mistress’, New Zealand 90134 $24.95
Lemon fresh with delicious fruity sweetness. And the explosion of flavour that happens with aged Riesling. Rich and concentrated enough for supper, but also lively enough for the cocktail hour.

gewurtz1Style: RICH WHITE
CANTINA TRAMIN 07 Gewurztraminer, Alto Adige, Italy 117028 $19.95
Super rich Gewurz from the home of that grape. Gorgeous, exotic flavours. A late summer evening sipper. Sexy stuff.

catharineFRESH SPARKLING
HENRY of PELHAM Brut ‘Cuvée Catharine’, VQA Niagara 616441 $29.95
Austere, stony dry in the Champagne style. ALmost no flavour but full of character – a high note that leaves you hanging and wanting more. Outstanding aperitif. Best batch yet of this wine – and possibly the best ever Brut out of Niagara.

REDS
coopersStyle: (ALMOST) RICH RED
COOPERS CREEK 07 Syrah, New Zealand 120808 $19.95
Fruity, peppery Syrah in the French style. Bright, lively, fun and very gulpable. Great Summer red. Moderate alcohol level.

lintonStyle: RICH RED
LINTON PARK 04 Shiraz, Paarl, South Africa 910844 $15.95
Juicy, peppery, lively and delicious Shiraz for the BBQ season. A little smokiness, a lot of yummy drinkability, and good value. Go get it.

falestateStyle: RICH RED
PALLISER 06 Pinot Noir, Martinborough, New Zealand 120766 $28.95
Spicy, sweet, seductive New World-style Pinot. A charmer for sure. Good with everything. Could spice up your life.

carrickStyle: RICH RED
CARRICK 06 Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand 919837 $39.95
Serious Pinot in the Burgundian-style. Bone dry, firm – traditional red wine character. Could use another year in the bottle.

ravenswood1Style: RICH RED
RAVENSWOOD 06 Zinfandel ‘Vintners Blend’, California 359257 $17.95
Big, bright, spicy Zin. Ton of flavour but not dense or weighty – could have some Beaujolais genes. Fun stuff for all your summer BBQs. Permanently available at all major LCBOs.

saintcrossCIDER
Style: REFRESHING CIDER
CLOS SAINT-DENIS 07 Cider, Quebec 89490 $15.95
Dry cider that kicks in at 10 percent alcohol – a sipper. Refreshing appley flavours with the earthy character of Calvedos. The tartness would hit the spot on a hot afternoon. Lovely cheerful label.

The Original Zin

by Kato on May 14, 2009 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

zinfandelwebThe sweetish pink wine called White Zinfandel will soon be doing the rounds at summer parties, so let’s gets the facts straight about Zinfandel. It’s a red grape and its purpose in life is the be a red wine, not some frivolous candy sweet pinko.

The Italian immigrant farmers that lugged this grape the whole way to California would not be too happy to see it commercialized into pop wine. And if all this wasn’t distressing enough, Zinfandel is not even the wine’s proper name – it’s Primitivo. But those Italian immigrants had more pressing things on their minds than remembering the name of the grape vines hidden in their luggage. Someone in California – no one knows who – came up with the Zinfandel name.

What we do know is that Zinfandel is a fantastic red for the beefy BBQ season coming up. It feels somewhat like Merlot but is wilder and livelier. It can be a little rustic too.

Fetzer’s Zin is all of the above, and there’s no mistaking its Italian heritage. Lots of spunk and vigour here – get some food on the table, and open another bottle.

Ravenswood is more Californian – or Latino. The flavours radiate like a brilliant sunset, but it’s not heavy or dense. This guy’s more into play and charm,  and just wants to have fun. Equally at home with red or white meat.

I was going to recommend an excellent Primitivo wine from the heel of Italy but the LCBO just delisted it. Rats. But at least you know it’s the original Zin.

FETZER 07 Zinfandel ‘Valley Oaks’, California 234617 $14.95
RAVENSWOOD 07 Zinfandel ‘Vintners Blend’, California 359257 $17.95 (Vintages section, continuously available)

 

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