January 25, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Perfect Pairings

The overarching theme of the January 25, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release focuses on food & wine pairings and branches off into two categories - wines for comfort food and wines for takeout. All of the wines from the themes and the main release will arrive on shelves across Ontario by this Saturday.

We begin with the first food and wine pairing theme on wine companions for comfort foods. Of the twelve wines featured, five are include among my top wine picks. For pairing with shellfish in a herb butter sauce, try the Chablis (an unoaked Chardonnay) or Pouilly-Fumé (i.e. Sauvignon Blanc). For a hearty, big red meat stew, try a robust wine such as the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which consists of 70% Grenache, 17% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, and 3% Cinsault, or the Carignan that comes from 60 year-old vines. Lastly, pasta is the consummate comfort food and could be paired with the Riserva Chianti Classico from Antinori that is a blend of mostly Sangiovese.

There are ten wines from the second theme on food and wine pairings that focuses on wines for takeout food and four are included among my wine recommendations. First up is a Pecorino (a white wine, not the cheese) from Italy that would be a fine match for pizza. For Thai curries, try off-dry wines or wines with bright red fruits such as the Morgon from Beaujolais which is made with Gamay. For beef, pork, or chicken tacos, try a Tempranillo, or with fish tacos try the Momo Sauvignon Blanc.

From the rest of the Release, among my red wine picks there is a very nice Cabernet-Merlot from South Africa that consists of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Cabernet Franc, while the Valpolicella from Veneto is a blend of 35% Corvina, 35% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, and 10% Rossignola / Oseleta / Negrara / Dindarella. Single varietal wines include a lovely Brunello di Montalcino that is made with Sangiovese, while the Bourgueil is made with Cabernet Franc.

Only one of my white wine recommendations is a blend - the Hugel Gentil from Alsace consists of Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, and Sylvaner. The Hermitage Blanc is made with 100% Marsanne, while the Pouilly-Fuissé is a barrel-fermented Chardonnay from Burgundy. For sweet wine lovers, the Riesling from Niagara is your best bet.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CANTINA SAN PAOLO AGLIANICO 2017 - IGP Campania, Italy (#473132) (XD) - $14.95  88 pts  wine review
• ALVIDES TINTO ROBLE TEMPRANILLO 2016 - DO Ribera del Duero, Spain (#010699) (XD) - $16.95  88 pts  wine review
• TEDESCHI VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE 2017 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#012726) (XD) - $17.95  88+ pts  wine review
• DOMAINE LES PINS CUVÉE LES ROCHETTES BOURGUEIL 2017 - AP, Loire, France (#478263) (XD) - $17.95
• LAFAGE CAYROL VIEILLES VIGNES CARIGNAN 2016 - IGP Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, France (#494039) (XD) - $18.95  89 pts  wine review
• FRANÇOIS VILLARD L'APPEL DES SEREINES SYRAH 2016 - France (#012978) (D) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review
• GÉRARD BRISSON LES CHARMES LA LOUVE MORGON 2018 - AC, Beaujolais, France (#012028) (XD) - $20.95  90 pts  wine review
• RUPERT & ROTHSCHILD CLASSIQUE 2016 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#717991) (XD) - $24.95  89 pts  wine review
• VILLA ANTINORI RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2015 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#540971) (XD) - $29.95
• LAZZERETTI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2013 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#318352) (XD) - $46.95  91+ pts  wine review
• LES CAILLOUX CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2016 - AC, Rhône, France (#012982) (D) - $65.95  92+ pts  wine review

White Wine:

• DE ANGELIS OFFIDA PECORINO 2018 - DOCG, Marche, Italy (#577734) (XD) - $13.95  88 pts  wine review
• ROCKWAY FERGIE JENKINS LIMITED EDITION RIESLING 2017 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#485326) (M) - $16.95
• HUGEL GENTIL 2017 - AC Alsace, France (#367284) (XD) - $17.95
• STADT KREMS GRÜNER VELTLINER 2018 - Certified sustainable, DAC Kremstal, Austria (#295626) (XD) - $18.95
• MOMO ORGANIC SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#009167) (XD) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review
• AUNTSFIELD SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - Certified sustainable, Southern Valleys, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#663286) (XD) - $21.95  90 pts  wine review
• CHATELAIN LES CHARMES POUILLY-FUMÉ 2017 - AC, Loire, France (#727990) (XD) - $27.95  90+ pts  wine review
• DOMAINE SÉGUINOT-BORDET CHABLIS 2018 - AC, Burgundy, France (#289371) (XD) - $28.95  91 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU VITALLIS VIEILLES VIGNES POUILLY-FUISSÉ 2017 - AC, Burgundy, France (#360495) (XD) - $31.95  91 pts  wine review
• J.L. CHAVE SÉLECTION BLANCHE HERMITAGE BLANC 2015 - AC, Rhône, France (#387357) (XD) - $75.95  FE

Sparkling Wine:

• LA MASCOTA EXTRA BRUT ROSÉ SPARKLING - Traditional method, Argentina (#011806) (XD) - $19.95  88+ pts  wine review