October 3, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Food Pairings + Washington & Oregon

The main theme of the upcoming October 3, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release focuses on Favourite Wines Styles & Perfect Food Pairings, while the mini-theme takes a look at wines from the Pacific Northwest regions of Washington and Oregon. All of the wines from this Release should be on shelves across Ontario by this Saturday. You may want to stock up from this Release as the next VINTAGES Release is pushed back to October 31st - likely due to the "Second Wave" of COVID-19.

We begin with the theme on food pairings that lists eighteen wines that fit neatly into 8 styles of wine. Three wines from this theme are included among my top wine picks. From the Aromatic White Wine category there is a lovely, medium sweet Niagara Riesling - sweeter wines pair well with spicier foods. Dry Rosé Wines, like the version from Provence that is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and a touch of Carignan, are very versatile, can be enjoyed year-round, and paired with a variety of meats and seafood such as pork chops or grilled salmon. The last wine is a $20 Full Bodied Australian Shiraz that will pair nicely with boldly flavoured, heartier fare such as steak and lamb.

From the mini-feature looking at the nine total wines from Washington and Oregon, the only wine included among my wine recommendations is a fine $25 Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley, Oregon. While not part of the theme, there is also lovely $36 Pinot Gris from the sub-appellation of Dundee Hills that is listed as a Flagship Exclusive and available in limited quantities only. Although none of the five wines from the Washington feature are included among my wine picks, there is a nice red that comes in as a Flagship Exclusive and consists of a kitchen sink blend of 38% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah, 8% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot, 1% Touriga Nacional, 1% Tinta Cao, and 1% Souzao.

From my top red wine recommendations from this Release, we begin with the coveted Super Tuscan that is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 9% Cabernet Franc. Also from Italy, the Chianti Classico is made with 100% Sangiovese. From France, the wine from Roussillon is an old vines blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre, while the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is primarily Grenache with a small percentage of Syrah and Mourvèdre. Single varietal red wines include a Mencía from Spain, as well as a trio of wines from Argentina - a Cabernet Franc, a Pinot Noir, and a Malbec.

Among my white wine picks, the only blend is from Niagara's Kew Vineyards that is composed of 68% Marsanne and 32% Viognier. Single varietal wines include Chardonnays from France, Argentina, South Africa, Niagara, and a Chablis from Burgundy. There are also a pair of Sauvignon Blanc wines - one each from Loire and New Zealand, while the dry Riesling is from Australia. Lastly, the rose from New Zealand is predominantly Pinot Noir with some Pinot Gris.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers and stay safe!

Red Wine:

• CONDEMINAL PONCHO PAMPA PINOT NOIR 2018 - Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#15095) (XD) - $18.95
• LORNANO CHIANTI CLASSICO 2015 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#211599) (XD) - $18.95  89 pts  wine review
• ZUCCARDI Q CABERNET FRANC 2017 - Paraje Altamira and San Pablo, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#15121) (XD) - $19.95
• TESSELLAE OLD VINES GRENACHE / SYRAH / MOURVÈDRE 2017 - AP Côtes du Roussillon, Midi, France (#343517) (D) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• SIDEWOOD SHIRAZ 2017 - Sustainable, Adelaide Hills, South Australia (#446146) (XD) - $19.95
• GODELIA MENCIA RED 2015 - DO Bierzo, Spain (#368043) (XD) - $24.95
• TEHO ZAHA TOKO VINEYARD MALBEC 2016 - Paraje Altamira, Mendoza, Argentina (#441691) (XD) - $24.95
• BEN GLAETZER BISHOP SHIRAZ 2017 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#627869) (XD) - $39.95
• HEDGES FAMILY ESTATE RED 2016 - Red Mountain, Yakima Valley, Washington, USA (#1594) (XD) - $42.95  FE
• LE PARVIS CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2017 - AC, Rhône, France (#638551) (XD) - $56.95
• ORNELLAIA 2017 - DOC Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, Italy (#722470) (XD) - $249.95

White Wine:

• NOVELLUM CHARDONNAY 2018 - France (#390781) (XD) - $18.95
• CLOS DE CHACRAS CAVAS DE CRIANZA CHARDONNAY 2018 - Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#15078) (XD) - $19.95
• KAHURANGI ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - Nelson, South Island, New Zealand (#14567) (XD) - $19.95
• KEW MARSANNE/VIOGNIER 2017 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#485334) (XD) - $19.95
• BEST'S GREAT WESTERN RIESLING 2019 - Great Western, Victoria, Australia (#688259) (XD) - $19.95
• LA DAME DE JACQUES COEUR MENETOU-SALON BLANC 2018 - AC, Loire, France (#525048) (XD) - $21.95
• SOLÉNA CELLARS PINOT GRIS 2018 - Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#665877) (XD) - $24.95
• HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE RIESLING 2017 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#183491) (M) - $24.95  91 pts  wine review
• HERVÉ AZO CHABLIS 2018 - AC, Burgundy, France (#185736) (XD) - $28.95
• HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2017 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#68817) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• RADFORD DALE CHARDONNAY 2018 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#227223) (XD) - $31.95  FE
• EYRIE VINEYARDS DUNDEE HILLS PINOT GRIS 2018 - Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#15574) (XD) - $35.95  FE

Rosé Wine:

• BLACK COTTAGE ROSÉ 2019 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#539320) (XD) - $16.95
• SAINT AIX ROSÉ 2019 - AP Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, France (#451906) (XD) - $25.95

Sparkling Wine:

• GEOFFROY ROSÉ DE SAIGNÉE BLANC DE ROSE EXTRA BRUT 1ER CRU CHAMPAGNE - AC, France (#16172) (XD) - $134.95

Dessert Wine:

• PUKLUS PINCÉSZET TOKAJI ASZÚ 5 PUTTONYOS 2013 - Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary (#47209) (S) (500 mL) - $35.95