La Valentina Pecorino 2016 (Abruzzo) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine is another new release that is coming to LCBO VINTAGES on May 12th.

The farm La Valentina began operations in 1990 and is located in the hills overlooking Spoltore, near Pescara on the Adriatic - on the eastern side ("calf") of Italy within the Abruzzo DOC. The owners, Sabatino, Roberto, and Andrea Di Properzio have been running the company since inception and continually strive to improve the quality of their wines. Sustainable development, as well as respect for the environment are core values at La Valentina.

By understanding, respecting, and tending their land to produce healthier vines with each passing vintage, leading to vines being able to fight off parasites and disease on their own. Healthy vines lead to healthy grapes, which in turn helps produce better quality wine. La Valentina uses low intervention viticulture and winemaking techniques, allowing the wines to express their terroir.

Personally, I've always preferred Italian white wines other than Pinot Grigio as there are such a wide variety of pleasant & interesting wines to choose from that are also food-friendly, including wines like this Pecorino.

Tasting Note:

LA VALENTINA PECORINO 2016 - IGT Colline Pescaresi, Abruzzo, Italy (#541433) (XD) - $17.95
Raised completely in stainless steel tanks, with a couple of months sur lie. Crisp lemon/lime zest, tropical fruit, and citrus aromas from the cork. The medium+ intensity nose offers ripe apple and lemon with hints of white floral and tropical aromas in the glass. The medium+ bodied palate is slightly creamy and oily textured. Ripe with nice aroma replays and a salty mineral character emerging as it warms in the glass. Zesty acids keep the palate fresh. Very good length with white floral notes on the finish. Best served with a light chill. Score: 88+ pts

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Trinity Hill The Trinity Red Blend 2014 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is a new release that will be coming to LCBO VINTAGES on May 12th.

This red wine blend is produced by Trinity Hill, a winery that was established on a stony site in Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand, in the early 90's after a conversation over a glass of wine between Winemaker John Hancock and the owners of the London restaurant Bleeding Heart, Robert and Robyn Wilson. They were convinced that the Hawkes Bay’s Gimblett Gravels winegrowing region could produce world-class wines and became one of the region's early pioneers.

Hawkes Bay is the second largest wine growing region in New Zealand, but is responsible for 85% of the production of Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet within the country. What makes Trintiy Hill special is that most of their grape harvest comes from unique gravel soils and micro-climate of the Gimblett Gravels region.

All wines at Trinity Hill are produced with the utmost care and respect for the grapes and with minimum intervention. The winery is known for consistently delivering quality wines across the range.

Tasting Note:

TRINITY HILL THE TRINITY RED BLEND 2014 - Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand (#551630) (XD) - $22.95
Predominantly Merlot (55%), with 17% Tempranillo, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec and 7% Syrah completing the blend. Individual blocks were aged for 14 months in small French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks prior to blending. Screw cap. The generous nose is complex, offering cassis, black & blueberry, black plum, leather, sweet oak spice and cocoa aromas. It's medium-bodied with a lush mouthfeel and ripe black plum, blackberry, earthy, leather, and cocoa flavours. Nice black pepper notes arrive with time in the glass. Ripe, dusty tannins are refined and offer nice texture, while offering some grip towards the mid- and back-palate. Earthy, forest floor notes linger on the very long finish. Enjoy this fine wine over the next 3-4 years. Score: 90 pts

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Peter Yealands Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

International Sauvignon Blanc Day is celebrated around the globe the first Friday in May. This year, the occasion falls on May 4th and I am celebrating tonight with this yummy Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. This white wine is a General List product at the LCBO and is widely available across Ontario. It is also suitable for vegetarians, vegans and gluten-free diets.

Peter Yealands is part of the Yealands Wine Group that was formed in 2008 with a vision to become the world's leading sustainable wine producer. In 2008, the winery opened to become the first winery in the world to be accredited carboNZero certified from inception. Mr. Yealands himself is known for his pioneering and innovative ways, all of which is chronicled in the book A Bloke for All Seasons: The Peter Yealands Story.

Today, Peter and his family focus their energies on building Yealands Estate into a global brand with sustainability at top of mind. The winery opened in August 2008 Some of the sustainable initiatives at Yealands include developing wetlands, making their own special compost, and using natural pest control methods. They are also working at reducing their emissions by producing their own renewable energy, and using environmentally-friendly packaging.

Which Sauvignon Blanc is in your glass tonight? Leave a comment below or join the conversation online by using the hashtags #SauvBlancDay and #SauvBlanc.

Tasting Note:

PETER YEALANDS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2017 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#277731) (XD) - $17.20
Fruit comes from 75% (Seaview) Awatere Valley and 25% Wairau Valley. Screw cap. Bright nose is typically pungent for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with green aromas with lime zest, passion fruit, guava, and herbs. The medium bodied palate is crunchy and fresh with lip-smacking acidity and flavours of green herbs, lemon, guava, passion fruit, and asparagus. Touches of salty mineral on the mid-palate. Finishes long and juicy with some sourness and hints of mineral. Enjoy nicely chilled. Score: 88 pts

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Rancourt Gewürztraminer Icewine 2013 (Niagara) - Wine Review

At my wife's request, I opened up this delicious Icewine Sunday night after dinner to cap off the weekend. I tasted this yummy Icewine numerous times over the years, including in June 2015 and January 2016. This bottle was purchased when I visited the winery in September 2015 and noticed that it was on promotion for the hard-to-resist price of $25 for the 200 mL bottle.

It's rare to find Icewine made with Gewürztraminer, and this is definitely one of the better ones out there. Surprisingly, the Rancourt Gewürztraminer Icewine is still available for purchase through the winery.

Tasting Note:

RANCOURT GEWÜRZTRAMINER ICEWINE 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (S) (200 mL) - $30
Honeyed orange marmalade aromas with hints of spice from the cork. Complex aromas of peach, apricot, orange marmalade, honey and hints of hazelnut and oak spice waft from the glass. The palate is medium-to-full bodied with a viscous, silky mouthfeel and lusciously sweet flavours of peach preserves, honey, candied citrus, orange marmalade and caramel. Gentle acids provide lift and balance. Excellent finish length with hints of caramel and brown sugar. Starting to show some maturity, but should drink well for at least another 5+ years. Score: 90 pts

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Château Canteloup 2010 (Bordeaux) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine was purchased nearly 4 years ago from the June 21, 2014 LCBO VINTAGES Release, and actually showed up again in VINTAGES on October 29, 2016. This wine has since been moved to the General List, with the most recent vintage widely available for $19.95 (#420000) at LCBO outlets across Ontario.

The 2010 Bordeaux vintage was truly great, with optimal ripeness, firm acidity and tannins, thus allowing wines to age gracefully for many years. My notes indicated that this wine would be best until 2018. Let's see how this is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CHÂTEAU CANTELOUP 2010 - AC Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#243923) (XD) - $16.95
Blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. Savoury barnyard, earth and oak aromas from the cork. Leads with mature savoury earthy aromas and hints of barnyard layered on top of dried cherry and red florals. It is medium-to-full bodied with fine-grained tannins that are nearly fully resolved. There's just a touch of tannic grip on the back palate. Earthy, forest floor flavours mingle with dark berry, dried cherry, black plum, and leather notes in a mature flavour profile. Acids are still quite juicy. Dark berry and earthy notes linger on the long, savoury finish. Delicious! Drink up within the next year or so if you still have this bottle. Score: 89 pts

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Giveaway - Win Passes to 2018 Sip & Sizzle in Niagara-on-the-Lake

I had the pleasure of attending Sip & Sizzle in Niagara-on-the-Lake last May thanks to a contest win via Foodies on Foot. This year, I am pleased to give away a pair of passes to the 2018 Sip & Sizzle food and VQA wine pairing event happening in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Hosted by Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake, this highly anticipated event will offer you the opportunity to sip and savour VQA wines with unique grilled gourmet pairings. Your individual pass will let you visit more than 20 participating wineries on any Friday, Saturday and Sunday in May.

This event is ideal for wine lovers or those with an appetite for barbecued food. This event also makes for a great girls' or guys' weekend, a perfect Mother's Day gift, or if you just want to do something fun & exciting on the long weekend.

Click here to view the list of participating wineries and their VQA wine and food pairing.

Good luck!

Event Details:

Sip & Sizzle
Where: Various Participating Wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
When: Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in May from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Passes are $45 (+ taxes & fees) and includes one VQA wine tasting and food pairing at each participating winery.
BUY PASSES HERE

Contest:

Here's your chance to WIN a pair of touring passes to Sip & Sizzle in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Winner will receive two (2) touring passes valued at $90 per pair. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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VINTAGES Release April 28, 2018: Pacific Northwest + Germany

The upcoming LCBO VINTAGES April 28, 2018 Release features as the main theme the cool-climate regions of the Pacific Northwest, which includes British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington. The mini-theme features the wines from Germany. All of these wines will be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves across Ontario this Saturday.

We'll begin with the main theme that features the wines from British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington, commonly grouped together as the Pacific Northwest. None of the five wines listed from Oregon and eight wines listed from Washington are included among my wine picks. British Columbia seemed to get shortchanged (again?) with just three wines listed. However, the Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin is the only wine among my top wine recommendations from the Pacific Northwest; it is always a classy wine and for the 2014 vintage is a blend of 68% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec.

The mini-feature on German wines is also rather weak, with six wines listed and just one included among my top wine picks. My lone pick from the German feature is a dry Riesling that's also known as Riesling Trocken. As part of the Flagship Store Exclusives (FSE) at the back of the magazine is a very sweet Riesling Spätlese and is one of the top wines of the Release.

From my top red wine picks, the Saint-Roch is a blend of approximately equal parts Syrah and Grenache, while the Vacqueyras is an organic wine from the excellent 2015 vintage made with Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. The Douro red wine from Portugal is made with Touriga Nacional. Lastly, the Rioja is a blend of 89% Tempranillo, 9% Graciano, and 2% Garnacha.

Among my white wine picks, the Soave wine is made with 100% Garganega from vines that range between 10-50 years old. The Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is an organic wine. For sweet wine lovers, in order of least sweet to most sweet, there is the Hidden Bench Riesling (organic), Megalomaniac Riesling, and the Gewürztraminer, as well as the aforementioned Riesling Spätlese. For fans looking for lusciously sweet wines, the Tawse Chardonnay Icewine is also worth seeking.

As the weather gets warmer, Rosé wines return with more frequency at the LCBO. One of the first to arrive is the Miraval Rosé, with vines coming from an average of 1,200 feet above sea level and made using a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Rolle. This wine is also featured as the Wine of the Month and will be available at just about every LCBO outlet.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• SAINT-ROCH VIEILLES VIGNES SYRAH/GRENACHE 2015 - AP Côtes du Roussillon, France (#195107) (XD) - $16.95
• MORANDÉ GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2014 - Single vineyard, Maipo Valley, Chile (#371112) (XD) - $17.00
• QUINTA DAS CARVALHAS TINTO 2013 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#523647) (XD) - $17.95
• BISQUERTT ECOS DE RULO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2015 - Single vineyard, Colchagua Valley, Chile (#546515) (XD) - $18.95
• ROCKCLIFFE THIRD REEF SHIRAZ 2015 - Great Southern, Western Australia (#453209) (XD) - $19.95
• CASAR DE BURBIA MENCÍA 2014 - DO Bierzo, Spain (#392530) (XD) - $19.95
• TENUTA DI RENIERI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2013 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#540849) (XD) - $22.95  89 pts  wine review
• DOMAINE DE L’OISELET VACQUEYRAS 2015 - AP, Rhône, France (#537951) (XD) - $27.95
• FLAT ROCK GRAVITY PINOT NOIR 2014 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#001560) (XD) - $34.95
• KENWOOD JACK LONDON VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2014 - Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County, California, USA (#944843) (XD) - $39.95
• OSOYOOS LAROSE LE GRAND VIN 2014 - VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#626325) (XD) - $47.95
• RODA RESERVA 2012 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#664557) (XD) - $52.95  FSE  91 pts  wine review
• BREZZA SARMASSA BAROLO 2013 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#999730) (D) - $87.95  FSE

White Wine:

• INDOMITA GRAN RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016 - Casablanca Valley, Chile (#544213) (XD) - $16.95
• MEGALOMANIAC NARCISSIST RIESLING 2017 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#067587) (D) - $18.95
• FLAT ROCK CHARDONNAY 2016 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#286278) (D) - $19.95  88+ pts  wine review
• WEINGUT TINA PFAFFMANN T NO. 9 RIESLING TROCKEN 2016 - Qualitätswein, Pfalz, Germany (#549774) (XD) - $19.95
• MOMO SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#009167) (XD) - $19.95
• HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE RIESLING 2016 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#183491) (D) - $23.95  90+ pts  wine review
• PIERRE SPARR MAMBOURG GEWURZTRAMINER 2015 - AC Alsace Grand Cru, France (#915157) (M) - $26.95
• CAVE SPRING CSV CHARDONNAY 2015 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#529941) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• PIEROPAN LA ROCCA SOAVE CLASSICO 2015 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#092437) (D) - $39.95
• BRAUNEBERGER JUFFER-SONNENUHR RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2014 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#298182) (S) - $40.95  FSE
• FESS PARKER BIEN NACIDO VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2015 - Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, California, USA (#547158) (XD) - $44.95

Rosé Wine:

• MIRAVAL ROSÉ 2017 - AP Côtes de Provence, France (#342584) (XD) - $23.95

Dessert Wine:

• TAWSE CHARDONNAY ICEWINE 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#443739) (200 mL) (S) - $35.95  92 pts  wine review

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