2008 Nugan McLaren Parish Shiraz (Australia) - Wine Review

Tasted this Decanter Award Winner over the weekend. NUGAN ESTATE MCLAREN PARISH VINEYARD SHIRAZ 2008 - McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia (#072603) (D) - $24.95 Tasting Note: Cassis, blackberry, pepper and herb aromas follow through on the palate, finishing with dark chocolate notes. Perfectly ripe tannins. Enjoyed it with chicken lababdar and butter chicken. If...

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2000 Kiralyudvar Tokaji Furmint Late Harvest (Hungary) - Wine Review

This white wine / dessert wine was purchased waaaaayyyy back in April, 2006 and opened to celebrate Diwali. KIRÁLYUDVAR 'LAPIS' TOKAJI FURMINT LATE HARVEST 2000 - Hungary (#681338) (M) - $19.95 Tasting Note: Cork smells of orange blosson and honey. Burnt caramel, brandy, apricot, marzipan and touch of citrus aromas. Raisin, brandy, apricot on the palate. Reminds me of...

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Win Natalie MacLean's New Wine Book. Meet her in Toronto or Niagara

Contest is now closed! Congratulations to @TheFunkyCrew Win a Personally Signed Copy of Natalie MacLeans's New Wine Book - "Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World's Best Bargain Wines". How to Enter: "Like" this page and post to Facebook:   Follow me (@cono_sur) on Twitter and Tweet using this button: Tweet Contest Duration: Contest begins...

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Win Tickets to the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

Contest is now closed. View winners here. Want to go to the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo this November in Toronto? If you answered 'YES', then here is your chance to win a FREE tickets to the Expo. The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo offers you an unparalleled opportunity to sample over 1,500 fine wines, beers and spirits from around the globe, and to savour the culinary...

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Oct. 29 Wine Picks: Sonoma Special + Party Wines

The next LCBO Vintages Release on October 29 is nearly upon us. In this release, the major feature is wine from Sonoma, California. Overall, I thought many of the wines from Sonoma were overpriced and did not provide great value; however, two wines did make my Wine Picks list. We're also fast-approaching the holiday season. As such, the secondary feature in this release...

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2009 Korta Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine was purchased from the latest Vintages release. KORTA RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 - Lontué Valley, Curicó, Chile (#236034) (XD) - $13.95 Tasting Note: Cork smells of fresh berries. Cassis, raspberry, dark fruit, finishing with earthy/forest aromas. Offers berries, tar, oak and touch of mocha on the palate. Tannins could use more time to develop. Full...

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Douro & Port Wine Tasting in Toronto

Earlier this week, I attended the IVDP wine tasting event in downtown Toronto. This event featured many Ports and Douros commonly found in the LCBO general list, as well as a few from the Vintages section. Some wines could only be purchase by direct order only. I was excited to find out that some wines (which are currently not available at the LCBO) were being tasted in...

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2008 Flat Rock Chardonnay (Niagara) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is a lovely offering one of our local wine producers - Flat Rock Cellars. This white wine was purchased from the Special Ontario-only Vintages release on September 10th. FLAT ROCK CHARDONNAY 2008 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#681247) (XD) - $16.95 Tasting Note: A screw-top, so no smelling of the cork. Apple, toasty oak and...

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Wines of Tuscany & Piedmont + Whisky: Oct. 15 Wine Picks

The major feature in the LCBO Vintages release on October 15, 2011 are the wines from the two big powerhouses in Italy - Tuscany and Piedmont. Only one wine from Piedmont/Tuscany made my list. However, I do want to mention a 2nd - the Scopetani Chianti (#164814) - as it appears to be a good crowd-friendly wine to serve when having many guests over for dinner. Another crowd-pleasing...

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2009 Thorn-Clarke Terra Barossa Shiraz (Australia) - Wine Review

Purchased this red wine over the weekend from the most recent Vintages Release. THORN-CLARKE TERRA BAROSSA SHIRAZ 2009 - Barossa, South Australia, Australia (#595306) (XD) - $16.95 Tasting Note: Big aromas of lush blackberry, blueberry, earth, mint and pepper. Dark fruit flavours, dark chocolate, turning a bit spicy at mid-palate. Full-bodied, chewy. Dry. Ageable, but ready...

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