Hat Trick Red 2010 (Ontario) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is the red version of Diamond Estates' "Hat Trick" series, the white version was reviewed last week. This red wine is a blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc, and 24% Shiraz and is available from the LCBO General List. HAT TRICK RED 2010 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#273854) (D) - $12.95 Tasting Note: Screw cap. Mulberry, dark fruit and cedar...

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Hat Trick White 2011 (Ontario) - Wine Review

This is a new wine that just launched recently from Diamond Estates and is part of the LCBO General List. Blended with 50% Gewürztraminer, 35% Riesling, and 15% Chardonnay, this white wine received a Bronze medal at Cuvée 2012. Here is my wine review... HAT TRICK WHITE 2011 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#273862) (D) - $12.95 Tasting Note: Screw cap. Mostly tropical fruits, citrus...

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May 26 LCBO Wine Picks: 90+ Wines and Portugal

The next VINTAGES wine release from the LCBO will be out in stores across Ontario on May 26. The theme of this release is on wines that scored 90 and higher. I've whittled down the many 90+ wines from this feature into a few that are worth pursuing. Among them are the following red wines Lealtanza from Spain made with 100% Tempranillo; the Sequillo Cellars Red from South...

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Grant Burge Wine Tasting

Last week I had the pleasure of tasting Grant Burge Wines at the Trialto Wines office in Toronto. The tasting was led by Nick Doumanis, Global Sales Director at Grant Burge. Six wines were on the lineup card, but we ended up tasting seven. GRANT BURGE VINEYARD RANGE SUMMERS CHARDONNAY 2010 - Eden Valley & Adelaide Hills (#269829) (D) - $19.95 Lovely aromas of citrus,...

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Hardys Winemakers Dinner and Wine Walkthrough

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a Winemakers Dinner and Wine Walkthrough hosted at the Edward Day Gallery by Bill Hardy, the great grandson of Hardys founder - Thomas Hardy. I arrived early and had the chance to mingle before the festivities got started. While mingling and waiting for everyone to arrive, we were offered 'The Gamble' Chard Pinot Gris, which ended...

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May 12 VINTAGES Wine Picks: California Legends + Rosés

The next LCBO VINTAGES release will be out in stores on May 12, and the main "attraction" in this release are California Legends starring Cab, Zin and Chard. However, as is the par for Cali wines in Ontario, many are over-priced and out of budget. However, the Ravenswood Zin is a "star" in this release and worth checking out. The secondary attraction in this release is...

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Brigaldara Valpolicella 2010 (Veneto) - Wine Review

Purchased this red wine just last week from the VINTAGES Veneto release. It's a good one and many are still available in LCBO outlets. BRIGALDARA VALPOLICELLA 2010 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#917864) (XD) - $14.95 Tasting Note: Made with grape varietals Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. Cork was dry. Licorice, black cherry, plum, pepper and hints of smoked meat aromas. Lots...

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