Sept. 1 LCBO Wine Picks: Fall Fêtes + Champagne

The next Vintages release will be in LCBO outlets across Ontario on September 1. This issue celebrates wines for Fall Fêtes with different styles of wines (from light to the big & bold and everything in between) that would be suitable for your gatherings as we transition from Summer to Fall. You can open your gathering with an extra dry Tavel Rosé that is made from...

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Prince Edward County Wine Tasting

During the Spring earlier this year, I had the pleasure of attending the Prince Edward County wine tasting held at Berkeley Church in downtown Toronto. Prior to this event, I had only tasted one wine from PEC and was left with the impression that Prince Edward County is still a maturing region. That impression did not change after this event, but I can tell you that there...

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Muskoka Lakes Winery - Wine Tasting

Over the Civic Holiday long weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting the Muskoka Lakes Winery and Johnston's Cranberry Farm located in Bala, Ontario (just over 2 hours North of Toronto). I wasn't really sure what to expect as I had not tasted fruit wine in many years, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of these wines. If you're in the Muskoka region, I highly recommend...

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Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (Washington) - Wine Review

Purchased this red wine earlier this year from the March 17 Vintages release and was re-released in the upcoming August 18 release as part of the mini-feature on wines from the Pacific Northwest. It's a beauty! COLUMBIA CREST H3 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 - Horse Heaven Hills, Washington, USA (#210047) (XD) - $19.95 Tasting Note: Currants, cassis, cedar and mint aromas with...

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Aug. 18 LCBO Wine Picks: 2010 Rhône + Pacific Northwest

The next batch of Vintages wines will be in LCBO outlets across Ontario on Saturday, August 18. In this release, the main feature is on the highly-praised 2010 vintage wines from Southern Rhône, in France. I've always been a big fan of wines from Rhône and it is with delight I have a chosen a few for you to consume. First up is the Halos de Jupiter, made using 85% Grenache,...

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Domaine Edmond Jacquin Roussette de Savoie Altesse 2010 (France) - Wine Review

This white wine is from the July 7 Vintages release that took us on a tour through France. I am very glad to have stopped in Savoie to sample the Altesse varietal (also sometimes known as Roussette). It's gorgeous and still available in stores! Here's my review: DOMAINE EDMOND JACQUIN ALTESSE ROUSSETTE DE SAVOIE 2010 - AC, Savoie, France (#277335) (D) - $17.95 Tasting...

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Strewn Vidal Icewine 2006 (Ontario) - Wine Review

This was a spur-of-the-moment purchase while we were in Muskoka last weekend and wanted something sweet to finish off our Saturday night. This Icewine was the last bottle of its kind on the shelf and it showed when I opened the cork as some crust had developed. There was also some crust at the bottom of the bottle - not exactly sure how that would've happened. STREWN VIDAL...

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Maycas del Limarí Reserva Especial Chardonnay 2010 (Chile) - Wine Review

Opened tonight is the first of two wines that I have in my cellar from Maycas del Limarí, a brand of wine produced by Concha Y Toro. This white wine was purchased from the June 9 VINTAGES wine release, where Chilean wine was the major theme. MAYCAS DEL LIMARÍ RESERVA ESPECIAL CHARDONNAY 2010 - Limarí Valley, Chile (#162040) (XD) - $19.95 Tasting Note: Citrus, apple...

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