Antinori Pèppoli Chianti Classico 2013 (Tuscany) - Wine Review

I received this wine as a gift during the Christmas holidays and opened it up last night. This is a VINTAGES Essentials product and is always available at the LCBO, with the 2013 vintage being the latest vintage to arrive on our shores. Tasting Note: ANTINORI PÈPPOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2013 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#606541) (XD) - $19.95 Blend of 90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot...

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April 30 VINTAGES Release: Pacific Northwest + Aussie Whites + Rosé

The upcoming April 30 LCBO VINTAGES Release will be on shelves this coming Saturday and features wines from the Pacific Northwest as its main thematic - although noticeably absent this time around is the omission of British Columbia. There are two mini-themes in this release - great Australian white wines and some very fine rosés - both arriving just in time for warmer weather. From...

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Domaine Félibre Givré Ice Cider 2014 (Quebec) - Review

Opened up this yummy cider tonight ahead of its release into LCBO VINTAGES on April 30th. This is a vintage cider from Domaine Félibre, the same producer as the Sweet Ginger Cider I opened recently. This multi-award winning cider is made with apples from the Stanstead and Compton orchards in the Quebec Eastern Townships. It consists of 90% McIntosh apples and 10% Paulared/Melba...

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Emiliana Novas Gran Reserva Carménère / Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (Chile) - Wine Review

Last month, I was invited to the iYellow Wine Cave to attend iYellow's most recent #WinemakerRAW event with Emiliana Organic Vineyards from Chile. Having tasted quite a few Emiliana wines over the past few years at the annual Chilean Wine Tasting, I had a good feeling about this tasting. This night was about getting an up close and personal look at the 2013 Emiliana Nova...

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Reinhold Haart Haart to Heart Piesport Riesling 2013 (Mosel) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is this lovely Piesport Riesling that was picked up last year when it was released into VINTAGES on July 11th. Surprisingly, there are still a few bottles of this delicious wine available at the LCBO. Tasting Note: REINHOLD HAART HAART TO HEART PIESPORT RIESLING 2013 - Qualitätswein, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany (#672683) (M) - $19.95 Screw cap. This wine...

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Domaine Félibre Givré Sweet Ginger Cider (Quebec) - Review

Tonight, I enjoyed this mildly sweet cider that was recently released into VINTAGES on April 2nd. This dessert wine is produced by Domaine Félibre in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada. It is located in the Hauts-Cantons region in West-Barnston (between Stanstead and Coaticook) at an altitude of 425 metres and has an exceptional view that extends from Mount Orford...

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Terre di Talamo Tempo Morellino di Scansano 2012 (Tuscany) - Wine Review

Opened up this delicious red wine from Tuscany Sunday night and it paired really well with homemade Chicken Fajitas. Terre di Talamo is owned by Marco Bacci and located south of Grosseto in the southern part of Tuscany's Maremma coastal area, facing the Gulf of Argentario. The estate covers 52 hectares on a hillside facing the sea, with 32 hectares planted to vines, and is...

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April 16 VINTAGES Release: Europe + California

The April 16, 2016 VINTAGES Release will be on shelves this coming Saturday and the major theme of the release is titled "European Vocation" and features wines from Europe's 10 benchmark regions. The mini-theme looks at wines from California's "other" wine regions. Of the 20 wines featured from the 10 benchmark regions of Europe, just three wines were included among my...

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Niagara Icewine Festival Review 2016 - Day 2

After a full day of food & wine tasting on Saturday, our wine tour through Niagara continued on Sunday, January 24th with a pair of stops in Niagara-on-the-Lake and finishing out on the Escarpment. The first stop was Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery, where we once again arrived just as the doors opened at 11 a.m. Our host then led us upstairs to the fabulous Estate...

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Win Tickets to 2016 Austrian Wine Fair in Toronto

On April 14 in Toronto, over 30 vintners present up to 165 wines at the Austrian Wine Fair in cooperation with the Austrian Wine Marketing Board and the Austrian Trade Commission. Traditionally known for its white wines, did you know that a third of Austria’s vineyards are made up of red wines? ‘Austrian Wines - A Taste of Culture’ is a public tasting event that is open...

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EastDell Estates Black Label Cabernet Merlot 2013 (Ontario) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is the 2nd in my recent series on wines from EastDell Estates (the first wine being the 2014 EastDell Estates Black Label Viognier that I tasted last week). The 2013 vintage season was an interesting year in Niagara with some significant weather variations throughout the growing season. Temperatures were close to normal, while precipitation ranged from normal...

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Win Tickets to 2016 County in the City presented by WineAlign

The 5th Annual “County in the City” presented by WineAlign takes place on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at Berkeley Church (Toronto). Sample more than 70 different wines from at least 14 wineries from Prince Edward County - one of the world’s fastest growing wine regions. Many small-batch and family-owned wineries will showcase their pride and joy - including new vintages and specialty...

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