Legends Estates Vidal Icewine 2006 (Ontario) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine was opened upon the insistence of my wife, as she wanted to enjoy some Icewine in celebration of the holidays. This Icewine was purchased at the winery in January earlier this year when we visited Niagara to partake in Icewine Festivities. It's rare to see older vintages still available for purchase, so I was surprised when we were offered a tasting of this...

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Ferox Wines Tasting

One evening in late November, I had the pleasure of tasting through the inaugural vintage of wines from a new virtual winery in Niagara - Ferox Wines. Based out of Reif Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, this virtual winery is owned by Fabian Reis, the man behind Ferox. He was born into a traditional vintner family in Germany that has winemaking roots dating back to 1893 and...

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Celebrating 40 Years of Roussillon

This year marks 40 years of recognition of the AOC status of Côtes du Roussillon and Côtes du Roussillon Villages. Although winemaking in the region goes back hundreds of years, it was only in 1977 when this southern France wine region was formally recognized as an AOP by the INAO. Moreover, it only achieved this status because of the 40+ years of work by Roussillon producers...

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Sip and Sizzle in Niagara-on-the-Lake 2017

On this cold, wintry day, let me take you back to late May, when I visited Niagara-on-the-Lake to partake in the annual Sip & Sizzle food and wine pairing event thanks to winning a contest on Foodies on Foot. This excellent event was running on weekends in May at over 20 wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Unfortunately, due to my busy schedule, I was only able to attend...

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Darting Dürkheimer Nonnengarten Gewürztraminer Kabinett 2015 (Pfalz) - Wine Review

Opened up this delightful, pretty, and food-friendly wine from Germany last Saturday. This sweet white wine was purchased from the October 14 VINTAGES Release and plenty of bottles are still available at LCBO outlets across Ontario. Tasting Note: DARTING DÜRKHEIMER NONNENGARTEN GEWÜRZTRAMINER KABINETT 2015 - Prädikatswein, Pfalz, Germany (#944181) (S) - $19.95 Screw cap....

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Karlo Cabernet Franc 2015 (Ontario) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is this lovely Karlo Estates Cabernet Franc from Prince Edward County that was made by the renowned winemaker Derek Barnett, formerly of Lailey Winery. This Ontario Cab Franc is available at the LCBO and included as part of the December 9 VINTAGES Release. It is available only at Flagship Store locations and in very limited quantities. It is also...

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Tessellae Old Vines Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre Côtes du Roussillon 2015 (Midi) - Wine Review

I opened up this delightful red blend from the Roussillon on Saturday night. This was purchased from the recent November 25 VINTAGES Release and is still widely available at LCBO outlets across Ontario. This red wine is made by the famed house of Domaine Lafage. Tasting Note: TESSELLAE OLD VINES GRENACHE/SYRAH/MOURVÈDRE CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON 2015 - AC, Midi, France (#343517)...

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VINTAGES Release Dec. 9, 2017: Wines for Fêtes & Feasts + Bubblies

The upcoming December 9, 2017 VINTAGES Release is the last (and largest) release of 2017 and features Fine Wines for Fêtes & Feasts as its main theme. The mini-theme in this release features some very fine bubblies for festive occasions such as ringing in the New Year. All of these wines will be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves across Ontario this Saturday. We'll begin with...

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Pillitteri Cabernet Franc 2012 (Niagara) - Wine Review (Bottle 2)

Tonight's wine is the second bottle I have of this yummy Ontario Cabernet Franc. I last tasted (and enjoyed) the 2012 Pillitteri Cabernet Franc back in December 2015. The 2012 vintage across Niagara was very good across all regions with a relatively mild winter and early spring, followed by warmer and drier conditions than normal during the growing season. It continued to...

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VINTAGES Release Nov. 25, 2017: California Wines for Holiday Wish Lists

The next release into LCBO VINTAGES on November 25, 2017 is a mono-thematic release featuring top California wines for holiday wish lists. All of these wines will be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves across Ontario this coming Saturday. This is the second to last release of 2017, and it's a thick one, so you'll want to begin stocking up for the holidays from this release and the...

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