Mazzei Poggio Badiola di Fonterutoli 2016 (Tuscany) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review a nice red wine from Tuscany that will arrive in LCBO VINTAGES for the first time on June 8th. The Mazzei family has been making fine wines in Tuscany since the 11th century. When Ser Lapo Mazzei's granddaughter married Agnolo da Fonterutoli in 1435, Castello di Fonterutoli became part of the Mazzei family. They have been producing wines at this historic...

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Château de Tréviac Corbières 2016 (Midi) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely unoaked red wine that will be arriving in LCBO VINTAGES on June 8. The 2012 and 2015 Château de Tréviac Corbières were both delightful wines when they arrived in VINTAGES in previous years, showing remarkable consistency. I have no doubt that this latest vintage will also be very good. It is produced by the young and dynamic winegrower Arnaud...

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Fleur du Cap Essence du Cap Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (South Africa) - Wine Review

Approximately three years ago, I enjoyed the 2013 Fleur du Cap Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa. Tonight, I am opening the 2016 vintage of this LCBO General List red wine that is readily available across Ontario. The story of Fleur du Cap wines begins in 1968, shortly after the opening of the famous Die Bergkelder, a cellar that cuts deep into the Papegaaiberg (Parrot...

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Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc 2018 (South Africa) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is an easy-drinking, mid-week Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa that is a General List product at the LCBO and widely available across Ontario. Looking through my blog, I see that I tasted the 2011 Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc seven years ago. Two Oceans is named after the awe-inspiring view at the southern tip of Africa, where the two powerful forces...

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Wine Picks LCBO VINTAGES Release May 25, 2019: Brilliant Women + Bubbles

The main theme of the upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release May 25, 2019 is titled "Sister Act" and features some brilliant women from the wine world, while the mini-theme features some super sparkling wines. All of the wines from this Release will arrive on LCBO VINTAGES shelves by this Saturday. We begin with the main theme that looks at 13 women in wine. Of the 20 wines featured...

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Peter Lehmann The Barossan Shiraz 2016 (Australia) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a nice Australian Shiraz. The 2017 vintage of wine will be coming to LCBO VINTAGES on May 25. Peter Lehmann was born in Barossa in 1930 and was the fifth generation of one of Barossa's pioneering families. In 1947, Peter apprenticed as a winemaker at Yalumba and in 1959 he became the Winemaker/Manager at the Barossa winery Saltram. In the late...

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Wines from Santorini Volcanic Terroir

In late February, I was invited to a media luncheon featuring the wines of Santorini, Greece. The luncheon and tasting was hosted and led by Steve Kriaris, owner of Kolonaki Group, and Elias Karkabasis, owner and Sommelier of Pane Vino Trattoria & Wine Bar in Lindsay, Ontario. The venue was VOLOS, a fine Greek restaurant in the heart of downtown Toronto, and a place...

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Cave de Tain Grand Classique Crozes-Hermitage 2015 (Rhône) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely bottle that first arrived in VINTAGES nearly two years ago, and I am happy to report that this delicious red wine is coming back to LCBO VINTAGES on May 25 with a couple of years of bottle age under its belt. It is produced by Cave de Tain, a large co-operative that was founded in 1933 by Louis Gambert de Loche on the Hermitage slope in northern...

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Rodenbach Vintage 2016 and Caractère Rouge (Belgium) - Beer Reviews

I recently had the opportunity to try these two fine, award-winning beers from Belgium. The brewery was established by the Rodenbach family in 1821 in the West Flemish town of Roeselare, Belgium. Rodenbach beer owes it unique quality and masterful character to the oak casks in which it matures. Rodenbach is the archetypical Flemish red-brown ale from West Flanders. It...

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Joiy Rosé Sparkling (Australia) - Wine Review

Tonight I am trying sparkling wine in a can. This is a new product that will be arriving at the LCBO very soon and will complement the Joiy Sparkling (Riesling) that is currently available. I must admit, I have never tried wine from a can before and the traditionalist in me thinks that I will eventually drink it from a wine glass. However, I do see the advantages of packaging...

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Wine Picks LCBO VINTAGES Release May 11, 2019: People's Choice + New Zealand

The main theme from the upcoming May 11, 2019 LCBO VINTAGES Release is titled "The People's Choice", while the mini-theme focuses on wines from New Zealand. All of these wines, plus many more will arrive on LCBO VINTAGES shelves across Ontario by this Saturday. We'll begin with the main theme titled "The People's Choice". This feature lists twenty wines that are grouped...

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