La Chevalière Rasteau 2017 (Rhône) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely red wine from Rasteau, a Cru of the Southern Rhône Valley. It is brand new to the LCBO and will be widely available across Ontario as Wine of the Month from the upcoming March 6, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release.It is produced by Les Grandes Serres, a negociant firm based in the Southern Rhône Valley, using grapes sourced from the village of Rasteau,...

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Flor de Maio Mayflower 2016 (Portugal) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a nice Portuguese red ideal for a Friday night. It arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the February 20, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release.In 2011, winemaker Carlos Lucas founded his winery, Magnum - Carlos Lucas Vinhos, It was born out of a dream to produce quality wines with a team that was dynamic and continuously interested in innovation, while...

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Modernist Dry Riesling 2019 (Rheinhessen) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely dry Riesling from Germany that is a new arrival to the LCBO as part of the February 20th LCBO VINTAGES Release.Crafted for UK wine merchant Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies, the Modernist was designed to be a contemporary take on the most versatile of grape varietals - Riesling - which can be crafted in fully dry styles to those that are...

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New Zealand Wine Week - Feb. 2021 + Albariño, Pinot Noir & Syrah Wine Reviews

During the week of February 8 - 12, 2021, I attended the first ever New Zealand Wine Week. There were many activities planned throughout the week across Canada, USA, UK, and Ireland, including tastings, discussions, and online activities.I managed to attend a couple of fascinating classes - one titled "Pinot Noir Soils" and another on Syrah. To assist with the learning, I...

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Catena Lunlunta Old Vines Appellation Malbec 2018 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is an excellent Malbec by from Argentina that arrived at the LCBO over the weekend as part of the February 20, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release and is one of the Wines of the Month.Founded in 1902 by Nicola Catena, the family run winery is now operated by Dr. Laura Catena, the fourth generation of the family and daughter of Nicolás Catena Zapata. By now, Catena...

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E. Guigal Gigondas 2009 (Rhône) - Wine Review

For tonight's wine review, I opened up this excellent Gigondas that I picked up back in June 2013.Guigal was established in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in Ampuis - a small, ancient village just south of Lyon in the heart of the Côte-Rôtie appellation in northern Rhône, and overlooked by unique vineyards where wines have been made for more than 2,400 years. In 1961, a still very...

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February 20, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: France + New World Pinot Noir

The main theme of the February 20, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release focuses on French wines, while the mini-theme looks at New World Pinot Noir. All of these wines, plus those from the rest of the release should be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves across Ontario today.We begin with the main theme that focuses on French wines and where they come from. Since French wines rarely mention the...

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Château d'Aigueville Côtes-du-Rhône Villages 2016 (France) - Wine Review (Feb. 2021)

Tonight's wine review is a lovely Côtes-du-Rhône Villages red wine that is widely available at LCBO outlets across Ontario as it is a General List product.Château d'Aigueville is the Southern Rhône project of Burgundian producer Henri de Villamont. The estate is located on a plateau between the villages of Sérignan and Uchaux, just north of Orange, and has exceptional terroir...

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Great Italian Wines - Understanding Indigenous Grape Varieties - Nebbiolo & Valpolicella

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of attending a masterclass titled "Great Italian Wines" that focused on understanding the indigenous varietals of Italy. This class was the first in a series being held by the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario Canada (ICCO Canada) and focused on Nebbiolo and the varieties of Valpolicella.Italy is the world's largest producer of wine by...

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New Zealand Wine Tasting - Waiheke Island (Mar. 2020)

While visiting New Zealand for the first time ever last year (which feels like eons ago due to the pandemic), I had the pleasure of visiting Waiheke Island on a fine Sunday afternoon. This was the first day of what ended up being five straight days of wine tasting in New Zealand - more on the rest of the trip is to come. Waiheke Island is a hilly, wine-producing region located...

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Volcanic Hills Wine Tasting - New Zealand (Feb. 2020)

On a lovely Friday during my visit to New Zealand last year, I was in Rotorua, a hot tourist spot on the North Island, about 2 hours away from Auckland and came across Volcanic Hills Winery. Volcanic Hills was founded in 2009 using borrowed winery space. The brand was born from the Volcanic Plateau that is surrounded by the volcanic peaks of Ngauruhoe, Ruapehu, and Tarawera....

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Mon Frère Vintner's Selection California Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (USA) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a new California Cabernet Sauvignon that arrived at the LCBO last month as part of the January 9, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release.It is produced by Mon Frère Winery, French for "My Brother", and was established in 2019 to champion the very best in quality wine making and exceptional value from California. Mon Frère is a celebration of our connections...

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Margan Family Hunter Valley Semillon 2018 (Australia) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely Semillon from the Hunter Valley in Australia that arrives at the LCBO this weekend as part of the February 6, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release.Margan Wines was established in 1996 by Lisa and Andrew Margan in the picturesque Broke Fordwich wine region of Hunter Valley. Prior to establishing Margan Wines, Andrew learned the art of grape growing and...

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