El Petit Bonhomme 2020 (Spain) - Wine Review

After enjoying the delicious 2018 Les Vins Bonhomme El Petit Bonhomme nearly three years ago, tonight's red wine review is the latest vintage of this vegan-friendly wine from Spain that arrived at the LCBO last month as part of the September 23 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.It is produced by Les Vins Bonhomme, a brand of wines that was established by Canadian-born winemaker...

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Somm Grand Cru - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a trio of lovely wines from Spain that I received back in March as part of my Somm Grand Cru Membership.Somm is a free Wine and Culinary App that is available for both Android and iOS devices. Through the app, Somm provides free wine recommendations based on food pairings and your personal preferences. An upgrade to the Somm Cru Membership adds perks...

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Izadi Larrosa Garnacha Rosé 2020 (Rioja) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a delicious rosé from Spain that arrives at the LCBO this weekend as part of the July 10 LCBO VINTAGES Release.A relatively new producer, Bodegas Izadi was founded 1987 in the heart of Rioja Alavesa, when Gonzalo Antón, who had a passion for wine and good food, and a group of friends and business people began the ground breaking project. This innovative...

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Les Vins Bonhomme El Petit Bonhomme 2018 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is this nice, vegan-friendly red wine from the Jumilla DO in southeastern Spain. It is a new arrival at the LCBO as part of the upcoming November 28, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release.Les Vins Bonhomme produces wines from all over Spain with a team of winemakers and small family owners. Their aim is to transport you to every interesting corner of Spain - from...

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Rioja Bordón Reserva 2013 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a nice, consistently well-made Rioja from Spain that will be coming to LCBO VINTAGES on May 30th. I have tasted quite a few vintages of this wine and have enjoyed them all, including the 2012 Rioja Bordón Reserva late last year. Rioja Bordón wines are produced by Bodegas Franco-Españolas, a winery that was founded in 1890 by Frenchman Frederick...

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Olarra Cerro Añon Gran Reserva 2010 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a delicious red wine that arrived in LCBO VINTAGES as part of the Rioja Revelation wine tasting event that took place in downtown Toronto back in October. It is produced by Bodegas Olarra Group, a winery with 40 years of experience that is also at the forefront of vinegrowing and winemaking in Spain. Bodegas Olarra was founded in 1970 and started...

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San Gregorio Manga del Brujo 2006 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is something I pulled out from my cellar that was purchased more than 10 years ago from the May 2, 2009 LCBO VINTAGES Release. The tasting note that was published in magazine suggested this would drink well to 2020, so here we are, in 2019. Let's see how this Spanish red wine is tasting tonight... Tasting Note: SAN GREGORIO MANGA DEL BRUJO 2006 -...

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Rioja Bordón Reserva 2012 (Spain) - Wine Review

The recent parade of Spanish Rioja wine reviews continues with tonight's wine that just arrived at the LCBO as part of this Saturday's October 12 LCBO VINTAGES Release and was also featured as part of the theme on Rioja wines. It is produced by Bodegas Franco-Españolas and reminds me of the time almost 4 years ago to the day, when I had the pleasure of attending a fine vertical...

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Marqués de Cáceres Gran Reserva 2011 (Spain) - Wine Review

Following up on the delicious 2014 Marqués de Cáceres Crianza, tonight's wine review is another lovely Rioja from Spanish producer Marqués de Cáceres. This red wine arrived at the LCBO recently as part of the September 14th LCBO VINTAGES Release - and plenty are still available for purchase. Marqués de Cáceres made its first Gran Reserva in 1975 and produces it only in the...

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CVNE (Spain) Wine Tasting with Maria Larrea

On a fine Sunday morning in May, I had the pleasure of tasting a few wines from Spain's historic CVNE wine company with winemaker María Larrea at George Restaurant in downtown Toronto. CVNE is actually an abbreviation of Compañía Vinícola del Norte del España, which translates to the Northern Spanish Wine Company. It was founded in 1879 by two brothers in the town of Haro...

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Marqués de Cáceres Crianza 2014 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious Rioja that came to LCBO VINTAGES on July 20 and plenty of bottles are still available for purchase across Ontario. Marqués de Cáceres was founded in La Rioja and Cenicero, within the heart of the La Rioja Alta sub-region in Spain in 1970 by Enrique Forner, forming an historic alliance between a region and an enterprising family that...

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Bodega Jesús Romero Rubus 2016 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is another new release that will be coming to LCBO VINTAGES on September 1st. It is produced by Bodegas Jesús Romero in partnership with San Alejandro's winemaker, Juan Vicente Alcañiz. Together, they purchased a three-hectare vineyard of 70-year-old Garnacha in Báguena, Aragón. They also work together on a nearly four-hectare plot of 10-year-old vines at 980...

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Menguante Selección Garnacha 2012 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine was a parting gift I received after the Garnacha Day tasting in September. It is produced by Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo, a family-owned winery located in Almonacid de la Sierra, Zaragoza, in northeastern Spain. The winery dates back to the 18th century, but the winemaking traditions of this family go back even further - to 1760. The fascinating story begins with...

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Celebrating #GarnachaDay

International Grenache Day is celebrated around the world every 3rd Friday of September. This year, the celebration fell on Friday, September 16th and I was invited to an exclusive tasting of a few spectacular Grenache (or Garnatxa as they say in Spain) wines at Archive 909 on Dundas Street West in downtown Toronto. The origins of Grenache are found in Aragon, in northern...

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