Stags' Leap Winery Chardonnay 2020 (Napa Valley) - Wine Review

After enjoying the excellent 2018 Stags' Leap Winery Petite Sirah earlier this year, tonight's white wine review is an excellent Chardonnay from the same producer that arrived at the LCBO last month as part of the LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on July 22nd, with plenty of bottles still available for purchase across Ontario.It is produced by the historic and well-regarded...

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Stags' Leap Winery Petite Sirah 2018 (Napa Valley) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is an excellent Petite Sirah, a distinct variety not to be confused with Syrah, from Napa Valley that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the January 7th LCBO VINTAGES Release.Established in 1893, Stags' Leap Winery is one of California's oldest wine estates. Their 240-acre property is situated on the watershed of the Stags Leap Palisades,...

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California Sommelier Sessions: Cakebread Cellars + St. Francis + Sequoia Grove

I received this tasting kit recently containing samples of three delightful wines from California. These three wines were featured in the latest California Sommelier Sessions virtual tasting series with representatives from each winery joining the tasting last week.Joining us for this virtual tasting were Stephanie Jacobsen of Cakebread Cellars, Kate Madigan of St. Francis,...

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Wine Picks LCBO VINTAGES Release Mar. 2, 2019: Napa + Award-Winning Ontario

The upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release on March 2, 2019 features wines from Napa Valley in its main theme, while the mini-theme looks at award-winning wines from Ontario. Both of these themes are on the small side. All of these wines, plus many others, will be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves across Ontario by this Saturday. We'll begin with the main theme that focuses on wines from...

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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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Buena Vista Winery Open House at Char Bar

In late September, I was invited to a wine tasting at the Char No. 5 Whisky Bar located inside the Delta Hotel on Lower Simcoe Street in downtown Toronto to taste the wines from California's Buena Vista Winery. I was one of the first to arrive and had plenty of space to cozy up to the bar at the back where "The Count" was pouring the wines. After the venue was nicely filled...

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LCBO VINTAGES October 14, 2017: Napa + Pinot Noir

The main focus of the upcoming release into LCBO VINTAGES on October 14, 2017 is on wines from Napa, while the mini-thematic focuses on the grape varietal Pinot Noir. New wines will be on LCBO shelves across Ontario this coming Saturday. We'll begin with the feature on Napa. The timing of this release couldn't be worse, as we hear about the sad news of the wildfires ravaging...

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May 28 VINTAGES Release: Veneto + Judgment of Paris

The May 28 VINTAGES Release will be on shelves this coming Saturday and features the wines from Veneto as its main theme, while the mini-theme features the players from the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting. We'll begin with the secondary theme that honours the 40th anniversary of the famous Judgment of Paris tasting that pitted the relatively unknown Cabernet Sauvignons and...

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Wine Picks - October 17, 2015 VINTAGES Release: Napa + Barolo

The October 17, 2015 VINTAGES Release will be in LCBO outlets this coming Saturday and features wines that are especially known for its high-quality and are usually out-of-budget for the majority of wine drinkers. The major feature of this release is on wines from Napa Valley, while the mini-feature is about Barolo from the great 2010 vintage. Unfortunately, none of the...

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