Marqués de Griñon Clásico 2018 (Rioja) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious Rioja from Spain that arrived as a brand new wine to the LCBO over the summer as part of the June 24 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.It is produced by Marqués de Griñon, a title and prestigious wine estate located in Toledo, in central Spain. The title and winery are linked to the family of Carlos Falcó, a Spanish aristocrat and...

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Altanza Reserva 2016 (Rioja) - Wine Review

Staying in Spain, tonight's red wine review is a delicious vegan-friendly Tempranillo from Rioja that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the July 22 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.It is produced by Bodegas Altanza, one of the leading wineries in the renowned Rioja appellation. Bodegas Altanza was founded in the heart of Rioja, Spain, in 1998 by a group of winegrowers...

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Montebuena Cuvée KPF 2020 (Rioja) - Wine Review

After enjoying the 2019 Montebuena Cuvée KPF nearly a couple of years ago, tonight's red wine review is the latest vintage of this delicious Tempranillo from Rioja that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the July 22nd LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.It is produced for Kysela Pere et Fils, Ltd. by a co-op that was established in the 1960s and is now the largest...

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Barón de Ley Gran Reserva 2015 (Rioja) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is an excellent, vegan-friendly blend of Tempranillo and Graciano from the Classic European Wine Region of Rioja that arrived at the LCBO recently as part of the April 29th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is still widely available across the province.It is produced by Barón de Ley, a family-owned winery located in Rioja, Spain's most celebrated...

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April 29, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Classic European Regions

Here are my top wine picks from the April 29, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection which is titled "Fine Wines from Classic European Regions". Also included in the printed magazine is a sneak preview of the next release which will be the return of the monthly "Online & Flagship Exclusives" only release, with no associated in-store release. All of the wines from the...

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El Coto de Imaz Gran Reserva 2015 (Rioja) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this excellent Gran Reserva from Rioja that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the March 18th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.It is crafted by El Coto, a wine producer that carried out its first harvest in 1970 in the Denomination of Origin Rioja and inaugurated its first facility in Oyón, within the province of Álava, in 1976. After...

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Lealtanza Gran Reserva 2015 (Rioja) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is an excellent, vegan-friendly Gran Reserva from Rioja that arrived at the LCBO over the long weekend as part of the February 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release.It is produced by Bodegas Altanza, a relatively young winery that was established in 1998 by a group of friends with a shared dream to make high quality, 100% Tempranillo wines. Their name is a synonym...

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Marqués de Cáceres Excellens Cuvée Especial Crianza 2017 (Rioja) - Wine Review

For tonight's wine review, I Arrive in Style with this lovely, vegan-friendly Tempranillo that came to the LCBO last weekend as part of the November 13th LCBO VINTAGES Release.Produced by Marqués de Cáceres, and although the winery was only founded by Enrique Forner in 1970, the enterprising family's origins in wine go back much further to 1920, when Enrique's grandfather...

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Montebuena Cuvée KPF 2019 (Rioja) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a delicious Rioja that returned to the LCBO this weekend after a five year hiatus. This new vintage was released into VINTAGES as part of today's November 13 LCBO VINTAGES Release.This red wine by Bodegas Montebuena is from the portfolio of Kysela Pere et Fils, Ltd., hence the name "KPF" on the bottle. Montebuena - meaning "good mountain" - is located...

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Lealtanza Gran Reserva 2011 (Rioja) - Wine Review

After enjoying the lovely 2015 Lealtanza Reserva back in April, we go up a notch with this Gran Reserva from the same producer that arrived at the LCBO earlier this month as part of the October 2nd LCBO VINTAGES Release.This Rioja Gran Reserva is made by Bodegas Altanza, a producer whose story begins in 1998 and is a synonym of quality and dedicated exclusively to top Reserva...

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Vini Ventures - A New Experience in Virtual Wine Tastings

In response to growing demand for private and corporate sustainable wine tastings, Toronto-based entrepreneur Michelle Paris, DipWSET, launched Vini Ventures - Canada's first virtual wine tasting company that focuses on environmental and sustainable practices. I received this sample box of six wines to experience Vini Ventures firsthand.Launched to great acclaim over the summer,...

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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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Lealtanza Reserva 2015 (Rioja) - Wine Review (Apr. 2021)

For tonight's wine review, I look at this lovely, vegan-friendly Rioja from Spain that arrived at the LCBO over the weekend as part of the April 3, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release. I last enjoyed the 2015 Lealtanza Reserva back in August when it arrived in VINTAGES earlier that month and am delighted to see it return to shelves across Ontario.This red wine is crafted by Bodegas...

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Lealtanza Reserva 2015 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is this lovely, vegan-friendly Rioja from Spain that arrived in LCBO VINTAGES on August 8th.Bodegas Altanza, a synonym for quality, is a relatively new winery in the world of Spanish wine as it was only established in 1998. Their goal is to offer the best possible quality wine at a sensible price, while also combining tradition and modernity at their...

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LAN Reserva 2012 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely follow-up to the 2016 LAN Crianza that I enjoyed last month. The 2012 LAN Reserva arrived in LCBO VINTAGES on June 13 when it was featured as part of the theme on Spanish wines, and is widely available across Ontario. Bodegas LAN was founded in 1972 and is widely known for producing quality wines using their innovative hybrid barrels. These...

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Rioja Bordón Gran Reserva 2009 (Spain) - Wine Review

Following up on the delicious 2013 Rioja Bordón Reserva, tonight's wine review is another lovely red wine from Bodegas Franco-Españolas that will be coming to LCBO VINTAGES on June 27th. Bodegas Franco-Españolas was founded in 1890 in the aftermath of the French wine industry's most devastating incidents - the phylloxera plague - when Bordeaux winemakers affected by the...

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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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LAN Crianza 2016 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely Rioja from Spain that is a VINTAGES Essentials product and widely available at LCBO outlets across Ontario. It is also available for online ordering with the option to pick-up in-store or have it delivered to your nearest Canada Post office. As of 2012, Bodegas LAN (which takes its name from the three provinces that make up Rioja - Logroño,...

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March 21, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Classic Euro Regions + Okanagan + Annapolis

In these extraordinary times with COVID-19 at top of mind, this post seems almost irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. However, since the LCBO is still open (with reduced hours as of Thursday, March 19) and I think we would all like to step back and take a breather from all of the Coronavirus pandemic news, the next batch of new wines arriving at the LCBO are from the...

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