2006 Yalumba Shiraz/Viognier (Australia) - Wine Review

Purchased this fine Shiraz/Viognier almost 2 years ago to the day from the Vintages release that was titled "Celebrate for less! 20 party wines under $20."

YALUMBA SHIRAZ/VIOGNIER 2006 - Barossa, South Australia, Australia (#524926) (XD) - $19.95

Tasting Note:
This red wine has fresh blueberries, blackberries, white pepper, herbal aromas that follow through on the palate. Finishing with dark chocolate on the medium-long finish. Fine tannins. Well-integrated wine. Aged well and could have been aged another 2-3 years, but is definitely ready to drink now. No decanting necessary. Will be enjoying this with "Limri (curry leaves) Chicken" - sorry could not find a recipe for it. :)

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2009 Sol de Andes Reserva Chardonnay (Chile) - Wine Review

Purchased this one last month from the October 1 Vintages Release. This is an excellent Chardonnay!

SOL DE ANDES RESERVA CHARDONNAY 2009 - Casablanca Valley, Chile (#254334) (XD) - $13.95

Tasting Note:
Cork smells of gorgeous guava, pineapple, and tropical fruit aromas. More guava and tropical fruit waft from the glass. Very aromatic. Buttered popcorn, pear on the palate. Nice structure. Full-bodied white. If you like Chardonnays, this is definitely one to try! Will be enjoying this with homemade veggie pizza. Yum!

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2008 Nugan McLaren Parish Shiraz (Australia) - Wine Review

Tasted this Decanter Award Winner over the weekend.

NUGAN ESTATE MCLAREN PARISH VINEYARD SHIRAZ 2008 - McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia (#072603) (D) - $24.95

Tasting Note:
Cassis, blackberry, pepper and herb aromas follow through on the palate, finishing with dark chocolate notes. Perfectly ripe tannins. Enjoyed it with chicken lababdar and butter chicken. If it meets your budget, this is highly recommended.

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2000 Kiralyudvar Tokaji Furmint Late Harvest (Hungary) - Wine Review

This white wine / dessert wine was purchased waaaaayyyy back in April, 2006 and opened to celebrate Diwali.

KIRÁLYUDVAR 'LAPIS' TOKAJI FURMINT LATE HARVEST 2000 - Hungary (#681338) (M) - $19.95

Tasting Note:
Cork smells of orange blosson and honey. Burnt caramel, brandy, apricot, marzipan and touch of citrus aromas. Raisin, brandy, apricot on the palate. Reminds me of a light Port. I think it was kept too long as it does taste a little washed out. I was expecting to be 'wow'-ed.

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Win Natalie MacLean's New Wine Book. Meet her in Toronto or Niagara

Contest is now closed!

Congratulations to @TheFunkyCrew

Win a Personally Signed Copy of Natalie MacLeans's New Wine Book - "Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World's Best Bargain Wines".

How to Enter:

• "Like" this page and post to Facebook:
  
  
   
• Follow me (@cono_sur) on Twitter and Tweet using this button:
  Tweet

Contest Duration:

• Contest begins Tuesday, October 26th and ends on Saturday, November 19th at 12pm EST.
• One (1) lucky winner will be chosen at random and notified by Monday, November 21st.

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Join Natalie MacLean for an unforgettable evening of wine, laughter and story-telling to celebrate the launch of her second wine book, Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World's Best Bargain Wines. Natalie will be hosting a multi-course gourmet dinner and matching wines at Grano Restaurant in Toronto and hosting a wine tasting in Niagara:

Niagara-Grimsby: November 22
Author Series & Wine Tasting
Tickets: http://tktwb.tw/NiagaraWine

Toronto Grano Restaurant: November 23
Multi-Course Wine Dinner
Tickets: 416-361-0032 or ben@benmcnallybooks.com
Info: http://bit.ly/GranoDinner

Toronto Event SOLD OUT!

Named the World’s Best Drink Writer at the World food Media Awards, the Canadian journalist and sommelier Natalie is just back from a whirlwind trip to uncover the world’s best bargain wines and share them with you.

She’ll also share stories about fascinating winemakers and gorgeous, remote vineyards with her quirky humour and insider smarts that made her first book, Red, White and Drunk All Over, the only wine book ever to get on the national bestseller list. The Globe & Mail also named it one of the best books of the year.

Space is limited for these exclusive events. Reserve your tickets online now. Your ticket price includes a personally signed copy of Natalie’s new book, Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World's Best Bargain Wine plus a multi-course meal with wine in Toronto or wine tasting in Niagara. Following the session, you can purchase additional copies of the book as holiday gifts and Natalie will sign them. Natalie's tour will include 14 cities across Canada: http://bit.ly/Unquenchable

For more information about the book and an amusing video trailer about it, please visit www.nataliemaclean.com/book

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Win Tickets to the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

Contest is now closed. View winners here.

Want to go to the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo this November in Toronto? If you answered 'YES', then here is your chance to win a FREE tickets to the Expo.

The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo offers you an unparalleled opportunity to sample over 1,500 fine wines, beers and spirits from around the globe, and to savour the culinary delights from local restaurants. The Expo embraces the style and sophistication of a cocktail party paired with unprecedented educational opportunities and compelling feature areas.

Prizes:

• One (1) Pair of Thursday VIP Preview Evening Tickets (Nov. 17)
• Pair valued at $80
• Two (2) Pairs of Friday Admission Tickets (Nov. 18)
• Each pair valued at $36 (or $40 at the door)

How to Enter:

• You can enter as many times as you wish using either (or both) of these methods:
• "Like" this page and post to Facebook:
  
  
   
• Follow me on Twitter (@cono_sur) and use this Tweet button:
  Tweet

Contest Duration:

• Contest begins Monday, October 24th and ends on Saturday, November 12th at 12pm EST.
• Three (3) lucky winners will be chosen at random. Winners will be announced by Monday, November 14th.

Good Luck!

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Oct. 29 Wine Picks: Sonoma Special + Party Wines

The next LCBO Vintages Release on October 29 is nearly upon us. In this release, the major feature is wine from Sonoma, California. Overall, I thought many of the wines from Sonoma were overpriced and did not provide great value; however, two wines did make my Wine Picks list.

We're also fast-approaching the holiday season. As such, the secondary feature in this release focuses on "party wines" (i.e. wines that please large crowds). These wines are generally easy-drinking, ready-to-drink now, and can be sipped alone or with food.

If you want to try something new, look at either the Passerina or Sardegna white wines from Italy. Want something sweet? Then take a look at Tawse's Riesling. I haven't sipped Flat Rock's Nadja's Vineyard Riesling since the 2007 vintage - that may change soon.

Among the red wines, it's a toss up for me between the Malbec, Syrah/Viognier and the Syrah. Which one will you buy?

Hope you enjoy my latest wine picks!


Red Wine:

• FINCA EL ORIGEN GRAN RESERVA MALBEC 2009 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#065425) (XD) - $19.95
• PORCUPINE RIDGE SYRAH/VIOGNIER 2010 - WO Coastal Region, South Africa (#079442) (XD) - $16.95
• CONCHA Y TORO WINEMAKER’S LOT 54 SYRAH 2008 - Los Brujos Vineyard, San Javier Valley, Maule Valley, Chile (#227496) (XD) - $16.95
• SEBASTIANI PINOT NOIR 2008 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (#014233) (D) - $19.95

White Wine:

• FLAT ROCK CELLARS NADJA'S VINEYARD RIESLING 2010 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#578625) (XD) - $19.95
• TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA RIESLING 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#089029) (MD) - $17.95
• SILVIO CARTA BADDE ALVA VERMENTINO DI SARDEGNA 2009 - DOC, Sardinia, Italy (#230599) (D) - $16.95
• ET CETERA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2009 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#264812) (XD) - $14.95
• VELENOSI VILLA ANGELA PASSERINA 2009 - IGT Marche, Italy (#230524) (XD) - $13.95

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