Winners of Tickets to Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

Congratulations to the following winners who entered my contest and won a pair of tickets to the 2011 Gourmet Food & Wine Expo.

Winner of a pair of VIP tickets for Thursday, November 17:

Dhimal V.

Winners of a pair of of tickets for Friday, November 18:

@trouble35

@pavelisp

Enjoy the event!

Thank you to everyone else who entered in this contest! If you would like to purchase tickets to the event, click here for more information.

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Wine Picks: Holiday Magic + Sweet Wines: Nov. 12 Vintages release

As we get closer to the holiday season, it's time to think about wines for get-togethers. The November 12 Vintage release primary focus is on premium (i.e. expensive) wines. I mostly skipped over these as nearly all were out of budget. However, there are some gems should you wish to purchase a premium wine for your special occasion.

The secondary focus in this release is on the sweet wines. I have chosen two dessert wines, including one Icewine that should satisfy your sweet tooth - or someone else's while making a nice gift.

As for the remainder of this release, there is something for everyone (including your guests) among my top selections. The Sonop Cab Sauv from South Africa is organic and made in a slightly lighter style, while the remaining red wines are on the "big" side.

Among the white wines, the Chardonnay is intriguing. the Pinot Gris is off-dry, and the Savvy is almost made in the classic style. Enjoy!


Red Wine:

• MAIPE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 - Mendoza, Argentina (#246116) (D) - $17.95
• FERNANDEZ ESCUDO DE PLATA GRAN RESERVA 2004 - DO Jumilla, Spain (#246751) (XD) - $19.95
• DELAS FRÈRES SAINT-ESPRIT CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2009 - AC, Rhône, France (#729962) (XD) - $14.95
• TERRA NOBLE GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2008 - Maule Valley, Chile (#957050) (XD) - $15.95
• SONOP CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#606160) (XD) - $13.95
• PODERE L’AJA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2007 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#234948) (XD) - $17.95

White Wine:

• LUIGI BOSCA RESERVA CHARDONNAY 2010 - Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (#142836) (XD) - $17.95
• KUHLMANN PLATZ PINOT GRIS 2008 - AC Alsace, France (#224204) (D) - $17.95
• WITHER HILLS WAIRAU VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2010 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#919514) (XD) - $17.95

Icewine:

• HENRY OF PELHAM CABERNET FRANC ICEWINE 2010 - VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#672402) (S) 200 mL - $39.95

Dessert Wine:

• SIVIPA MOSCATEL DE SETÚBAL 2008 - DOC, Portugal (#246652) (MS) - $15.95

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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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