2012 Niagara Icewine Festival - Review

Wow! What a weekend. By the time we were done mid-Saturday afternoon, I could not believe we were Icewine-d out! Here's why: Our first stop was Château des Charmes for their mini Icewine glazed New York-style cheesecake and mocha cheesecake. Both were delicious and paired extremely well with the Icewine cocktail made with fruit juices. We also took in a tour of the facilities...

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Australia + Taste Treats: Jan. 21 Wine Picks

The second Vintages release of 2012 will be in LCBO stores across Ontario on January 21. Primary feature of this release is on Australia. However, I found the secondary feature titled "Taste Treats" to be much more interesting. Taste Treats is about discovering 6 great grapes - Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Mencía, Monastrell (a.k.a. Mourvèdre), Montepulciano and Petit...

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2010 Domaine de Rimauresq Rosé (Provence, France) - Wine Review

Who says you can't enjoy a rosé in the middle of Winter when it feels like -22°C outside? This rosé wine was purchased last December from the "Holiday Cheer" release. DOMAINE DE RIMAURESQ ROSÉ Cru Classé 2010 - AC Côtes de Provence, France (#226647) (XD) - $18.95 Tasting Note: Beautiful peach hue. Mineral, orange, lemon, and citrus aromas. Unexpected spicy flavours...

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2009 Chateau des Charmes Generation Seven Red (Ontario) - Wine Review

Wanted to open an Italian wine to pair with vegetable spinach lasagna that's on the menu tonight, but since I didn't have anything ready to open, I decided to go with something else that was stylistically lighter. It happened to be local... CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES GENERATION SEVEN RED 2009 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#198036) (D) - $13.95 Tasting Note: Screw-top...

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2011 Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc (South Africa) - Wine Review

Received this white wine as a gift over the holidays. Typically, Sauvignon Blancs are meant to be opened while still young, and this one is no exception. TWO OCEANS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2011 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#340380) (D) - $9.95 Tasting Note: Screw-top cap (which doesn't necessarily mean cheap or low quality). Classic gooseberry, grass, nettle aromas, with a...

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Smart Buys: Jan. 7 LCBO Vintages Wine Picks

It's been 1 year since I began this blog and I have enjoyed every moment. A BIG THANK YOU to all of my growing number of supporters and followers - you mean a lot to me! If you're enjoying my posts, send me note. If you think I can do better in some aspect, let me know! I would love to hear from you. Without further ado, here are my wine picks for the first Vintages release...

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2009 Maipe Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Argentina) - Wine Review

Purchased this Argentinian Cabernet Sauvignon from the November 12 Vintages release, and probably should've held on to this red wine a bit longer as the tannins needed more time to develop. MAIPE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 - Mendoza, Argentina (#246116) (D) - $17.95 Tasting Note: Cherry aromas from the cork. Earth, currant and cassis aromas in the glass, and follow...

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