Strewn Vidal Icewine 2006 (Ontario) - Wine Review

This was a spur-of-the-moment purchase while we were in Muskoka last weekend and wanted something sweet to finish off our Saturday night. This Icewine was the last bottle of its kind on the shelf and it showed when I opened the cork as some crust had developed. There was also some crust at the bottom of the bottle - not exactly sure how that would've happened.

STREWN VIDAL ICEWINE 2006 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#467746) (S) (200 mL) - $24.95

Tasting Note:
Aromas of peaches, apricot and honey. Palate has apricot, golden honey and some burnt orange notes. Finishes with hints of mulled spices. Medium-bodied with fine acidity that balances the sweetness. A very average Icewine that is past its prime. The 2002 vintage was opened 9 years later and tasted MUCH better than this vintage.

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Maycas del Limarí Reserva Especial Chardonnay 2010 (Chile) - Wine Review

Opened tonight is the first of two wines that I have in my cellar from Maycas del Limarí, a brand of wine produced by Concha Y Toro. This white wine was purchased from the June 9 VINTAGES wine release, where Chilean wine was the major theme.

MAYCAS DEL LIMARÍ RESERVA ESPECIAL CHARDONNAY 2010 - Limarí Valley, Chile (#162040) (XD) - $19.95

Tasting Note:
Citrus, apple and pear aromas from the cork. Toasty apple, buttered popcorn and pear aromas from the glass. On the palate, the bright acidity jumps at you, followed by layers of apple, pear, and spice. Medium-full bodied with a long finish. Extra dry. Will be enjoying this tonight with chicken biryani.

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Aug. 4 LCBO Wine Picks: Blockbusters + Single-Vineyard German Wines

The next Vintages wine release will be in LCBO outlets across Ontario on August 4. The major feature is titled "Blockbuster" wines and focuses on customers' all-time favourite wines. I have tasted and enjoyed many of these wines from previous vintages, but in this release just one wine made my list of wine picks. It's definitely on the pricey side, but the Pinino Brunello di Montalcino (100% Sangiovese) can be decanted and enjoyed now, or wait at least 2 years prior to opening.

The secondary feature in this release is on single-vineyard German wines. I love German Rieslings because many samples are medium in sweetness, complex and have balanced acidity. The Reinhold Haart Kabinett from the Piesporter Goldtröpfchen vineyard is one such example, while the more expensive Markus Molitor Spätlese (late harvest) from the Zeltinger Himmelreich vineyard is also very nice.

From the rest of the release, I look to South America for yet another lovely Argentinean Malbec and a Chilean Carmenère. The Langeudoc region in France always serves up great value wines, so the Syrah from Domaine Les Yeuses comes as no surprise - it's a steal at $13.95. A rosé from Provence is in a very fancy bottle and consists of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah. The Castellani Filicheto Montepulciano is made up of 90% Prugnolo Gentile (the regional name for Sangiovese in Tuscany) and 10% Canaiolo Nero. The aromatic Terre Dora is made with the Fiano varietal.

Within Canada, we've got a medium-sweet sparkler from... Nova Scotia! Also in this release is an oustanding oaked Chardonnay made by Inniskillin right here in Niagara, Ontario. Enjoy my picks for this week!


Red Wine:

• PASCUAL TOSO RESERVE MALBEC 2009 - Barrancas Vineyards, Mendoza, Argentina (#183897) (XD) - $19.95
• DOMAINE LES YEUSES LES ÉPICES SYRAH 2009 - IGP Pays d’Oc, Midi, France (#177584) (XD) - $13.95
• CONCHA Y TORO SERIE RIBERAS GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2009 - DO Peumo, Ribera del Cachapoal, Chile (#274043) (XD) - $16.95
• PININO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2006 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#032508) (XD) - $38.95
• CASTELLANI FILICHETO VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2009 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#184937) (XD) - $17.95
• SOTER VINEYARDS NORTH VALLEY PINOT NOIR 2009 - Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#289470) (D) - $37.95

White Wine:

• INNISKILLIN WINEMAKER’S SERIES MONTAGUE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2010 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#586347) (D) - $18.95
• REINHOLD HAART PIESPORTER GOLDTRÖPFCHEN RIESLING KABINETT 2009 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#282335) (M) - $19.95
• CAPE POINT VINEYARDS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2010 - WO Cape Point, South Africa (#285221) (XD) - $18.95
• CLOS MARGUERITE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2010 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#281014) (XD) - $18.95
• TERRE DORA FIANO DI AVELLINO 2010 - DOCG, Campania, Italy (#120048) (XD) - $18.95
• MARKUS MOLITOR ZELTINGER HIMMELREICH RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2008 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#282350) (M) - $26.95

Rosé Wine:

• CHÂTEAU DE L’AUMÉRADE CRU CLASSÉ CUVÉE MARIE CHRISTINE ROSÉ 2011 - AC Côtes de Provence, France (#282459) (D) - $15.95

Sparkling Wine:

• BENJAMIN BRIDGE NOVA 7 2011 - Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada (#256289) (M) - $25.95

The rest of the wines from this release can be found here.

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A History of Wine

Wine and the art of wine making has been part of human culture for eons. Indeed, archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest wine production came from sites in Georgia and Iran, dating from 6000 to 5000 BC. Evidence of the earliest European wine production has been uncovered at archaeological sites in Macedonia, dated to 6,500 years ago. Traces of wine dating from the second and first millennium BC have also been found in China. The history of people enjoying a good drop, therefore, stretches far into history, and far around the world.

Wine was also common in classical Greece and Rome, as you might expect with all the opulence, extravagance and sophistication of those societies. In addition, many of the major wine producing regions of Western Europe today were established with Phoenician and later-Roman plantations.

However, in medieval Europe, following the decline of Rome’s power and influence, there was a drop-off in widespread wine production. While the universal consumption of wine suffered a lull, wine production continued due to the fact the Christian church was a staunch supporter of the wine necessary for celebration of the Catholic Mass.

Similarly, whereas wine was forbidden in medieval Islamic cultures, Geber (a colossal figure in Persian science, alchemy, philosophy and geography) and other Muslim chemists pioneered the distillation of wine for medicinal purposes and its use in Christian libation was widely tolerated.

Wine production gradually got back on its feet in the West and its consumption became popularised from the 15th century onwards in Europe, surviving the devastating Phylloxera louse of the 1870s throughout the continent (a pest outbreak that nearly totally destroyed the wine plantations of France during this decade). After this, wine growing regions were established throughout the world, with wine production and the commercial nature of wine becoming recognizable as how we know it today.

Another particularly important development in the global wine trade was the expansion of production into the ‘New World’. In the USA, vineyards in Ohio were the innovators, before the industry firmly moved to California – American wine’s spiritual home to this day. Australia also picked up the slack in earnest in the late 19th century, while at the same time such things as port, sherry and fortified wines were becoming popular in Europe.

Other countries that have expanded wine production in the 20th century include South Africa, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Japan, Romania, Brazil, Uruguay, China and Canada.

Written by Julia Binkheart, a commentator and amateur wine enthusiast specializing in Wine Australia.

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Video Wine & Cheese with Natalie MacLean

On Wednesday, July 25th we tasted three Ontario VQA wines and paired them with six Canadian cheeses. This is part 2 of this edition of #CdnCheese and wine pairing (here is part 1). Here is the recording of our Live Video Chat using the Hangout feature on Google+. We had lots of fun doing this, as you will see when you watch the video. :)

JACKSON-TRIGGS ENTOURAGE SILVER SERIES BRUT MÉTHODE CLASSIQUE 2007 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#234161) (XD) - $22.95
Yeasty with hints of floral and citrus aromas. More citrus on the palate, followed by flower, biscuit, nutty, and toast on the palate. Not overly carbonated. Extra dry.

Paired well with the Niagara Gold and the Alfred Le Fermier, while the Maple Smoked Cheddar dominated the palate when paired with this sparkling wine. Both the Île-aux-Grues 1-year-old cheddar and the Avonlea  Clothbound Cheddar are versatile cheeses that also paired well.

LE CLOS JORDANNE VILLAGE RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2009 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#033894) (XD) - $30.00
Intense smoky, meat, pepper, and dark fruit aromas. Bitter, dark fruits, minerality on the palate, finishing with sour cherry and touch of pepper. Balanced, light- to medium-bodied, extra dry.

The Albert's Leap brie soaked up the smoky/meaty flavours, while the Île-aux-Grues lended it's creaminess to further balance this Pinot. The complex flavours of the Avonlea cheddar also paired well. Once again, the Maple Smoked was much too strong.

FLOURISH VIDAL ICEWINE 2008 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#222356) (S) (200 mL) - $17.95
A wine pick of mine from the February 4, 2012 Vintages release. Gorgeous honeycomb, peach, apricot aromas with loads of replays on the palate. Enough acidity to balance out the sweet flavours, not syrupy. Medium-bodied with a long finish. Yum!

The Avonlea cheddar and Alfred Le Fermier go really well with this Icewine. The sweet flavours in this Icewine go up well against the strong, smoky flavours of the Maple Smoked Cheddar.

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Cheese & Wine Tweet-Up Natalie MacLean

Here are my tasting notes of the 4 VQA wines tasted last night during the #CdnCheese tweet-up with Natalie MacLean with actually trended to the #1 spot. Also included are my impressions of the 6 Canadian cheeses that were paired with each of the wines.

INNISKILLIN WINEMAKER'S SERIES TWO VINEYARDS RIESLING 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#105387) (D) - $17.95
This wine was one of my picks from the April 14th VINTAGES release. Screw cap. Fresh mineral, lemon, pear aromas, along with hints of honey and petrol. Tangy with grapefruit and lemon-lime zesty acidity, mineral, leads to an off-dry, bumpy finish that bounces between honey and slate notes.

The Île-aux-Grues 1-year-old cheddar and the Avonlea cheddar both paired really well with this Riesling, while the Alfred Le Fermier brought out some interesting orange notes in the wine; the Upper Canada Niagara Gold cheese also went well with this off-dry wine.

JACKSON-TRIGGS SILVER SERIES CHARDONNAY 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#252072) (XD) - $17.95
Screw cap. Delicious peach, apple and vanilla aromas lead to more of the same on the palate, joined by hints of butter and honey notes. Full-bodied for a white with very creamy mouthfeel with some herbal characters on the finish. Take the little edginess off the spicy finish and this becomes an excellent wine!

Once again, the Île-aux-Grues and Avonlea cheddar both balance the flavours and acidity of this wine, with neither the cheese or wine dominating the palate.

OPEN WINES RIESLING-GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#134965) (D) - $11.95
Screw cap. Tropical fruits and pear aromas from the glass. A simple, light and fruity easy drinking wine with tropical fruit and peach on the palate. Off-dry.

The Albert's Leap brie darkens the flavours and makes the wine more interesting; the Niagara Gold and the Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar both really balance well with this wine; both the Alfred Le Fermier and the Maple Smoked are much too strong for this pairing.

JACKSON-TRIGGS BLACK SERIES MERITAGE 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#526228) (XD) - $13.45
Screw cap. Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Black pepper, cassis, raspberry and dark fruit aromas. Medium-bodied with more raspberry, pepper and herbal notes on the palate. There's also a touch of smokiness. Balanced, structured tannins with plenty of acidity. Pretty good for the price!

Not a bad pairing of this wine and the Albert's Leap brie - brings out the smokiness in the wine; both the Niagara Gold and the Alfred Le Fermier really balance the wine well the, while the Île-aux-Grues cheddar really cuts through the acidity in this Meritage.


Join us next week as we host a Live Video Google+ Hangout Wine and Cheese tasting on Wednesday, July 25 beginning at 8 p.m. EST.

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July 21 Wine Picks: Cool-Climate Victoria + Loire

The next VINTAGES wine release will be in LCBO stores across Ontario on Saturday, July 21. The main feature in this release is on the cool-climate wines from Victoria, Australia, while the secondary feature is on wines from Loire. Overall, this is a very "cool" release, with white wines stealing the show.

From Central Victoria, we have a very intriguing Marsanne. From Malivoire in Ontario, we have the aromatic Gewürztraminer, while the Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is a steal at $20. My top white from this release is a 5-year-old Muscadet made with the Melon de Bourgogne grape from Loire (#653485, below) - the name is a mouthful, but I'm sure you will enjoy it if you like dry white wines.

Among red wines, the Grenache-blended Guintrandy from southen Rhône comes from the fabulous 2010 vintage, while the 2008 Grenache/Syrah/Carignan-blend from Gerard Bertrand comes from Midi. Pinot lovers will likely enjoy the De Bortoli offering from Victoria. My top value-red is the Castello d'Alba from Portugal and consists of Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and the Port varietals Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional.

If you're in need of a summer rosé, the off-dry Syrah/Grenache offering from Château Saint-Roch is a tasty good value. Cheers!


Red Wine:

• CASTELLO D’ALBA RESERVA 2009 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#276204) (XD) - $14.95
• GÉRARD BERTRAND GRAND TERROIR TAUTAVEL GRENACHE/SYRAH/CARIGNAN 2008 - AC Côtes du Roussillon-Villages Tautavel, Midi, France (#272575) (XD) - $17.95
• DE BORTOLI WINDY PEAK PINOT NOIR 2010 - Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia (#048587) (D) - $17.95
• DOMAINE LA GUINTRANDY CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES VISAN LE DEVÈS 2010 - AC, Rhône, France (#277368) (XD) - $14.95
• DURIGUTTI MALBEC 2009 - Mendoza, Argentina (#246124) (XD) - $16.95
• TAHBILK SHIRAZ 2008 - Nagambie Lakes, Central Victoria, Australia (#214742) (D) - $20.95

White Wine:

• COMTE LELOUP DU CHÂTEAU DE CHASSELOIR CUVÉE DES CEPS CENTENAIRES 2007 - AC Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, Sur Lie, Loire, France (#653485) (XD) - $18.95
• WHITEHAVEN SAUVIGNON BLANC 2011 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#278556) (D) - $19.95
• TAHBILK MUSEUM RELEASE MARSANNE 2007 - Nagambie Lakes, Central Victoria, Australia (#276980) (D) - $22.95
• MALIVOIRE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2010 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#542522) (D) - $24.95
• LA CHABLISIENNE VAULORENT CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2009 - AC, Burgundy, France (#111666) (XD) - $31.95

Rosé Wine:

• CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH SYRAH/GRENACHE ROSÉ 2011 - AC Côtes du Roussillon, Midi, France (#276352) (D) - $14.95

The rest of the wines from this release can be found here.

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