May 24 LCBO Wine Picks: Rhône + Crisp Whites

The next LCBO Vintages release will be on shelves across Ontario on Saturday, May 24th. This edition's main focus is on wines from Rhône, while the secondary focus is on crisp white wines - as summer is just around the corner. Sixteen wines were featured in the Rhône roundup, and a quarter of them made my wine picks. The Valériane is a blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah,...

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Fleur du Cap Chardonnay 2012 (South Africa) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is a barrel-fermented Chardonnay from Fleur du Cap in South Africa. It's interesting to note that fermentation of 20% of this wine started in tank and was completed in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels, while the remaining 80% was fermented in tanks on French (50%) and American (50%) oak staves. At $12.80, it's a pretty good buy from LCBO General List...

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Inception Deep Layered Red 2011 (South Africa) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine is a new wine that is about to be launched across Canada in the coming days. This wine will be launched first in Canada before being made available in other markets. I was given the opportunity to sample it prior to its official launch at the LCBO in Ontario. The Shiraz and Mourvèdre grapes were handpicked for this blend. All three grapes were fermented...

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Burgundy Wine Tasting

Last month, I attended an exclusive Bourgogne (Burgundy) wine tasting at Victor Restaurant. The tasting was led by John Szabo, Master Sommelier and Principal Critic at WineAlign. Joining him was François Labet, Chairman of the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) Marketing and Communication Commission. Wine is a way of life for François. His family has been deeply entrenched in...

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May 10 Wine Picks: Twin Peaks + Germany + Rosé

The next LCBO Vintages release will be on shelves across Ontario this Saturday, May 10th. There are 3 themes in this release, with the major theme focusing on wines from the Twin Peaks of South America - Chile and Argentina. Chile is known for it's Carmenère, and is increasingly mastering other French varietals. Thus, it's no surprise that of the 7 Chilean wines featured...

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2014 County in the City - Toronto

On April 3rd, I attended the 3rd Annual County in The City walk-around wine tasting held at The Berkeley Church in downtown Toronto. Having attended this event since it's inception back in 2012, I have found that my appreciation for Prince Edward County wines has grown - and for good reason. Two years ago, I did not have much appreciation for Pinot Noir, and after attending...

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Apr. 26 Wine Picks: Bordeaux + Sparkling Wine

The next LCBO Vintages release will be in stores this Saturday, April 26th. The main focus of this release is on wines from Bordeaux, with a particular emphasis on "great values" from the famed 2009 and 2010 vintages, as well as the challenging 2011 vintage. The secondary focus is on Sparkling Wines and is definitely the highlight of this release. Personally, I had a hard...

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