July 19 LCBO Wine Picks: BBQ + Cool-Climate Chardonnay

The next LCBO Vintages release will be on shelves across Ontario on Saturday, July 19th. This edition features 18 wines for pairing with various foods off the BBQ, while the secondary feature highlights 10 cool-climate Chardonnays to coincide with the upcoming 4th Annual International Cool-Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4c) that takes place in Niagara. Only three of the...

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Radio Boka Tempranillo 2012 (Spain) - Wine Review

This red wine was recently released into the LCBO General List. I received this wine sample last week and opened it up last night. It is made using 100% Tempranillo from 12-25 year old vines, and was partially aged in French oak. RADIO BOKA TEMPRANILLO 2012 - DO Valencia, Spain (#376145) (D) - $11.00 Tasting Note: Screw cap. Medium+ intensity nose with aromas of deli meats,...

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Molson Canadian Cider and Stone Fruit Cider

These were the second and third Canadian beverages enjoyed on Canada Day - see yesterday's post for first items. I received these as part of the #shareyourdare campaign. Given that these items would probably not be the first beverage I'd be reaching for on Canada Day - as it would surely be an Ontario wine - it was definitely a pleasant alternative. I dared to be different...

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Great Lakes Brewery Chill Winston Grisette + Neal Brothers Kettle-style Chips

To kick back this Canada Day, I decided to open up a few locally-made, Canadian treats that I recently received. First up are a pair of newly launched, chef-inspired Kettle-style Potato Chips created by Neal Brothers in collaboration with Montreal chef and television host Chuck Hughes, and Vancouver-based chef and CBC's newest Dragon, Vikram Vij. Chuck's Srirachup chips...

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July 5 LCBO Wine Picks: New Zealand + Spain

The main focus of the next LCBO Vintages release is on summery wines from New Zealand, while stylish Spanish wines are the secondary focus. All of these and other delightful wines will be in LCBO outlets across Ontario on Saturday, July 5th. The timing and major focus of this release is perfect as the weather finally feels like summer. It's also evident as my number of...

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June 21 LCBO Wine Picks: Grape Expectations + Canada Day

As I write this from sunny California after having spent the better part of Monday touring and tasting in Napa, back home, the next LCBO Vintages release will be on shelves on Saturday, June 21. This edition is titled "Grape Expectations" and focuses on 17 grapes and where they are grown best. This is broken down into two parts - 9 grapes which were transplanted from their...

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Southbrook Canadian Framboise (Ontario) - Wine Review

This is the final post (at least for now) in my series of wine reviews from Southbrook Vineyards. The Canadian Framboise was one of the Southbrook's very first wines - with Mother Nature lending an almost fortuitous hand. It was the summer of 1992, and it rained nearly every weekend. This resulted in customers staying away from the pick-your-own raspberries patch. Bill...

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