San Raffaele Monte Tabor Pinot Grigio 2015 (Veneto) - Wine Review

Opened up this organic white wine last night ahead of it's release onto LCBO VINTAGES shelves on October 29th. The grapes for this organic Pinot Grigio come from vineyards in the area around Verona, west of Venice, and is managed by winegrowers who have been cultivating organically for more than 25 years. This 2015 vintage is a step up in quality from the 2014 San Raffaele...

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VINTAGES Release October 29: Bordeaux + Blends

The upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release on October 29th focuses on approachable and affordable Bordeaux wines as its main theme, while the mini-theme focuses on the art of blended wines. We'll begin with the feature on Bordeaux that lists 11 wines, 3 of which are included among my wine picks. From Médoc and Fronsac are a pair of wines from outstanding 2010 Bordeaux vintage -...

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Chakana Estate Selection Malbec 2014 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is featured as the "Arrive in Style" product in the upcoming VINTAGES Release on October 29 and will be on shelves this coming Saturday. Chakana wines are made in Agrelo, near the centre of Mendoza, in a facility with a capacity of 2 million litres. However, small tank sizes are used to maintain grape identities which come from different soil types. The modular...

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Jean-Max Roger Cuvée Les Caillottes Sancerre 2015 (Loire) - Wine Review

Opened up this pretty white wine last night. It is a lovely peak into a wine that will be in LCBO VINTAGES on October 29th. The Roger family descends from a long line of winegrowers from the village of Bue, dating back to the early 17th century. Jean-Max Roger took over the vines left to him by his parents in the early 1970s and expanded the estate to its current size. Today,...

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Rueda Wine Tasting at Patria

It was a hot day on the last Sunday in May, setting the stage perfectly for the crisp, refreshing white wines that were being poured. The location was Patria - a Spanish restaurant located on King Street West. The event was called "A Taste of Spain" offered a variety of wines from Rueda - a small wine region in central-northwestern Spain, about 170 km northwest of Madrid. The...

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Domaine Galaman Fitou 2013 (Midi) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is included as part of the LCBO VINTAGES Release on October 15. This red wine comes from Langeudoc's Fitou appellation in southern France, bordering the Mediterranean sea. Fitou is one of the oldest wine sub-appellations in the Languedoc-Roussillon and the primary grapes grown in the region are Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Syrah. Domaine Galaman is produced...

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VINTAGES Release October 15: 3 Top California Vintages + Nebbiolo

The upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release on October 15th continues the onslaught of blockbuster wines leading up to holidays (I can only imagine what other goodies are coming down the pipeline over the next 6 weeks). This release focuses on the golden vintages of 2012, 2013 and 2014 in California, while the mini-focus highlights the noble Nebbiolo grape from Piedmont, Italy. From...

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