Ziraldo Riesling Icewine Tasting

In September, as part the Senhora Do Convento wine tasting, I had the pleasure of meeting Donald Ziraldo and his wife Victoria to taste their latest Riesling Icewine. Mr. Ziraldo and his business partner/winemaker Karl Kaiser were the founders of Inniskillin Winery in the spring of 1974, the first new winery in Canada since prohibition. Together, Donald and Karl helped put...

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October 31 LCBO VINTAGES Release: Tuscany + Chile

The October 31st VINTAGES Release will be on LCBO shelves this coming Saturday and the major feature is on wines from Tuscany while minor feature explores the wines of Chile. As we approach the holiday season, the releases (and my wine picks) are getting larger to help you stock up for the holidays. Based on recent years, after this release there should be only 3 more VINTAGES...

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Lavau Vacqueyras 2012 (Rhône) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is a nice follow-up to the 2011 Lavau Côtes du Rhône Villages that arrived in the General List section at the LCBO during the Summer. This delicious red wine will be available in the October 31 VINTAGES Release. Tasting Note: LAVAU VACQUEYRAS 2012 - AC, Rhône, France (#104927) (D) - $24.95 Blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre. Sweet dark fruits...

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Piazzano Chianti 2013 (Tuscany) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine will be in VINTAGES on October 31st. It comes from Fattoria di Piazzano, a family-owned and operated estate located in the hills south of Empoli and traversed by the Rio di Camerata. The estate was purchased by Otello Bettarini in 1948. His nephew Riccardo worked alongside Otello and eventually took over the operations. In the late 90's, Riccardo handed...

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Loimer Grüner Veltliner 2013 (Austria) - Wine Review

Tonight's delicious dry white wine was purchased almost a year ago to the day from the October 25 VINTAGES Release. Of course, it's all sold out by now, but I expect we'll see the 2014 vintage on shelves next month. This is better than the 2011 vintage that I enjoyed in November 2013. Tasting Note: LOIMER GRÜNER VELTLINER 2013 - DAC Kamptal, Austria (#142240) (XD) - $19.95 Screw...

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Château Renard Mondesir 2009 (Bordeaux) - Wine Review

Opened up this delicious red wine on Sunday to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family. It is produced by the Négociant Chassagnoux & Fils. The story of Chassagnoux & Fils begins with Amedee Chassagnoux arriving in Bordeaux in the early 50's. His son Pierre discovers the vineyards of Saint Emilion and distributes them with a passion in Northern France and Belgium....

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Wine Picks - October 17, 2015 VINTAGES Release: Napa + Barolo

The October 17, 2015 VINTAGES Release will be in LCBO outlets this coming Saturday and features wines that are especially known for its high-quality and are usually out-of-budget for the majority of wine drinkers. The major feature of this release is on wines from Napa Valley, while the mini-feature is about Barolo from the great 2010 vintage. Unfortunately, none of the...

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