Hello YummyGrapers! It's a few days after Labour Day and it's so gloomy and cold outside. :(
I think after a little time off during these last few months, it's good to start the new season with some bubbly. A toast to the fabulous summer of 2010!
I really enjoyed this sparkler from the Loire region of France. It's made with the same method as to make Champagne, only using the Chenin Blanc grape variety. It's like Champagne but cheaper! Remember, you can't call just any sparkling wine Champagne. The wine has to actually come from the region of Champagne. This is a great value sparkling wine.
Tasting note from the latest Vintages magazine distributed by the LCBO:
"This is classic and assertive chenin blanc, with notes of wool, hay, citrus oils and baked pear. Its intense personality requires you to be a devotee of the variety, but if you are, this is so deliciously satisfying, it's not to be missed. Score - 90. (Wine & Spirits, April 2009)"
While this wine isn't going to have you thinking about the complexity of aromas and flavours, it will get any party started. It's a fun wine. With it's minerality and zest, it can be used as an aperitif or with Thai and Asian dishes. I served this wine beside baked chicken with avocado and mango salsa. Yum!
What is Vouvray? (voo-vray) A region in the Loire Valley of France. A white wine from this region is still or sparkling, made from the Chenin Blanc grape variety.
Yummy yummy! I really loved this wine. The bubbles were small and well integrated. That's what you want in a Champagne - small and persistent bubbles. The finish just lingered on my tongue well after I swallowed this fine bubbly. If you want to splurge on something special, then grab this bottle of Taittinger ... and share it with me. :)
Tasting note from the LCBO Vintages magazine:
"Taittinger Brut Réserve is a [blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir] from 40 different vineyards and matured to perfection. Such a high proportion of Chardonnay is seldom found among the great Champagnes. This crisp and elegant Champagne is beautiful choice, with baked red apple, toasty, spicy, citrus, peach skin flavours ... (Kim Tan, www.sceneadvisor.com, Dec. 29, 2009)"
This tasting note is about two grape varieties that we don't see often, if at all. I was excited to try wines made from them. We're so used to Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Chardonnay dominating the shelves, it's refreshing to try a little something out of the ordinary. I chose the title "New grapes on the block" as a tribute to my recent sighting of New Kid on the Block member Donnie Wahlberg. He was on one of my most recent flights back to Toronto from LA. I wonder if he'd enjoy these wines...
Marechal Foch - a red grape variety that survives winters well and ripens early. This grape was grown widely in the Loire Valley of France but is now popular in Canada and New York. It is a French hybrid grape which means that it was bred using one parent from an American vine species and one parent from the European Vinifera (the most common species of vine to produce grapes for wine) vine species.
Mencia - a red grape variety grown widely in the north western part of Spain. It is the same grape as the Portuguese grape Jaen. It was once thought to have been related to Cabernet Franc but DNA tests (sounds very CSI) disproved that theory. Generally produces a light, fragrant wine best for early consumption but the quality of grape growing and winemaking have increased the quality of the wines that this grape produces.
I was pleasantly surprised with this wine! It had great body and flavour with a really smooth taste and great fruit flavour. The tasting note on the Malivoire website says:
"Dark purple in the glass, the nose infers plum jam, raisin, juniper, spice box and autumn leaves. Silky smooth on the palate, intense flavours point to, dark roast coffee, wild blueberry, and vanilla, leaving a characteristically long, savoury finish. "
I'd have to agree. The fruit is from vines aged over 30 years. I was hesitant to try this wine only because from my past experiences, I never really liked wines made with the hybrid Marechal Foch grape. Well, I'm drinking my words now. This wine has been aged in American Oak, some of which were new barrels.
This wine has been really popular in the tasting room at the Summerill LCBO. I didn't love it but I did enjoy it for what it was. It's just easy drinking wine. It's dry and fruity and has pronounced acidity which livens up the mouth. It's filled with black cherry, strawberry flavours with some spiciness. Ole! I think for the money, you're getting some good wine that is an overall crowd pleaser. This wine is from the Valdeorras region in Spain which more is inland than the cooler climate of Rias Baixas (home of some fabulous whites made with the Albarino grape). This region is also influenced by the effects of the Atlantic Ocean. The red and white wines from both Rias Baixas and Valdeorras are light and crisp. Perfect for spring and summer patios and BBQs! Which reminds me, I should really lighten up on the wine tasting if I'm going to try to fit into that bikini this summer. :)
After a great workout on the ice and nicely centered scratch spin, I decided to reward myself. I went to the Summerhill Tasting Tower to see what was on the menu tonight. To my delight they had some new wines to taste!
Milton Vineyard Te Arai Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2007 (new zealand) $21.95
A wonderful expression of this grape variety. I just love the Chenin Blanc grape. You see many wines coming out of South Africa but New Zlealand has some great wines made from this variety also. This is one of them. It was delicious. I was introduced to this wine producer at the New Zealand Wine Fair last year. They make some fantastic wines from Pinot Noir to Chardonnay to Viognier. On the website, it says that this wine is certified organic. This means that the everything from the growing, processing and bottling of the wine was made using non-toxic/chemical methods. A white wine with great vibrant fruit and good acidity, it'll be a hit at your next spring soirée.
Finca Sobreno Crianza 2006 (spain) $17.95
I really enjoyed this wine this evening. It was much better than I expected only because a product consultant at my local LCBO had me try this wine last week from a bottle that had something horribly with it. Bleh. It was awful. It was a good exercise to try a corked wine. When I tried this wine tonight, I loved it. There was nothing corked about it. It was smooth with an enjoyable finish. I loved the aroma. Having been aged in older casks of American oak for seven months, it had a really fragrant nose of black fruit and cedar. This wine comes from the Toro region of Spain. It's made with the grape variety Tinta do Toro, which is another way of saying Tempranillo.
Going through this release of Vintages featuring Spain, I was so happy to see one of my favourite whites to come through again. When you think of Spanish wines, you'd probably think of only red wine but Spain has some amazing white wines to offer as well. The first two wines below were one of the first ones posted on the yummygrape.com when the blog was first created. I'm going to post them here again because they're just that yummy!
This is one of my favourite whites at this price point. It's just fabulous! Always a crowd pleaser. It's crisp, dry with lots of pear and floral notes. What I love most about this wine is the texture. It's very smooth and almost creamy. It leaves your mouth feeling alive and fresh! Ok, maybe I went to far with the "alive" part. I will definitely stock up on this wine for the up-coming summer months. The Albarino grape variety thrives in Northwestern Spain in the region called Rias Baixas. The Albarino grape likes the cooler, wetter conditions. Being that Rias Baixas is influenced by the Atlantic ocean, the location seems ideal for this grape.
This is always a wine that I enjoy. I'm happy to see it back at Vintages! I always enjoy the Tempranillo-dominant wines from the Rioja region. Made 80% from the Tempranillo grape variety (other varieties are Mouvedre and Grenache), this wine has lots of black plum, licorice and smoke (from aging for 1 year in both American and French oak). Reserva means that this wine has seen some extra aging. It has spent an additional time aging in the bottle before being released. The website says an additional 24 months! In total, this wine was already 3 years old by the time it hit the store shelves. It's a wonderful Spanish wine for just under $20. Be careful, it's just too easy drink.
Aveleda Vinho Verde Fonte (Portugal) $7.95
This white wine is from Portugal. It was being sampled at the Summerhill LCBO along with roasted halibut fish with artichokes and lemon (are you salivating yet?). Made from the Portuguese grape variety Vinho Verde, this wine was fresh and very fruity. You can't go wrong with this wine for this price. Enjoy it with seafood or as an aperitif.
Spring has sprung! It's about time. Figures...the weather is beautiful outside and I'm in bed with a serious cold writing this post. Before I acquired this "plague", I had some wonderful whites that definitely put a spring in my step. Hello patio!
Yummy! I've tried much more expensive Champagnes before and I can tell you that I didn't enjoy some of them as much as this one. This was a delicious dry sparkling wine. It doesn't leave you trying to dissect the complexity of it because it's just really easy to drink. Perfect for any day of the week. If you have a cold, I prescribe this to cure your ailments.
Fantastic dry Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. I just love the name - Momo. A dear friend of mine from France calls me "Momo". :) What I love most about this wine is the texture and the finish. It has a great creamy finish that lingers in your mouth. This wine is not your typical fresh-cut grass type of Sauvignon Blanc. It has lots of passionfruit and other fresh fruit aromas and flavours. mmm mmm.
Once I battle this cold, I'll be putting up more tasting notes so stay tuned. What kind of wine goes well with chicken soup? Ahhhchooo!
I recently attended the Vintages Bordeaux Meets Burgundy tasting at the King Edward Meridian hotel in downtown Toronto. This is the tasting event that I look forward to every year. Not only is it a great way to taste wines from classic French regions but the food is always fabulous and plentiful! Last year's event only featured wines from Burgundy. I have to say that I wasn't overly impressed with this year's Burgundy setup at the show. The show last year had many more diverse wines to try and some of the winemakers were there pouring their wines. Nevertheless, there were some interesting finds. This year they were also conducting a silent auction of wine gift baskets. Because I'm a sucker for packaging, I made sure to put in my bid on a few of them. I wanted those leather journals and corkscrews that came with the wine. Sadly I didn't win. Someone outbid me at the last second. Oh well, the last thing I needed was more wine in the house! Whenever I enter the room of a tasting event, I always become a bit overwhelmed because of the high number of wines that are being poured and the limited time I have to try them. This year I tried a different strategy. Usually everyone starts off with the white wines so those tables are always crowded. I decided to do the unthinkable - gasp! I started with the red! Not just any red - Burgundian Grand Crus. I started straight from the top. :) Well, the strategy didn't end up working for long. I eventually just mixed it all up - red, white...no dessert wines yet though. I always save those until the end. I ended up treating this tasting more as a social event. The last big tasting I went to was the Bordeaux event at the Four Seasons and it was really hard work. I left that tasting with my teeth feeling like they were beaten up in an back alley somewhere. I decided to just take it easy and have fun at this one. It didn't bother me that I didn't make my way through the entire booklet of wines to taste. I even went and had seconds (okay, also some thirds!) of some wines that I just enjoyed drinking.
Some of my personal highlights of the night:
Chateau Suduiraut 2006 Sauternes
$49 for 375 ml (Bordeaux)
Chateau Margaux 2006
$799 (Bordeaux)
Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 2005
$995 (Bordeaux)
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2006
$109 (Bordeaux)
Domaine de la Vougeraie Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2005
$169 (Burgundy)
Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2006
$159 (Burgundy)
I wanted to try the Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2005 but I forgot to go back to get a sample! Imagine that. I like saying the name. It sounds very aristocratic - Com-te-sse de La-lande. Perhaps a character from the movie "Dangerous Liasons".
I can honestly say that I've never tasted so many expensive wines before. These were some pretty high prices! $995...$799... Did they taste that expensive? They were delicious wines but for that money, they didn't do anything miraculous to me like make me grow to be my desired 5'11 or bring me a truck load of Jimmy Choo handbags. For those prices, I could have a small collection of some great wines. I could certainly purchase an airplane ticket and go to Bordeaux myself. Chances of me getting into some of the grand estates for a visit would be slim, unless The Yummy Grape becomes a worldwide sensation! It would be fun to get a group of people to purchase a bottle of one of those wines above and enjoy a thimble of a taste. :) How much is too much to pay for wine? Is there even such a thing? Who are these people that are purchasing these wines for such prices? How does one get invited to their place for dinner?
I recently made a trip out to California for work. I know, lucky me! I am fortunate to have a job that allows me to get to sunny Santa Monica a few times a year. I left just at the right time as Toronto was calling for a snow storm. Being in Santa Monica in late February was a real treat. It was sunny and warm with flowers beginning to bloom. I could get used to that kind of winter. For a few years now, I've always wanted to visit the Santa Barbara wine country. This region was featured in the movie Sideways. Every time I was in the LA area, my plan of visiting the wine region was put on hold due to fires around the Santa Barbara. It seemed that California was always burning when I was there! This past trip, it seemed that luck (and nature) were on my side. Santa Barbara is about 2 hours or so from Santa Monica and then another half hour inland to wine country. The drive up to Santa Barbara is really gorgeous. You will go through the Malibu Canyon where windy roads and steep cliffs await you. Then you'll find yourself driving along the ocean coast where on one side, you'll see the snow covered mountains and on the other side, restless waves crashing against the beaches. The most beautiful of all the wine trails in the Santa Barbara wine region is the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail (Foxen Canyon Road). It's one of the more scenic routes and has some great wineries along the way.
We started our journey at the small town of Los Olivos. Note that when coming to this area, make sure that you have enough gas as finding a gas station around here can be challenging. Los Olivos is a cute town full with tasting rooms and cafes. All the wineries of the area have tasting rooms here in the town just in case you can't get out to the wineries themselves.
Driving along the Foxen Canyon wine road, my eyes opened wide as I took in this picturesque area. It was pretty spectacular. There were rolling hills with sharp contrast between the green of the grass and the blue sky. The landscape was barren with funny looking trees and cattle grazing. The pictures attached to the end of this post really don't do this region justice. It felt like my husband and I were the only two people in the whole area as it was so quiet. We took the top down on our red Mustang convertible and soaked in the sunlight. We had such a relaxed, slow-paced day. Driving along the road, we really took our time to take in the sunshine and enjoy the scenery. At each winery visited, the people were laid back and cheerful. They were eager to share the history of the area and the wines with us. The tastings were usually no more than $10 plus you could keep the glass as a souvenir. The tasting fee was usually waived if you purchased a bottle. This region is well known for Rhone-style wines as well as for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It would have been great to have continued driving all the way out to the Paso Robles region. That will be for the next trip!
"We specialize in Syrah, Grenache, Viognier and other artisan Rhône-style wines from Santa Barbara County's Santa Ynez Valley. Here, we put down roots as one of California’s first wineries dedicated exclusively to Rhône-style wines. Since then, nothing has changed. We still live for Rhônes." - Curtis website
I liked everything I tried! Since this was my first stop, I had to be conservative in my purchases. I ended buying the 2005 Mouvedre from grapes grown in the Santa Ynez Valley.
"If you don’t know FOXEN,
you don’t know Dick . . . or Bill." - Foxen Vineyard website
Haha! I just love that quote above. I love it as much as I love the wines coming out of this winery! This winery actually has two locations. One location is the new solar-powered winery and tasting room. Here, Burgundian-style wines are featured such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The other location is located up the road and is now called Foxen 7200 (because the address is 7200 Foxen Canyon Road). This is where the famous Foxen "shack" is located. I remember seeing the tasting bar in "Sideways". I can't believe that I was there! It really is a shack! This location has wine for tasting that focuses more on their "Bordeaux and Cal-Ital-style" wines. We were given some snazzy anchor temporary tattoos too. :)
Located in the Santa Maria Valley, this winery is creating some lovely Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I purchased the 2007 Estate Chardonnay. I preferred the Estate to the Reserve. A week later, I was enjoying the bottle with a few friends and it was a great success.
"Riverbench Vineyard was established in 1973, when its first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes were planted on the property. For years since then, some of the most renowned wineries in Santa Barbara County have purchased our fruit for their own wines. Over time Riverbench has become a prominent name for high quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Santa Maria Valley." - Riverbench Winery website
"At Kenneth Volk Vineyards, our main focus is on vineyard designate wines from Santa Barbara. We understand the importance of terroir, unique soil, and the sea influence in this region, which is gaining renown for its cool climate and ideal growing conditions.
Our second focus is on Bordeaux varietals from Paso Robles. These quality wines boast ripe fruit flavors and are suitable with a variety of cuisine." - Kenneth Volk website
I purchased the Kennth Volk 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon made from some of their vineyards in the Paso Robles region. What was interesting about this winery is that they had a wine made from the Tempranillo grape variety which is normally seen only in Spanish wines. It was delicious.
"You are on the eastern edge of the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County. The temperature is mild, the wind is steady and the terrain is gentle and rounded. In the winter these hills are tinted gold and raw sienna. In the summer they are all shades of green. Our wines are a reflection of their surroundings. Every time you taste one of Byron’s wines you are surrounded by the flavors, textures and scents that can only come from here the Santa Maria Valley." - Byron Wines website
We ended our day back in Los Olivos at the Byron tasting room. Wines from another winery called IO were also available here for sampling and purchase. I believe that the founder of Byron started IO. We ended up buying the IO Nielson Vineyard Viognier 2007. It was delicious! I'm really into Viognier right now. My wine rack is seeing an increase in the number of bottles filled with this yummy grape.
I think 5 wineries in one day is a great effort! I am definitely planning another trip out to this region. It was visually breathtaking and mouthwatering delicious. These are the wineries that I hope to visit on that next trip:
Yes that's right! You can tour every location from the film "Sideways". I have to do that next time I'm in the area.
In my honest opinion, I found the geography of the Santa Barbara wine country to be more beautiful than both Sonoma and Napa. Maybe I'm just a more rustic-kind-of-gal. Sure, you don't see the grand estates like you do in Napa but this region is breathtaking in a different way with fantastic wines to back it up. Sadly, I didn't run into Miles...maybe next time! I also drank some wonderful Merlot. Shhh.
After trying some wines this past weekend at the iYellow Wine School, I'll hold up my glass to the above statement! I couldn't think of a more perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon than to attend a wine class. The class is 1.5 hours so it's not a huge time commitment and it's a great way to get your Saturday evening started. The wine class is held at Reds Bistro & Wine Bar, located in downtown Toronto in the financial district. Guests were greeted with a glass of sparkling wine and taken to the classroom. Each table was setup with tasting glasses, pens and other materials needed. Looking around the cozy room, people were socializing with one another before the start of the class.
The instructor for the class was Taylor Thompson, the sommelier at Reds Bistro. He kept things light, fresh and had the audience engaged throughout the class by getting interaction from the students. He discussed the history of wine production in South Africa, the climate, the "terroir", the production methods and the grape varieties. Each person received a neat booklet that discusses South African wines with beautiful pictures. I left the class wanting now to visit South Africa ...especially after that amazing Pinotage I tried! Googling (funny how I'm using google as a verb!) pictures of South African wine regions showed me how beautiful South Africa is. The foods that were paired with the wines were delicious. They were prepared by the Reds sous chef Amira Becarevic. Nothing like gourmet food with your wine tasting!
What's great about the iYellow Wine School classes is that they're really geared towards each type of wine lover from the person who is just starting to learn about wine to the person who is a more experienced wine connoisseur. There's always something new to learn. Another perk of attending a class is that after the session finished, we were able to order a glass of anything we liked at half price. This came in handy after class was over and students were mingling with one another. I loved this after-school activity! In total, there were 8 wines that were tasted during the session (not including the post-class half-priced glass). Good wine, good food and good company...what's not to love.
At the end, people were encouraged to do a blind smell test of 5 out of the 8 wines tried during the class. If you could get all 5 right only by smell alone then you won a bottle of wine. I won a bottle for answering a question in class. I won the Bellingham shiraz Viognier 2007. The question was a) What French region has the blend Shiraz/Viognier and b) Why is the Viognier grape blended with the Shiraz?
2) Franschhoek Cellar Chenin Blanc 2008 $18.95
I really enjoyed this wine on its own. It's unoaked and light with aromas of pear and apple, good acidity with a nice warm finish.
3) Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2008 $11.95
This wine paired nicely with the nicoise salad. Where I enjoyed the Chenin on its own, I enjoyed this wine more with the food. It's so interesting to see the play between the wine and the food.
Food Pairing: Tuna Nicoise Salad
4) Goats do Roam 2007 $12.95
This is a lighter example of a South African wine with lots of red fruit and good tannin.
8) Deemersfontein Pinotage 2008
Yummy! This wine is "very like animal". There is so much going on. It's smokey with notes of chocolate, coffee and maple. It's delicious. It's a "Chocolate Coffee Pinotage" according to the producer's website. What do you know, I like all those things! Too bad you can't buy this wine at the liquor store. It is available through a wine agent here in Toronto: http://www.azureau.com
Food Pairing: Smoked Venison and Red Currant
Some things that I learned in class:
a) South African wines have a distinct (in most, pleasant) aroma of forest floor or moss due to the unique soil and geography of the region.
b) Thick legs of a wine (the film that is left on the glass as you swirl your wine around) that fall slowly is a good indication that the wine is from a warmer climate.
c) Viognier is often added to Shiraz (Syrah) to soften the Shiraz as well as to add a nice perfume to the red wine. Viognier is a white grape with lower acidity and it ripens earlier than Shiraz. Shiraz on its own can sometimes be very overpowering so with a small percentage of Viognier, it now becomes smoother.
If I had to choose 2 wines that really stood out for myself, they would be:
1) Franschhoek Cellar Chenin Blanc 2009
2) Deemersfontein Pinotage 2008
I had such a great time and will be definitely checking out more classes! The educational portion was great as was hanging out after and talking with fellow classmates. This class let me try delicious wines at various price points because as you know, price does not allows dictate quality. Anyone interested in coming with me to the next one?
Hello wine lovers! Things have been quiet on the blog lately as I've been preoccupied with my new hobby of figure skating! My attention to wine has been a bit diminished but don't worry, I'm still tasting as often as I can...after skating that is. I should try a tasting before I skate, maybe I'll get in some good jumps!
Caves des Vignerons de Buxy Montagny Les Chaniots 1er Cru 2007 $23.95
This is a Chardonnay from Montagny in Burgundy. The picture here is from the 2004 vintage. I tried the 2007 vintage and it was lovely. This wine is crisp with great minerality and citrus flavour and aroma. The tasting note says that this wine will only improve within 2-3 years. As we're now in 2010, this wine should be coming close to its prime! Yum yum give me some! Actually, just give me the entire bottle. :)
Louis Max Beaucharme Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2007 $19.95
When I first saw this bottle on display, I thought "how cute"! I just love the label design. It's definitely not your typical Burgundian label. When I tried this wine I thought, "mmm mushroom risotto". It has a wonderful aroma filled with red berry and earthy notes. It's a simple wine, offering great flavour and value. I think for a wine just under $20, this is a wonderful find.
A few weekends ago I attended the Bordeaux tasting event hosted by Vintages. The event took place at the Four Seasons Hotel here in downtown Toronto. I know, how chic! I couldn't wait to get to the event. I had hoped that there would be not only good wine, but good food. To my delight, there was both! Now, how was I going to do this? 3 hours and over 100 wines to go through. I really had to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I always feel slightly anxious whenever starting a tasting event because I really don't know where to start. Do I start at Table 1 and work my way up? Do I start from the end? Or, do I just bypass everything and hit the dessert wines. :) The great thing about these types of tastings is that for a flat fee, you taste as much as you want (or can). $75 ticket for the event doesn't seem so bad once you realize how expensive the wines are and the quality of food that you're getting. Yum!
Bordeaux has so many wonderful regions, each being so unique from the other. I should do separate blog posts on them in more detail. One thing about Bordeaux wine that should be remembered is that it's almost always a blend of different grape varieties. The blends generally contain Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc as the main grape varieties and sometimes the blends contain smaller percentages of Petit Verdot and/or Malbec as well.
For myself, I divide Bordeaux as such:
Left Bank wines - Cabernet Sauvignon dominant in the blend
Right Bank wines - Merlot dominant in the blend
Sauternes/Barsac - Dessert wines (Sémillon is dominant)
Pessac-Léognan - Mostly Sauvignon Blanc (sometimes blended with Sémillon)
At this event, I really enjoyed the wines of Saint-Emilion. There were 6 tables devoted to the Grand Crus of this region. Grand Cru means "Great Growth" in French. When speaking about Bordeaux, it applies to a vineyard that is thought to have a good reputation for producing wine.
After the first 20 or so wines (who knows really, I just know it was a lot), I decided to venture out to the food area and fill my belly. There were stations where men in chef hats shaved off slices of roast beef, lamb kabobs, wild mushrooms, risotto and a giant cheese table mixed with fruit and bread. That should be enough to soak up all that wine!
One thing that did bother me about the evening was the fact that my teeth actually hurt. So many of these wines were really big and quite tannic. I found that as the evening progressed, my teeth were not only a nice purple colour, but sensitive from the acid in the wine. Could it be that my body actually was actually telling me that it had enough?! I received some tips from Igor Ryjenkov MW (Product Manager, European Wines, Vintages) who said that it's best to not brush your teeth for a couple hours (if not more) after wine tasting because you'll wear out the tooth enamel. To also help minimize the effects of acid on the teeth, you can eat cheese and bread but NO brushing your teeth. I actually waited until the next day to brush. Gross I know.
My top picks of the evening:
Chateau Olivier Blanc 2007 $99 (Sauvignon Blanc from the Pessac-Léognan region)
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2007 $114 (Sauvignon Blanc from the Péssac-Léognan region)
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2007$82 (Pessac-Léognan)
Chateau Figeac 2007 $115 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)
Chateau La Couspaude 2007 $69.00 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)
Chateau La Gaffeliere 2007 $90 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)
Chateau La Tour Figeac 2007 $48 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)
Chateau Lascombes 2007 $109 (Margaux)
Chateau Chasse-Spleen 2007 $39 (Haut-Médoc/Moulis)
Chateau De Rayne Vigneau 2007 $31.00 (Sauternes/Barsac)
Next wine event held by Vintages will be in March. This event will feature the wines of both Bordeaux and Burgundy. If attending, remember to spit spit spit! Seems a shame to be spitting all these wines but you have to go through quantity to appreciate the different quality. :)
Wow! Has it been over a week since my last post? I have to say that I have not been into wine very much this week. Last Sunday I attended the Vintages Bordeaux Tasting at the Four Seasons Hotel here in downtown Toronto. I tried so many wines in the course of 3 hours that my teeth hurt (I'm really not kidding). My mouth looked like it was right out of the Middle Ages! Remember folks, whenever going to a wine tasting event, make sure you spit! I'm happy I did at this one. I would have been under the table with the spittoons and they wouldn't have been for wine. This weekend I'm off to the Niagara IceWine Festival. I can't wait. Lots to report on that one I'm sure. Maybe I'll FINALLY get to some video blogging.
On to some tasting notes for the week. I have two fabulous pics: Tawse Quarry Road Chardonnay 2007, $35.20
I really enjoy the wines from Tawse. It's a cute winery located in Vineland, Ontario. They're really well known for Chardonnay and Pinot but I enjoy all the wines that they make. I know this wine isn't cheap but it is delicious. For those that are ABC (anything-but-chardonnay), give this Chard a try. It's quite elegant and not too heavy on the oak. You'll find that you're suddenly a new kind of ABC...all-about-chardonnay. I know. Corney joke. www.tawsewinery.ca
Luigi Bosca Reserva Syrah, $14.95
Yummy! For a wine just under $15, this is definitely a "must buy". This wine comes to us from the foothills of the Andes in Argentina. Lots of chocolate, blackberry and blueberry. There's so much going on both on the nose and on the palate for a wine this inexpensive.
Remember that this weekend is the final weekend for the Niagara IceWine Festival! Maybe I'll see you there. :)
At the tasting bar today, I tried two yummy wines that won't hurt your wallet!
Paso Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $19.95
Yum yum yum! For just under $20, this wine has earned a place into my wine rack. Hot days and cool nights make this wine bold but balanced. There is lots of fruit and a smooth finish. A win-win in my books. Too bad some of those movie stars couldn't be the same! So, in honour of the Golden Globe awards this evening, may each star be as bold and balanced with a good finish.
Domaine de la Seigneurie des Tourelles Saumur Blanc 2008 $12.95
All I can see is wow! For this price, this wine is fantastic. I went out and bought a few bottles because I don't think that they'll last long on the shelves.
A great Chenin Blanc from the Lorie Valley in France. I love the Loire. It's such a beautiful place from vineyards and grand castles to caves carved out into the limestone hills. You won't be disapointed by this wine and if you are, well, no one is perfect.
:)
On a side note, Vintages is hosting a "Wine 101" event at the Arcadian Court in downtown Toronto on Tuesday February 9th. This is a nice venue, having been there myself a few times. The cost is $55 per person and includes not only a Champagne reception, but a tasting of over 30 wines from around the globe. For more information:
This is a site dedicated to our favourite juice brought to us by our yeasty friends...wait, did I just say that?
You can look up wines, check out new releases, read reviews, post a review or make a wine tasting list for yourself. I love the virtual cellar feature to track your personal wine collection. I think I'll use this particular feature a lot since I've lost touch with my own collection. I'm sure my bottles feel like I don't know them anymore. There's also a mobile access component which is perfect for all of us who are mobile-junkies.
The site is clean and really easy to use. I've just signed myself up!
"WineAlign was designed by wine consumers, - not wine sellers - who want logical, practical and objective wine buying advice."
It is free to join but to gain access to the premium services such as critics reviews, new releases and the mobile access, you do need to have a paid subscription. When you sign up for an account, you will receive free access to all these services for two months. It's great that this kind of site exists for those of us who live in Ontario since it deals with the wines at the LCBO. The site is planning on expanding to other provinces in Canada. I myself am in the software industry so I know how expensive developing a product can be and how much time and effort it takes. I'm sure that the value of the site for each person will really have to depend on how much they'll use it. A wise man once asked, "If you don't use it, will you lose it?"
Now that the holidays are over, it's back to work! By work I mean that hard task of tasting and writing about wine. Doesn't really sound like work to me. Although, I have been very liberal in how often I've been posting. I had every intention of posting regularly but what can you do, life got in the way. My New Year resolution is to post more often (I know, I know...you've heard this before) and to finally start those video blogs on my YouTube channel! I also want to start charting my own wine collection, which I'll gladly share with you. I need to keep track of what I actually have and when certain wines will be at their peak for drinking. I had a 2004 Chardonnay last week from Thirty Bench (Beamsville, Ontario). It was a lovely wine but definitely on it's way out the door since I waited a too long to drink it! It would have been superb a year or two ago. If I had a chart, I would have known this rather than letting it sit in my rack, ignored. I'm also reading some really great books that I'd like to share with you in future posts. Of course they're wine related.
I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with good cheer and good wine. I was fortunate to take a last minute trip to San Francisco which included day trips to both Sonoma and Napa. It was indeed a wonderful Christmas! My husband decided to surprise me with this trip because he knew how much I wanted to go! With a phonecall to work telling me to come home and pack, we were flying the very next morning at 7am. Who knew the airport could be such crazy house at five in the morning. We had a wonderful time and drank lots of fabulous wine. I'm currently working on some posts about the trip. It's taking some time to go through all the pictures and tasting notes I made. See? I'm committed to traveling the earth, high and low, to bring you the findings of my on-going wine research. How dedicated am I! In the meantime, here are two wines that I've recently tried and enjoyed:
Bougrier Vouvray 2008 (Loire Valley, France) $14.95
I love Chenin Blanc and having been to the Loire Valley, I love the things that come out of the region. Although this isn't on my list of favourite Vouvray's, this wine, for the money is pretty good. It's a medium dry wine (there is a bit of residual sugar) that's easy on both the palate and wallet. Aromas of peach, citrus and pear are offered from this wine. You can certainly enjoy it with chicken or spicey south Asian dishes. Hooray for Vovray!
Gerard Bertrand Grand Terroir Montpeyroux 2007 (Midi, France) $17.95
This is a good wine for good value. Hailing from southern France, it scored a silver medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2009. This wine is the one on the right in the picture. I know that I've mentioned this before, but I love wines from the south of France. I couldn't find too much information from the producer about the actual grape varieties and percentages used but since it's from the southern Rhone, it's most likely a blend of the traditional varieties such as Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre or Cinsault grapes. Yum yum!
