Tasting Notes - Nov. 4, 2009

I've finally recovered from Hallowe'en. You know what's not spooky - wine! Well, depends on what kind of wine we're talking about. There have been some wines that made me want to scream in fright. Maybe next year I'll celebrate October 31st dressed up as a grape. Or better yet, a French oak barrel. :)

Here are some nice picks that I've recently had. Hopefully they'll provide you with a ghoulish delight!

Beronia Reserva 2005 $17.95
From Rioja, Spain, this wine will warm you up in these cooler months. This is a great quality wine for the money. It has all those typical flavours and aromas that are associated with Rioja wines like black fruit, vanilla, mocha and spice. Made from the Tempranillo grape (a native grape variety of Spain), this wine has seen some extra aging (the word Reserva indicates that the wine has seen a specific amount of aging).
Enjoy this wine for a few more years! It's got a lot of life and love to give.




Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir 2007 $27.95
Wow! This is my favourite wine of the week. It's just delicious. This is a Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast, California. It's like drinking silk...if silk were a liquid. It has wonderful aromas of red berries and spice. The flavour is full with that great earthy taste that is often associated with fine wines from Burgundy. This wine is simply easy to drink (could be a dangerous thing!) and has a very nice finish. It is a bit on the high side for price, but it's well worth the money. Normally I find a lot of California Pinots to be too fruity. This one is more my style. It's a great balance between earth and fruit.



Domaine De Nerleux Brut Crémant de Loire $18.95
I just love Crémants. They're sparkling wines from France made in the Champagne style (which is also known as the traditional method). Because this wine isn't from Champagne, it can't be called Champagne. This one comes from the Loire region of France. This wine is great as an aperitif. It's quite dry (the word Brut means dry) with good fruit and very bubbly. Champagne taste on a Crémant budget! Great value.


Simi Chardonnay 2008 $19.95
This wine comes from the Sonoma region of California. It's an easy going wine that's ready to drink now. It's a nice California Chardonnay for just under $20.









Event Alert!
The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo is coming up in a few weeks here in Toronto. It's always a lot of fun. Sadly, I won't be pouring wines this year. I'll be on the floor tasting! :)
For more information: http://www.foodandwineexpo.ca

Purchase VIP tickets with the iYellow Wine Club and save money on the VIP evening:
http://www.iyellowwineclub.com/2009/10/gfwe-iyellow-vip-green-room.html

This year, the wines of Portugal will be featured. See you there!