Be mine...you lovely wine!

Happy Valentine's Day from me to all of you! May your day be filled with wine-y goodness! I thought I'd take this moment to post some delicious finds for you this week. This recent Vintages release featured some yummy wines for the money. I think there's something for every taste here.

This Vintages LCBO release featured California Cabs. This wine is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot with some Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.   This wine showed ripe blueberry, chocolate, plum and violet. It's dry with soft, integrated tannins. It's a bit hot on the finish but other than that, it's well-balanced. At this price point, there is a lot to savour!

Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 $24.95
Sonoma County USA

I wanted to try something different and I found it with this one. I'm a huge fan of Greek wines. This grape variety is called Moschofilero. Not too high in alcohol, it's dry, very aromatic with lively lemon zest. It's tart with a good finish. I liked it!

Tselepos Moschofilero Mantinia 2010 $16.95
Greece


This lovely Shiraz had a great deep purple colour. It was spicy with lots of berry and licorice with slight vegetative flavours. It had great structure with nothing really jumping out to overpower along with a long delicious finish. I'm not one to normally drink Australian Shiraz but I would drink this one. I trust the wines from Plunkett Fowles. Not only is the quality there but it comes at an affordable price.

Plunkett Fowles Stone Dwellers Shiraz 2008 $19.95
Victoria, Australia

I'm in love! This Tempranillo will surely lure you into the boudoir this Valentine's Day. With it's silky sultry smoothness, it's a typical Rioja. Wonderful nose with vanilla, chocolate and sweet ripe fruit. It's medium bodied so don't expect a macho-macho wine.

Finca Nueva Reserva 2004 $19.95
Rioja, Spain

I have some excellent news to share with you! Remember that tasting challenge that I participated in just before the holidays?

www.theyummygrape.com/2011/11/tasting-blindly-through-sea-of-wine.html

I came in 3rd place in the Amateur division! How about that. I didn't think I did well at all. It was a tough competition. Time to practice for next year! The award ceremony will be April 17th at the oh-so- cool 99 Sudbury. Looking forward to it!

Bordeaux After Work Party @ Crush Wine Bar

The 4th party!

Crush Wine Bar

We've finally reached the fourth and final installment of the Bordeaux After Work Party series. Held at the popular Crush Wine Bar on King Street in downtown Toronto, it was the largest yet! I'm sad that this series has concluded. I looked forward to heading out after work to the party. It was so much fun to mix and mingle after work at various wine bars around Toronto. This series of events was a fun way to promote the wines of Bordeaux.  Maybe we'll see more events in the near future? Bordeaux After Work Party Part Deux? (wish list!)

Keep those tunes coming dj!

Largest crowd yet!

I don't know if it was because Halloween was in the air and people were in the mood to get out and celebrate, but for a weeknight, this event was packed! It was great to see so many people coming out to try Bordeaux wine. Like the last event at Eight Wine Bar, there was a sommelier station set up so you could sample a taste of each of the wines on the menu before choosing your free glass of your preference.

Le Menu

The way the event worked was the first 100 people would get a drink ticket for a free glass of wine of off of the list of those wines featured for the event. After that, each additional glass was $5. Good deal! 

The mission of these events was to showcase the diverse wine region of Bordeaux. People always associate Bordeaux with $$$$. That's not always the case! Yes, you easily spend a lot of money for a wine from one of the grand Chateaux but there are some terrific wines to be had for not very much money.

Chilling Whites

Sommelier Station

White
2008 Chateau Fontaine $16.95
2008 Chateau Coucheroy Blanc $16.95

Red
2008 Chateau Fayan $18.95
2008 Chateau Timberlay $15.95
2003 Chateau Toumilon $19.95

The Red Lineup

To wrap things up, this series in my opinion, was a great success! Once a month we (the wine-loving public) all got to get together at a trendy wine bar to learn about the delicious wines of Bordeaux. So what exactly did we learn?

1. Wines from Bordeaux are most often a blend of several grape varieties.

2. Whites from Bordeaux are a blend of two grapes:  Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Sémillon adds body to the wine while Sauvignon Blanc adds the aroma and crisp freshness.

3. Bordeaux reds can be classified in two categories: Left Bank and Right Bank.

Grab a glass and taste!

4. Wines from the Left Bank are Cabernet Sauvignon dominant in the blend. Cabernet Sauvignon is a thick-skinned grape that gives structure and in some wines, excellent aging potential.

5. Wines from the Right Bank are Merlot dominant in the blend. Merlot provides the wine with body and that silky softness that we all love.

6. Sauternes is a luscious, delicate sweet white wine made from the Sauvignon, Sémillon and Muscadelle grapes. It has a unique feature in that a special "rot" called botrytis causes the grapes to shrivel.  The grapes then have extremely concentrated and unique flavour. It's like a piece of heaven. :) Also look for similar wine styles from the Barsac region.

7. Wines from Bordeaux come in different styles and price points. You can definitely find a wine for any budget.

Thank you Bordeaux Wine Council and iYellow Wine Club for hosting these Bordeaux After Work parties!

For more information about Bordeaux Wines: www.bordeaux.com

Like Bordeaux Wine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bordeauxwine

Follow Bordeaux Wines on Twitter: @BordeauxWines

Bordeaux after work @ Eight Wine Bar

The third Bordeaux After Work Party took place this past Tuesday September 20th at Eight Wine Bar. What a civilized way to finish an otherwise boring workday.

The Bordeaux Wine Council has a goal: to spread the joy of Bordeaux wine. These events are co-hosted with the popular iYellow Wine Club and aim to showcase the diverse wines that the region has to offer. Bordeaux wines are not only for the wealthy collectors who spend thousands of dollars for coveted bottles of cru classes. There is a Bordeaux wine for every budget and every taste.

The Bordeaux After Work Party is a series of 4 events. Once a month a downtown venue is chosen for 2 hours of tasting and socializing. This past evening,  the first 100 people to arrive received a free glass from the list of featured wines. Additional glasses were $5.  For yummy wine, that's a deal.

Sommelier station

the menu a la carte

This event had a new concept of a sommelier station. The sommelier du jour was Svetlana.  She was there to give you a small sample of the wines. You could then decide what you wanted to start with at the bar.

Fantastic idea!

Angela Aiello

The evening had a great vibe. The after work crowd sipped away the evening listening to funky beats, socializing inside this cozy venue.  I snapped a picture of iYellow Wine Club founder, Angela Aiello.  She looks like she's having fun! For more information on her events and for future Bordeaux After Work events, go to: www.iyellowwineclub.com

www.cosmotoronto.com/Eight-Wine-Bar

There were 5 wines to try throughout the evening: 3 reds, 1 white and a dessert wine.
All the wines are available at the LCBO. My picks for the night:

Eight Wine Bar

mmm wine

White
Chateau Ferran Blanc 2007 $21.00

A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes. Dry white wine showing some oak with orchard fruit flavours. Well balanced and enjoyable. Nice wine for the money.

Red
Chateau de Panigon 2005 $16.95

A solid dry, red wine for under $20.
This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. 2005 is considered to be a wonderful vintage in Bordeaux. This wine had good fruit, tannin and a medium finish. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

Dessert
Chateau Liot 2007 $19.00

A delicious sweet white wine with elements of honey and dried apricot while maintaing nice acidity. Best served cool. The wonderful thing about sweet wines coming from Bordeaux is that many of them are affected with what's called Botrytis or "noble rot". Don't be fooled from the name. This "rot" is a good thing. It shrivels up the berries so the flavours are super concentrated. The Chateau Liot is a nice introduction to these wines of Sauternes and Barsac.

Wine menus

Like 2005, the 2009 vintage in Bordeaux was spectacular. From the reports coming, the wine world is now buzzing about 2010.  While these wines are silently sitting in barrels in France, eager wine drinkers all over the world are awaiting their arrival to the marketplace.

Nicolas from Tannin Fine Wine

Nicholas from Tannin Fine Wine is a Bordeaux expert. I've heard him speak French fluently with the most beautiful accent. Oui, c'est vrai. He was pouring a wine not featured on the list:
Chateau Desvin-Bel Air 2003 $19.95





I'm having a lot of fun at these events! Now how about an After Work Week Party! Or, a Before Work Party...ok ok, just any excuse to have a party. :)

For more information on future events:
www.facebook.com/bordeauxwine

My Birthday with Beringer

Laurie Hook and myself

I recently celebrated my birthday and what better way than to spend it tasting Beringer wines with the head winemaker herself! Happy birthday to me!  Hosted by Wine Align, the event was located at the trendy Yorkville restaurant Sassafraz. The event was featuring wine with tapas-style food. Ok, tapas it was not. It was like a five-course dinner! The food was delicious and there was a lot of it. Good thing my dress was stretchy.

Love the place setting

The chief winemaker for Beringer is Laurie Hook. She made the tasting very casual and really gave us a sense of Napa throughout the ages. She's a real history buff so she described what the Napa Valley looked like millions of years ago geologically speaking and what makes it so unique. She discussed everything from the growing of the grapes to the wine making methods at Beringer. After the tutored tasting, she made sure to go to every table to talk to people. She was super. No attitude and very approachable. :)

Fancy Shmancy!

Wines Tasted:

2009 Nappy Valley Chardonnay
2008 Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay

2009 Napa Valley Pinot Noir

2008 Napa Valley Merlot

2008 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

A surprise on the menu: 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon

Some examples of what treats were on the menu:

* Spice rubbed lamb chops with olive jus

* Buffalo mozzarella and aged asiago ravioli, tomato basil broth and chiffonade of Swiss chard

* Seared beef tenderloin with shallot confit pommes royale, sauteed shitake and asparagus fricasse, lobster butter

Lobster butter?! I love these two on their own...and now, combined! 

Delicious Food...yum

It was such a great way to spend my birthday. At the end of the tasting, Executive chef, Bradley Macdonald, came upstairs to see how we liked the food. Of course, we all clapped. The food was delicious. We asked him how he liked the wine. When he said that he wasn't allowed to try any on the job, we made sure that the situation was rectified. He joined us for a glass. What really topped off the night was the celebrity sighting downstairs in the restaurant: Collin Ferrel, Bruce Willis, Jessica Biel and Ethan Hawk sitting at a table. They were in Toronto filming Total Recall. I heard that the Beringer winemaker, Laurie, gave the table  signed bottles of wine. 

Beringer Website:
www.beringer.com

I strongly urge you to join Wine Align. It's an online community where you can get tasting notes on what's in the LCBO and read both reviews of professional critics and regular people.
www.winealign.com

I love the NightLife

Last week, I attended a wine event (I know, shocking!) brought to you by the iYellow Wine Club (a free wine social club in Toronto so sign up!). This event featured wines from Napa, California. The night started off with a bang as I acquired a head injury even before entering the event. My head made friends with a large metal door. A perfect way to soothe a head bump is wine of course and I certainly was on my way to the right place. The event took place in the historic Great Hall, on Queen Street West. I love this area of Queen Street. There are so many galleries and interesting stores...not to mention good restaurants.

http://www.thegreathall.ca

I love the way the Great Hall was decorated for the evening. Dj Dinamo and Dj Sam EfSharp Flemming were playing some good tunes (as usual, I busted a move on the dancefloor after a few...um...samples). There were 20 wineries sampling their wines at this event. I have to say that the wines that stood out for me this night were the Syrahs and the Sauvignon Blancs. Of course, there was plenty of Cabernet Sauvignon to go around! No California wine show would be complete without the great King Cabernet Sauvignon.

The setup for the evening was one which had all the wineries along the perimeter of the hall, allowing people to freely mix and mingle. There were tables in the center, along with tasty bites to eat. Angela, the lovely lady behind the iYellow Wine Club was sporting some great boots. I love her sense of style. Great taste in wine and fashion go a long way in my books.

The picture to the left is one of Angela and myself showing off our boots at the end of the event. Below is yours truly taking a break from dancing. This time I had some fellow wine tasters join me!


For myself, the wines that stood out were:

Chimney Rock Elevage Bordeaux Blend
This wine is made in the tradition of wines from the right-bank of the Bordeaux region.
www.chimneyrock.com

Peju Sauvignon Blanc Persephone Vineyard 2008
Interesting fact about this wine is that the grapes are harvested in three stages of ripeness to create a complex blended wine.

Peju Cabernet Sauvignon Persephone Vineyard 2005
www.peju.com

Cuvaison Pinot Noir 2007 Los Carneros
One of the only few Pinot Noirs of the night, but always a pleaser.
www.cuvaison.com

Frias Syrah 2006
I have a bottle of the 2005 in my wine rack. I can't wait to drink it. The 2006 was also super.
www.friasfamilyvineyard.com

John Anthony Syrah 2006
The winemaker himself was pouring the wines and I enjoyed tasting each of them!
www.javwine.com

Toronto is fortunate to have dedicated organizations like the iYellow Wine Club to bring these types of events to the city. I love California wines and the NightLife event provided a way to showcase the region.

For more information on Napa Valley:
www.napavitners.com

Maybe one day I'll be blogging from Napa! I can't wait.

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!