Darlene Myers

Sorry I missed last week – I was on vacation.  Oh, and did I mention – I am having a love affair with Californian Wines!  The California Wine Show was here in Nova Scotia while I was away, and although I didn’t get a chance to go, I have been trying all the new wines and what can I say – Fantastic.

Let’s start with this smoky beauty.  Deep deep deep dark fruits, spice, crushed black pepper, oak and yes, a mild hint of cigar.  Gorgeous Zinfandel wine that has been aged in both French and American oak for 11 months – this is a big in your face oaky wine.  I loved it.

Want to bring a bottle of wine to dinner that kick starts a fun conversation.  Bring the Flirt Red Wine blend.  It’s under $17 and is an alluring blend of Syrah, Tempranillo and Zinfandel.  How can you not like this wine.  Juicy red plums, baked cherry spice, butterscotch, and vanilla.  I know – YUM!  Oak aging just adds that bit of smoothness.  This company is marketing this wine with a whole bunch of fun flirty sayings like ‘Your other wine will never know’ and ‘Your new favorite redhead’.

Here’s one of my favorite stories.  Paul Brasset was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and went to the Napa Valley in California in 1980 to make wine.  He worked at several vineyards making award winning wines.  In 2003 Paul was hired as winemaker and personal wine advisor by Sydney Frank (Grey Goose Vodka fame).  He launched the Bluenose label and makes a spectacular Chardonnay and a Zinfandel.

The  Chardonnay is rich and full of big flavors – pineapple, pear, tropical fruit and crème brulee.  It’s fantastic.  The Zinfandel is exceptional – rich and bold with dark cherry fruits, mocha, and oak.  This man knows how to make Zinfandel.   To use his words “Seriously good wine shouldn’t have to come with a seriously obscene price or attitude – but it should come with great grapes, great provenance and great care”. 

And last but not least, the Truett Hurst Wine Company in California has come out with a series of ‘Evocative Wrapped Bottles’.  This unique packaging holds some unique wine.  Two weeks ago I told you about the Curious Beast wine.  Dark as night, rich as sin and scary good.   A fantastic blend of merlot, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Cabernet Franc.  For under $20, you can’t go wrong and again, a great conversation starter when you bring this wine for dinner.  Yesterday I had the opportunity to sample the Schuck Chardonnay.   The beautiful wraps, which the wine is packaged in, is not only recyclable, but the wrap will stand up in an ice bucket.

The Schuck’s Chardonnay is a delight – rich and smooth.  Tropical flavors, pineapple and crème brulee.  I loved it.

So many wines – so little time!

Enjoy a glass – Cheers.

Darlene

Well, today is the first day of my vacation.  And I love to treat myself while on vacation, and I treat myself with fine wine.  Here are some of the fine wines I will be treating myself to, both home and in the U.S.

And it doesn’t come any finer than the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon from Burrowing Owl Vineyards in the Okanogan Valley in British Columbia.  This is a gorgeous full-bodied wine with a beautiful dark plum color in the glass.  Layers of delicious aromas on the nose and on the palate.  Blackberries, black plums, chocolate, pastry cinnamon, sagebrush – all combine for a spectacular wine!  This wine and grilled meats go together like Adam and Eve.

I can’t wait to enjoy once again the Francis Ford Coppola Black Diamond Claret.  Big and Bold in the glass with layers of blackberry and smoked espresso.   It’s Cabernet Sauvignon based made in the French Bordeaux style.  Very food friendly and delicious all by itself.  This has been one of my favorite wines for a long time, and I can’t get it here in Nova Scotia.  So I am looking forward to a glass when I get to the U.S.

Now I would never dream of going to the U.S. without having a bottle of Robert Mondavi wine.  It would almost be sacrilegious.   This has become one of my favorite new white wines.  The Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc.  94% Sauvignon Blanc and 6% Semillion, the fresh tropical citrus blend goes perfect with salads and all by itself during those warm evenings in Florida.

Here’s a new California blend I’ve recently discovered for under $20.  Fresh and fruity, this has summer written all over.   The packaging is so unique you are going to want to take this to someone’s place or bring it out at a gathering of friends, just for the conversation piece.    A California red blend that just oozes chocolate, yep chocolate.  Big dark spicy plums, not oaky, cherries and did I mention the chocolate.  Voted one of the best new 20 wine brands, as the winemaker said ‘it’s dark as night, rich as sin and scary good’.

I will fill you in on more wines when I return.

What will you be enjoying?

Darlene

Yesterday I received my shipment of wine from Burrowing Owl Winery.  This vineyard in the Okanogan Valley in British Columbia makes spectacular wine.  I received a shipment of the 2009 Merlot and I have a case of their Cabernet Sauvignon on the way.  Well, when I received my wine, I couldn’t wait to share it with my friends Rick and Sue.  One of the comments I made was that the wine would be great with any grilled food on the BBQ, to which Rick said ‘especially one with a good rub!”  The comments started flying about good rubs and the next thing we knew we were comparing good wine with good men.   Most of the comments I can’t publish, but it did get me to thinking.

This wine is spectacular, from start to finish.   In the glass it is a dark plum color and on the nose layers of aromas.   Plums, leather and tobacco on the nose and in the mouth this is a full-bodied Merlot.   Flavors of red berry, tobacco and chocolate explode in the mouth.  There was another flavor myself and Rick were picking up and we think it was Eucalyptus.  I recently reviewed the wine and gave it a 95.  This dark mysterious classy wine – makes me think of James Bond.

Moving along.   I have been having so much fun with white wines lately, and Rick and Sue at the NSLC on Larry Uteck Boulevard here in Halifax, introduced me to a fantastic one….. a Fume Blanc

This wine is 94% Sauvignon Blanc and 6% Semillion.  Dry and crisp, I loved this wine.   mouth-watering flavors lemon and lime, honeydew and lemongrass.   This is a great wine and with Summer just around the corner, hopefully, this wine with its tropical flavors and citrus has Summer written all over it.   Hmmm, trying to think of a man who makes my mouth water like this wine.   Easy!

If you think of any wines that make you think of a fine man, let me know.  I would love to write about it.  We can have fun with this one.

Till next week, Cheers.  Darlene

Now that the weather is getting nicer, do you find yourself coming out of your cocoon a bit more often and socializing with friends.   With warmer weather comes deck parties, getaways and pot lucks.  And a great opportunity to shine by bringing the wine.

I recently had a group of friends over and this was the first wine we opened.  A gorgeous 2007 Zinfandel from the Calistoga region in the Napa Valley.  When I went to the Napa Valley a few years back Calistoga is where I stayed.  It’s in the Northern part of the Valley and known for its Hot Springs, cool wine and warm welcomes.  With its bright red fruits, pepper and chocolate tones, this Zinfandel was heavenly.  The Chateau Montelena vineyard was established in 1882 and produces some first class wines that are all about balance.  I can’t wait to have this one again.

The next wine was a Wyndham Estate George Wyndham Founder’s Reserve Shiraz.  At under $20 this is a wine I will be buying again and again.  Gorgeous ruby color in the glass with some purple tones.   Plums and blackberry with cedar, chocolate and spice all mixed in a beautiful Shiraz.    If you love a full-bodied wine as I do, you will love this Shiraz with its oak nuances.  The oak, however, is not over-powering.

And finally I have to tell you about this awesome wine I found to compliment spicy food.  This is the Tommasi Appassimento Adorato.  The Appassimento is a process that dries the grapes before fermenting to concentrate sugars, acids and flavors.  (not to be confused with a sweet wine).   It is a combination of a Chardonnay grape and a Garganega grape.   Clean and spicy highlighted by flavors of tropical fruit and honey.  The first time I tried this wine, I had it with roast turkey.  It was OK.  Then I had it with spicy Mexican and Indian food.  And Wow, they go hand in hand.  It was a delicious combination.  It’s light enough to drink on your patio this summer and a beautiful wine that you don’t have to pair with food, its delicious by itself.  No oak, for all my friends that don’t like an oaky Chardonnay, this is your wine.  Under $20 – you can afford to drink it all Summer.

Till next week – enjoy good friends and good wine

Cheers

Darlene

What a week for wine it’s been.   I was lucky enough to receive a bottle of this wine from a friend.

It’s a 2011 Torbreck Old Vines Grenache Syrah & Mourvedre.  You may know the blend as GSM.   It’s from the Barossa Valley, one of Australia’s most famous wine regions, and also home to some of Australia’s oldest vines.  These old vines contribute to the pure and intense flavors of the red wines that make the Barossa Valley legendary.   This blend wine is as beautiful on the palate as it is in the glass.  Juicy flavors of cherry, nutmeg spice, cedar and aged oak combine to make a spectacular wine.   A treat with steak or any grilled meat, or all by itself.

And while we are on the subject of old vines, let’s re-visit one of my old favorites.

Pepperwood Grove Old Vine Zinfandel is a steal of a deal.  At only $16.99 a bottle I always keep a couple in my wine rack.   I told one of my colleagues at work and now it’s his go-to wine.  Big juicy flavors burst in your mouth with every sip.  You know how with some wines,  that first taste is amazing and then the more you have that feeling fades.  This wine is not like that.  Right to the very end your mouth comes alive with all these great flavors.  It’s a mouth filling blend of blackberry, clove spice and a peppery oak flavor.

This is the same people who bring you the spectacular Smoking Loon Pinot Noir.   Another steal of a deal.  A fantastic Pinot Noir for under $16, and you don’t hear me say that too often.   Light garnet in color with mouth-watering tastes of raspberries and strawberries.  This California Pinot delivers a great wine for the money.

And last but not least…. Ja Mocha.

I enjoyed this wine again this past week.  And every time I open a bottle and enjoy a glass, a I remember why I like it so much.  Many of the South African Pinotages that I have tried, have been a little over-powering.  The flavors of Mocha and coffee over-power the wine.  It’s not the case with the Ja Mocha.  Although you can tell by its name, it does have a flavor of Mocha, it also tastes of chocolate (never a bad thing) and oak in a very subtle way.   Soft tannins and very well-balanced, this is another wine I have a hard time keeping in my wine rack.

Thank you so much for reading.  I love all the comments and feedback.

Till next week, Cheers.

Darlene

With Spring in the air, and longer hours in the evening, I’m starting to think Summer is around the corner.   And I would like to introduce a new wine that I call ‘Summer in a Glass!’

I tried this 2011 Anselmi San Vincenzo last night and it immediately swooped me away to the Sunny South with gentle breezes and palm trees.   Fruity and tropical with flavours of peach, pear, melon  and white pepper that explode in your mouth.    Tried this with my friend Rick, who is also planning on going down South, and we both commented on how we hope to find this wine on our travels.  At under $20, this one is going to be one of my favorites this Summer.

Here’s a beauty of a wine that I have enjoyed a couple of times in the past few weeks.  The 2010 Chateau De Nages Costieres De Nimes.  It’s a mouthful of wine, both to say and to drink.  It’s a blend of Grenache, Syrah (you may know it as Shiraz) and Mourvedre.  This blend is more commonly known as GSM, you have probably seen those initials on other bottles of wine before, especially on wine coming out of France, Australia, the United States or Chile.  The term GSM is thought to have come out of Australia, a New World wine country, which is probably why France doesn’t use the initials on their bottles.   This fantastic wine is a bit of a treat at $23.99 but you owe it to yourself to treat yourself once in a while.  Intense flavours yet a soft supple wine, aged in oak for 12 months, super smooth and soft tannins.  The bottle calls in pure unaldurated pleasure – and I agree.

Another fantastic wine I tried this week was the Evans and Tate Margaret River Chardonnay.  Can you say smooth?   I tried the 2009 vintage, which apparently had near perfect ripening conditions for the grape and it was harvested at night to save the crisp flavours.  This produced a Chardonnay that had aromas of citrus fruits and creme brule… who needed dessert – this was dessert in a bottle, but not sweet.  On the palate flavours of peach and melon with a smoothness bought on by oak aging in french barrels.  Around the $20 range, this will go well with just about any food you are serving.

And my last red is also under $20, and the beautiful Thorn Clarke Terra Barossa Merlot.  Dont let the name Merlot scare you off.  This is a big full bodied wine in the glass and on the palate.   Deep dark purple color in the glass prepares you for the great wine experience you are about to have.  Plum and cherry flavours dance with chocolate and herbs and oak ageing in both French and American oak make for a beautiful finish.   This wine is begging to be served with pork – pork chops, pork tenderloin… you will love it.

Till next week, Cheers

Darlene

I love finding a good deal.   And that includes wine.  Recently I have had tremendous success with finding some great wines under $15.

This is one of my new favorite finds.  It’s Eye Spy Cabernet Merlot from Western Australia.  For a recent wine review, I gave this wine a 91 Rating.  I can’t remember the last time I gave a wine under $15 a 91, but this one earned it.     In the glass, this wine has a gorgeous rich plum color, and in the mouth juicy berries with a hint of leather finished with a nice oak.   55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot, this wine is a winner.  Fantastic with grilled pork.

You can check out that review here. http://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks/wine/eye-spy-cabernet-merlot-2010/182517

Here’s another winner I recently discovered.    It’s Rymill The Yearling Cabernet Sauvignon 2010.  From the Coonawarra region of Australia, this fruity soft supple wine is youthful, but still very bold.   With flavours of raspberry and chocolate,  there’s also a hint of herbs with the nice rounded tannins Australia is known for.    I loved this wine and will enjoy it again and again.  Again, very food friendly, especially with grilled foods and would also go great with aged cheddar.

What are the chances of finding a 2008 Reserve wine under $15?  The 2008 Castillo de Almansa Reserva is a blend of Tempranillo, Monastrell and Garnacha grapes.  Aged in oak for 12 months before bottling, it tastes of maturity.  With rich aromas of black cherry and licorice, and on the palate I could detect black pepper,  the wine finishes especially nice with a hint of vanilla and of course the oak.

So there you have it, 3 fabulous finds all under $15.   Until next week, Cheers!

Darlene

Lately I have been trying several Old Vine Zinfandels.  This is probably my favorite.   It’s the 2011 Predator Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi Appellation.  I am going to give it a 94.   Spectacular is one of the many words that come to mind.

When you bring the glass to your nose, the first thing I noticed was the smoke flavoring.  It reminded me of the flavouring I used in my Pulled Pork recipe.   On the palate, a kaleidoscope of flavours that include plums, cherries, vanilla, coffee, and of course a smokey oaky taste.   I had friends over last night and everyone thought this wine was fantastic.  The NSLC suggests you serve with BBQ ribs, funny, as that is what I am having this evening.  I may have to pick up another bottle.

If the $25.29 price tag is a little hefty, there are other fantastic old vine Zinfandels.   Pepperwood Grove is another big favorite of mine.  At $16.99, this wine is a sensational value.

So where does the term ‘Old Vine’ come from.  Well, it means pretty well what you think it means.  Grape vines can grow for over 120 years. After about 20 years vines start to produce smaller crops, and average yields decrease, leading to more concentrated, intense wines.  In the United States, the most common is for Zinfandel.  The vineyards in California are up to 125 years old, and bearing small amounts of prized Zinfandel.   If you see old vine on a bottle, whether it’s from California or Australia, it means the vines are at least 30 or 40 years old.  And because of it, the wine is fantastic.

Pick up a bottle of Old Vine Zinfandel at your favorite Liquor store or wine boutique and let me know what you think.

Cheers

Darlene

What a wonderful week it’s been for wine.   Are you making your favorite comfort foods?  And finding great wines to go along with them?  Me too!

This week I discovered a very unique wine store.   Premier Wine & Spirits is located in Halifax and is a small, highly specialized store featuring  wine and beer.  While there, I asked the owner, Jim, to show me one of his favorite ‘good deal’ wines.  This is what he picked for me.

It’s L’Oustal Blanc K10.   Neat story.  It’s labelled K10 because the vintage of this particular bottle was 2010.   You may see K11, as the 2011 vintage is out as well.  Robert Parker called this Carignan dominated varietal as “lively and juicy without sacrificing any of the wine’s richness”.   I had to totally agree with him.  I can’t wait to have this wine again.  I have never had this varietal before, Carignan, and although believed to have originated in Spain, it’s mostly known in France.   The wine is fruity with a hint of herbs and spices.  One of the most interesting things about this wine is that 80% of it is aged in cement!  That’s right, cement.  And the other 20% is aged in oak for about 5 months.   This wine scores a lot of 90′s right across the board.  I hope you can find it in your area!

A very nice client, Sandy, gave me this bottle of wine on Friday.  A big bold Shiraz,  I had it with a grilled steak, grilled vegetables and the flavours danced in my mouth.   Most people who read my blog know I love a  red wine with hints of pepper, and this one didn’t disappoint.  This is another wine I will buy again.  It’s $15.99 here at the NSLC and great value for the money.  Deep rich color in the glass, I loved the subtle flavours of fruit, chocolate and pepper.  This wine worked for me.

I would love to hear about any great finds you make.  Please leave a comment and tell me about your favorite wine. Till next week, in vino veritas, and enjoy.

Darlene

… And discover the wonderful world of Pinotage.

This week I had the pleasure of trying 2 very different Pinotage wines from South Africa.

The first one is Cafe Culture Pinotage from the Western Cape region.   It was recommended by a colleague of mine at work.  Thanks Anthony!

Talk about your flavor.  I didn’t have to lift the glass to my nose before the aromas of Mocha, Chocolate, Coffee, and Oak hit me.  And it was quite powerful on the palate as well.  All those flavors listed above are almost trying to compete for dominance with one another.  The winemaker himself, Bertus Fourie, was quoted as saying “is the most controversial style of Pinotage wine in the world. Most people crave it”.  

That’s an interesting statement to make.  I asked my friend Gary if he had ever tried it, and he said “About a dozen times, and I still don’t know what to make of it”.  It is one of the most interesting wines I have ever tried.

Now, if the “in your face” kind of flavor is not your thing, and you like all those flavors in a more subtle glass, I have the Pinotage for you.  My friend Sue recommended this.

This is the Ja-Mocha 2011 Pinotage , also from the Western Cape region of South Africa.  I loved this wine.  All those flavors of coffee, Mocha, chocolate, oak – in a more subtle wine.  Soft tannins and very well-balanced, I found it both extremely pleasant on the nose and on the palate.  I enjoyed it immensely both before the meal and after the meal.

Both are great wines.  Like all wines, it a matter of personal preference.  I think what I loved about these two wines the most, is that they are guaranteed to be great conversation starters.

I would like to take a moment to thank each and every one of you that read my blog.  The week before readership hit an all-time high, and last week we blew that record out of the water.   I am extremely grateful for the Shares and Retweets on social media, as it has allowed me to share and receive from people all around the world.

Thanks again, till next week, Cheers!

Darlene

Well, as we are almost at the half way mark in January, and I have some great wines to help keep you toasty warm this winter.

When you’ve had one of those weeks, and you need a treat – I have the treat for you.

This is the 2005 Resalte Ribera del Duero Crianza.  It was voted the Number 1 Spanish wine in the world in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines of 2010 and #26 on the list.  And let me tell you it is spectacular.  For those of you that have been reading this wine blog for a while, you know I am a huge fan of the Marquis de Riscal Rioja wine.

With its gold netting, it’s a nice looking bottle, and a great wine with tastes of cedar and plum.  A great smooth Spanish wine.  Well, you can’t buy the Marquis de Riscal in Nova Scotia.  But I feel I have found one just as good.  Leave it my friend Susan from the NSLC to come up with a great tasting Tempranillo.  A crianza has to be aged 6 months in oak, this spent 15 months in French and American oak, so you can taste the oak.  It’s smooth, but it has 15% Alcohol content, so it’s robust and powerful and can deliver a punch.   Ripe red fruits with hints of oak and smoke.  Perfection.

At $27 a bottle here in Nova Scotia, it’s a treat, but worth every penny.  I thoroughly enjoyed it with a stuffed butterfly pork chop, stuffed with feta cheese, bacon and jalapenos.

Till next week, in vitro veritas.  In wine there is truth.  At 15% Alcohol, maybe too much truth.

Enjoy

Darlene

Happy New Year to friends far and near, fellow bloggers and wine lovers!  Well, we survived 2012.  It was a year of some great times, and great wines.   It was a year of big change for me, as I moved to a new province.   And moving to a new province allowed me to try some great local wine, as well as new offerings from the NSLC and independent wine stores.

What better way to start the New year than with a great deal!!  Many people are a little cash strapped this time of year, but that’s no reason not to enjoy fine wine.  Am I right?

This is Talamonti Tre Saggi Montipulciano D’abruzzo.  It’s a mouthfull to say – and a great mouthful of wine!  Tre SAggi, which means three wise men, is a terrific wine at a great price.  $16.99 here at the NSLC, it was given 90 Points by Wine Enthusiast magazine and in 2007 was awarded the Gold medal at the Mnidus Vini Great International Wine Awards.

It was spicy, oaky, lots of fruit flavor and I found it great with food (I had pork that evening) and I found it easy to drink all by itself.  Great dark color that looks good in the glass and tastes good on the palate.

I am always looking for new wines to try and write about.  Please please please, if you have a favorite, I would love to try it.

Thanks for reading and until next week, Cheers!

Darlene

I think what I love most about this time of year, is that a person gets to try new wines.  We tend to get together with friends and family more often, and people bring us wine as Christmas gifts and dinner gifts.  And I find that I am always trying new wines that become year long favorites.

I don’t usually pay much heed to the ‘grab your attention’ kind of names some vineyards put on their wines.  However, after trying and loving the Menage a Trois a few weeks back, a wine which I have bought and enjoyed several more times since.  So when my friend Susan, from the NSLC in Halifax suggested the following wine, I couldn’t wait to try it, and Susan was right – I loved it.

I love wines from the Washington State.  As most of you know, one of my favorites is The Velvet Devil Merlot.  Well, the 14 Hands ‘Hot to Trot’ Red Blend is very impressive, and since the NSLC doesn’t carry The Velvet Devil, it brought me back to all the reasons why I love wines from the Washington State.

It’s a blend of mostly Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon and it was so easy to drink.   With fruity flavors of cherries and black currants, you can also detect a hint of chocolate.   At just around the $20 mark here in Nova Scotia, its great value as well.   I loved how the back of the bottle summed it all up.  And I quote “14 Hands celebrates the spirit of the wild horses that once roamed the Columbia River Valley.  Fourteen hands in height, these tough little horses were revered around the world for their strength”.

I didn’t find this wine tough to drink at all.  Quite easy as a matter of fact.  I have since purchased more and am looking forward to cracking open the next bottle.

Please drink responsibly not only this holiday season but all year around.

Cheers

Darlene

Well, it’s that time of the year again.  This is my last wine blog before Christmas, so of course, I thought I would focus on the Turkey!   There are some great options in both red and white.

2011 Stags Leap

Napa Valley Viognier

I had the opportunity to try this wine last night, and it’s perfect for your turkey dinner at Christmas.  This Viognier (pronounced vee-ohn-yay) from the Napa Valley is light and crisp.  At $36.00 per bottle, it may be a little to pricey for some wallets, so here’s another one to try.

You’ve seen me write about this one before.  At $17.00 a bottle, the Vouvray by J. Moreau & Fils is a delightful wine with turkey.  At thanksgiving I bought a bottle of this over to a friend’s, and people thought it was the perfect match.   Vouvray is a Chenin Blanc and this particular one is acidic and goes well with roast chicken or roast turkey.

If you’re not a white wine drinker, I would suggest a Pinot Noir.

This 2011 Kim Crawford Pinot Noir from the Marlborough region in New Zealand is the sister wine of the Pinot I wrote about last week.  This Pinot Noir, however, is lighter and in my opinion, a better fit with your turkey.  It’s $21.00 here in Nova Scotia, and I also like the Inniskillen Pinot Noir.  One of my favorites,  the cool climate of Canada makes for a tasty Pinot Noir.

So that’s it for this week.  Thank you to all for reading… have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy the precious time with family and friends.

Cheers

Darlene

I have to be honest.   When I think of the Marlborough region of New Zealand, I think Sauvignon Blanc.  The area is considered by many critics to be the world’s best at growing Sauvignon Blanc.   However, Pinot Noir is one of New Zealand’s sought after varieties, especially in the Central Otago region, where Kim Crawford SP makes this Pinot Noir.  (SP stands for Small Parcel)

Last night I tried the Rise and Shine Creek Kim Crawford SP 2007 Pinot Noir from Central Otago.  The first thing you will notice when pouring this delightful wine is the color.  The dark purple vibrant color – and then you’ll check the label again to ensure it is in fact a Pinot Noir.   This richly intense looking wine doesn’t disappoint on the palate either.

Lots of smokey flavor, but thing that stands out the most about this wine for me was the length.  You can still taste this wine minutes later.   Thank you to my two favorite NSLC people, Rick & Sue for suggesting this wine.

I loved it!  Run, don’t walk, to the nearest liquor store and see if they have this wine.  At $32.99 a bottle here in Nova Scotia, I can honestly say it was worth every penny, and then some.

Till next week, Cheers.

Darlene

And I liked it!  The wine of course…

Before your mind sinks in the gutter, I am referring to the California blend.  This wine was easy to drink both before and with the meal.  It’s a three grape blend of Zinfandel,  Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and at under $20 a bottle, easy on the pocketbook as well.

The first aroma on the nose was oak.   But the oak didn’t over-power the taste.  It has a nice medium color and the three bedfellows blend well.   Fruity Zinfandel, smooth Merlot and Cab Sauv with nice tannins.  I had grilled pork and I thought it went very well together.

And now for my value find of the week.  I love Italian reds and this was a pleasant surprise to say the least.

This is the Pietra Pura negro Amaro from the Salento region in Italy.  (trying saying that fast 3 times)  At $12.99 a bottle,  I hope you will be as pleased as I was at the find.   The Negroamaro, or sometimes referred to as the Negro Amaro grape variety is native to southern Italy.   It’s not an area or a grape I am very familiar with but I did like the wine.   Great color, good structure, nice finish.  I had it with pasta and you can’t go wrong with an Italian red.  The glass I had after the meal tasted good as well.   Will definitely buy more of this wine.

Till next week, Cheers.

Darlene

Christmas for Wine Lovers!

Don’t you love this time of year?  Getting together with family and friends.  The Food – yes, we love the food… and of course the wine.  It’s a time of year when we try new wines, and buy new wines for friends.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to try the 2009 Descendientes de Jose Palacios “Petalos del Bierzo” Bierzo.  At $35 a bottle here at the NSLC, I was a little disappointed.  Now don’t get me wrong… most people love this wine.  It was given a 93 by Wine Spectator and a 90 by Robert Parker.  Dark black cherries, nice color, but I found it strong.  That’s the only word I can describe.  I like the Marquis de Riscal Rioja better.

Now it’s time to talk about my new favorite find.  6th Sense Syrah from the Michael David Winery in California.  I am in love, big time.    I was greeted by this dark purple color.  As it danced around the wine glass I caught aromas of toasted red fruit.   Hints of Vanilla and oak – all the things I love in a red wine.  And the taste did not disappoint.  This could be my new favorite.  I will have to try another bottle which I plan on doing tonight.

Till next week, Cheers

Darlene

I really enjoy pouring a cup of coffee every Saturday and sitting down and writing my wine blog.  I take great pride in trying to share delicious wines at reasonable prices.  However, no wine blog would be complete without a treat wine now and then.

Allow me to introduce the 2008 Antinori Guado Al Tasso.  At $80 a bottle here in Nova Scotia and $93.00 a bottle in Newfoundland, this is not a wine I’ll be having every week, but what a week it was for wine!  Given 98 Points by Wine Enthusiast, it was also the #1 pick on the Top 100 Cellar Selection Wines for 2012.   Wine Spectator gave it 93 Points and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gave it 95 Points.  So there you have the ‘Ratings’, the expert’s opinion if you will.  Now it’s time for my opinion.  (After all, that’s what the blog is called.)

Smooth!  That’s the first word that came to my mind.  This Italian blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 12 Cabernet Franc, and 3% petit Verdot hit it out of the ballpark.   If all wine from Tuscany tastes this good, I know where I’m going on my next vacation.

On the palate it tasted of toasted oak, plums, cherries and spices, it wasn’t over-powering - but it had great length.   The flavor of the wine stayed with you after each taste.  I read somewhere that is wine was one of the wines voted ‘most likely to age well!”

Last night was a night of treats.  I had another wine that scored 93 Points by Wine Spectator, at half the price.  I’ll tell you all about that one next week.

Till next week, In Vino Veritas.  In wine there is truth.

Darlene

Ever have a meal that you haven’t had in a while and think “Why have I waited so long to make this”?  Ever run into an old friend and said ‘Next time I won’t wait so long to call’?  The same can be said for a glass of wine.

This week I have revisited some of my old favorites that I haven’t had in a while, and it was a pleasurable visit to say the least.

Last night I had a 2009 Cookoothama Shiraz.  This wine always reminds me of my good friend Gary Kelly, as we both discovered the wine at about the same time about 5 years ago.   Both Gary and I are big fans of a big Shiraz grabbed our attention.   I love the smokey flavors of black currant and cranberries found in this wine and prices range anywhere from $14.99 to $18.99 a bottle, depending on where you live.

Several years ago I spent my vacation in the Napa Valley in California, and visited many vineyards.  One of my most memorable was a visit to the Robert Mondavi Vineyard.  This is a picture of the entrance to the vineyard.  Beautiful.

So when I left to move to Nova Scotia, some wonderful friends gave me a bottle of a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.  I was really missing my friends this week, and decided to toast our friendship by opening this bottle.   I think most people who drink wine like Robert Mondavi, especially some of his higher end wine.

This wine is spectacular.  I have another bottle of the same year, given to me on my birthday this year.  And I can’t wait to share it with friends.  This is an easy to drink Cab with hints of cocoa, cinnamon, and toasty oak.   Robert Mondavi has been quoted as saying “I’ve always wanted to improve on the idea of living well.  In moderation wine is good for you – mentally, physicially and spiritually”.   I think he nailed it with this wine.

Have a great week, and let me know if you get a chance to revisit some old friends.

Cheers

Darlene

There’s nothing like a long weekend to have fun experimenting with Wine & Food.  George Bernard Shaw says “There’s no sincerer love than the love of food” and Robert Louis Stevenson says ‘Wine is Bottled Poetry”, then it’s no wonder we love to combine the two.

On the menu this weekend is an Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Tenderloin that I am making for my family.

With bread, apples cut up, fresh cranberries, toasted walnuts, savoury, chopped onion and salt and pepper,  I will serve a couple of different wines.  For the red wine drinker I am going to serve my favorite Merlo, The Velvet Devil from California. I love this smokey Merlot with pork and the silky soft finish just makes it one of my favorites.  For the white wine drinkers a Bella Sera Piniot Grigio, a wonderful crisp light Pinot Grigio.  And  for those who like their white wine a little sweeter, a Riesling.  I can drink small amounts of Riesling, but not much, because I find it too sweet for my taste.  But for the Riesling selection I will go to Germany with this Guntrum Riesling.

What are you serving this weekend.?  And which wines have you chosen?  I would love to hear from you.

And I would like to take a moment to say a big Thank You to the men and women who have served this country, both past and present, to allow us the freedom to enjoy a long weekend.  The celebration of wine and food with family is not lost on us.  I know there are many families who have sacrificed loved ones so that the rest of us may enjoy it.

Cheers

Darlene

I have an apology to make to Zinfandels everywhere.  I used to think you were weak wimpy wines.  The Charles Atlas of wines we’ll say, the 97-pound skinny weakling who got sand kicked in his face.  (I know, I’m aging myself).  Then one day during our Wine Fundamentals class, this wine made a believer out of me.

It’s from the Caymus Vineyard in the Napa Valley and it’s heaven in a glass.  And at over $48 a bottle, it should be.  This is a great gift for someone.  This family has been making wines since 1972 and this Zinfandel was surprisingly full-bodied.  And I loved the long finish.

However, most of us don’t spend $48 on a Friday night wine, so I decided to be adventurous and try a different California Zinfandel.  This one just under the $20 range.

Last night I had the Pepperwood Grove Old Vine Zinfandel, and I loved it.  A big mouth-filling wine, it went perfect with the Mango Chicken I cooked last night.   This wine could fit well with pasta as well, pasta with rich cream sauces.   I liked the spicy and blackberry palate.  I have found out since that Pepperword Grove makes a couple of white wines as well as a Pinot Noir.  I am going to try the Pinot Noir, however, in reviews, it has been said that the Zinfandel was the ‘best of the bunch’.

I enjoyed this wine while I was cooking and with the meal as well.  After doing some research this wine is less expensive in some other provinces in Canada as well as the United States.  Here in Nova Scotia it was about $18, and I thought good value for the money.

Have you tried a Zinfandel that you especially liked?  I would love to hear about it.

Cheers,

Darlene

As I sat in my chair with my cup of coffee, contemplating today’s blog, I felt a little daunted.  To take on the topic of pairing wine with chicken – I felt a little intimidated, mainly because there are so many possibilities.  Let’s start to explore them together.

Gone are the days of ‘white wine with chicken’ and ‘red wine with beef’.   Remember our mantra from last week’s blog “It’s all about personal preference”!  My good friend Andrew Facey told me a great way to pair food and wine, and that’s by region.    Just think, what do they eat where the wine comes from?  For example Salmon – how about a Pinot Noir from Oregon.  Or Roast Pork – an Alsace Riesling could be a good pairing.

But back to…… chicken!!!

First of all, my personal favorite with roast chicken or roast turkey is Vouvray, a Chenin Blanc.  And the one I like the most is the J. Moreau & Fils Vouvray available at the NLC.  I haven’t found it in Nova Scotia yet.  With its natural high acidity I love how this wine pairs with roast chicken or roast turkey.  On my palate, it’s a match made in heaven.

Chicken cooked in a rich thick cream sauce may pair well with either a Chardonnay if you’re a white drinker, or a Burgundy if you’re a red drinker.  With thick cream sauces, you could go with a number of Red wines and it will match quite well.   Where as, if you’re having fried chicken, I would personally go for a lighter Sauvignon Blanc.  One of my favorites is Matua Bay Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand.

One of the things I have found is that Pinot Noir, one of my favorite reds, goes with just about any chicken dish.

One of my favorites is from right here in Canada, and its Inniskillen Pinot Noir.  The cool climates of Canada make for a good Pinot Noir grape, and although some say, ‘Never trust a Pinot Noir under $20″, this one suits me just fine.

If you’re having chicken, try different wines, and see which one compliments the chicken dish, or detracts.  I would love to hear your opinion.

Cheers

Darlene

Those that know me, know I not only love wine, but I love food as well.  I’m a Foodie!   And there’s nothing I love more that matching great food with a great wine.

Now I have to tell you, I have done a tremendous amount of ‘experimentation’ on my own, and one of the classes of my Wine Fundamentals Course was dedicated to food and wine pairing and I believe it comes down to one thing…… personal preference.

I may love a certain wine with a certain food and you may not.  I may find a certain wine flavor echo’s that of the food, while you may think the wine contrasts with the food flavor.  Personal preference.

Elements in the food can compliment or detract from one another.  Eating and drinking to find your favorite is the best way.  So please keep in mind, the following wine and food pairings are some of my favorite.  And I look forward to hearing your favorites.

Let’s start with salad.  I love a green salad with a homemade olive oil & balsamic dressing that has fresh garlic, grainy mustard and brown sugar.  And my favorite wine to have with this salad and salad dressing is a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region.

Stoneleigh is one of my favorites but I have tried several Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand and I love them all with salad.

Steak – won’t come as a big surprise to anyone that I love a big full-bodied red, like a Shiraz.  Wolf Blass Grey Label and Angove McLaren Vale Shiraz are two of my favorites.

Only one can be the star of the show.  Complex wines tend to go better with simple dishes and simpler wines with more complex dishes.  A simple roast beef with an aged top quality red and a simpler wine with more complicated dishes.  I like a light Pinot Grigio with spicy and Asian foods.

Next week we will get into chicken – and with chicken anything goes.

Till next week – Cheers.

Darlene

Monday, October 8th was the Thanksgiving Day holiday in Canada, and I took a break from unpacking to visit the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia.   If you are not familiar with the Annapolis Valley, it has spectacular views, and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.  It also has some pretty nice local vineyards and I got to visit a few of them.

In my wine fundamentals class I learned that Pinot Noir likes to grow in the cooler climates.  And Canada is known for its cooler climates!   So, Pinot Noir may be called temperamental, picky and the heart-break grape, I have been trying to taste as many Pinot Noir’s as I can from Canadian vineyards.  It’s not easy here in Nova Scotia, one NLSC does not carry one bottle of a Pinot Noir from Canada.  Shame.  While on my journey, I picked up a bottle of 2008 Pinot Noir from the Gasperau Vineyard in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Gasperau Winery was the first vineyard in the Annapolis Valley, and won the 2011 Winery of the Year in Atlantic Canada award.  That said, I was looking forward to trying the Pinot.   And I have to tell you, I was totally impressed, and I’m embarrassed to say ‘surprised’.   The grapes themselves were grown in Canning, Nova Scotia in Kings County.  I loved the taste of vanilla and oak.  I came to find out it was aged in new Hungarian Oak, older French oak and stainless steel.  Interesting.   It also had a peppery taste, and I love the hint of pepper in wines.  It was $20 for a smaller 500 ml bottle, but totally worth it.

Till next week, Cheers.

Darlene

I have recently moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia.  And I am loving everything about this city.  One of the most exciting things for me, is to discover new wines that I couldn’t get before.

I have 2 new finds to tell you about.

The first was a housewarming gift, and I loved this wine.

This unique name comes from the practice of toasting barrel heads and staves to impart a mellow toasted flavor to the barrel aged wines made in California.  With flavors of vanilla, dark cherry fruit, blackberry,  and of course toasty oak.    Selling for under $20 here in Nova Scotia, this is a great wine at a great price.

My second find this week was a Bordeaux.  A 2010 Louis Eschenauer Bordeaux

In my opinion this is an easy to drink – easy on the pocketbook Bordeaux.  Still fairly young, this medium body wine has hints of smooth spice and wood.   I always like to learn the story behind a wine, and I found it interesting that the Eschenauer family is originally from Alsace.  When I took my Level 1 Wine Fundamentals course, Andrew talked a lot about the wines from Alsace, but they are known for their white wines.  The family moved to Bordeaux in 1821 and started making red wines.   I had it with pork and I thought it paired very well.   Again, under $20, you can’t go wrong.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I did a blog, because I was in transition.  I’m looking forward to sharing my new finds with you each week.

In Vino Veritas.

Darlene

“My wines are sexy, they make weak women strong and strong men weak”   Wolf Blass

Today I met a legend.

That’s me with legendary wine maker Wolf Blass.  What a treat.  This gracious and kind man signed a few bottles of wine for me, so it’s probably no surprise today’s wine blog is about the man himself.

A little history.  Wolfgang Blass is a German immigrant who arrived in Australia in 1961 with a diploma in winemaking.    One of his first jobs was with Tolley, Scott & Tolley as a winemaker.  I read somewhere that in 1966 he bought land on Bilyara Road in Australia and Bilyara is the Aboriginal name for Eaglehawk.  The Eagle is also the national emblem for Germany, where Mr Blass is from, and that’s why the Eagle is on every bottle of his wine.  Today, the label and the name is probably one of the most recognized in the world.

On tonight’s menu, a Wolf Blass Grey Label Shiraz.  I am going over to a friend’s house for supper and this is what I am bringing.  I love this wine… it’s a great treat wine.  Quoting from the website… “Perhaps the definitive interpretation of McLaren Vale, Grey Label Shiraz is a deeply flavoured, generous, yet elegantly structured wine which expresses all the hallmarks of the distinctive Wolf Blass style. Barrel fermentation adds complexity to pure, concentrated fruit resulting in a lively, long and balanced wine.  For those of you that read my blog on a weekly basis know I love deep rich plum flavors with hints of pepper, spice and oak.  I love this wine with steak, pasta with lots of fresh ground pepper and grilled food.

One other wine I’m going to feature today is a Wolf Blass wine I haven’t tried yet.  I was shocked to discover that by the way.  I thought I had tried them all, but yesterday found Wolf Blass Gold Label 2008 Shiraz.  I bought three, $29.98 at our NLC store, and Mr Blass signed all three.  I am looking forward to trying this wine.

The website suggests pairing it with aged cheddar cheese, which I love, and also lamb, casseroles and roast beef.   It’s a Shiraz from the Barossa region of Australia, so I know I’m going to love it.   Rich fruit and subtle spicy oak – what’s not to like.  I will let you know once I have tried it.

Pick up this man’s book – “Wolf Blass Behind the Bow Tie”, I know I will.

Cheers.

Darlene

What’s better than a weekend – a Long Weekend!   For me, a long weekend is a chance to try new recipes, eat some good food, and of course, drink some great wine.  And that’s exactly what I did, and of course the grill was fired up!

I haven’t had a steak in a while, so that was one of my choices for the grill.  This is one of my favorite wines to go with steak.

It’s Angove McLaren Vale Shiraz from Australia.  This one is about $25.00 at the NLC and I love this wine.  It’s what Australian Shiraz is all about.  Aged for about 16 months in oak barrels before release, I know it will go well with all grilled food… but I love it with steak.

If that’s a little too pricey for you, this is another great McLaren Vale Shiraz from Australia that I really like.  De Bortoli McLaren Vale Shiraz is a great pick, and under $20 at the NLC.

Enjoyed a couple of great Malbecs from Argentina, including a Santa Julia Reserva Malbecs for about $15.  Great reasonably priced wine.

This wine is big and bold tasting, and boy, there’s nothing like a Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina.    I had this wine with a new recipe of chili and lime chicken with roasted potatoes and it was a great combination.

What does the long weekend mean for you?  Food?  Wine?  I look forward to hearing from you.

Darlene

In my last blog I had mentioned I had received NLC Gift Cards as gifts, and I was going to have a blast picking out some treat wines.  Well, I had a great time, and thought I would share with you some of my findings.

Barolo:

I had to pick up an Italian Barolo.

So I went with the Luigi Pira Barolo.  Keep in mind I haven’t had this yet.  It’s not easy to pick out a Barolo, our Howley Estates location has so many.  This is one of the lesser priced ones, but I can’t wait to try it.  It has been give 93.5 Ratings in 4 different reviews.   It sells for $43.54 a bottle at our NLC stores, still a great treat wine.

Had to get a bottle of Peter Lehman Clancy’s Shiraz.  Sells for $19.98 at the NLC and comes in a great tin container that makes a nice gift.  This is a great wine with a BBQ.   Natalie MacLean said it best when she described this wine as “Full-bodied with juicy ripe black fruit and a generous treatment of oak. Smoky finish”.

This is my go-to steak wine!   It’s Angove VS McLaren Vale Shiraz.  It’s $25.24 at the NLC and I discovered this wine one Friday evening, when I asked for a great Friday night wine that goes great with steak.  Since then, I have bought this wine to friend’s homes and it has never disappointed.  There’s a reason the McLaren Vale region is known for great Shiraz,  in my opinion, (that’s the name of the blog, after all!)  A rich full-bodied wine with hints of black currant (learned that in Level 1 wine class!)    Combined with flavors of oak and chocolate, I love this wine.

That’s it for this week.   As my friend Judy always says, “Life is too short to drink bad wine’.

Cheers

Darlene

This is what my dream basement looks like!  My actual basement looks quite a bit different than this.   There is a wine rack in it, but sadly it is empty. LOL

I do, however, have 2 wine racks upstairs and that’s what I started writing about last weekend.  What’s in my wine rack.

Had this one given to me yesterday as a gift.  Have I told you I have wonderful friends.  This is a great treat wine, and I am waiting to open it with friends.  Good friends always make a wine taste better.  Nice ruby-red colors, a hint of spice, choclatey plum flavors.  This Argentinian wine has never disappointed and I am looking forward

I actually havent’ had this wine yet.  It was given to me as a Christmas gift, and its a 2008 Rolf Binder Halcyon Cabernet Merlot.  If anyone has tried it, I would love to hear from you.

Yes, I actually do own a bottle of wine that looks like this.  It’s the La Fiole Chateaunneuf du Pape.   This Chateaunneuf du Pape is light, flavorful, has been trashed in some reviews, given 94 out of 100 in other reviews.  I love the bottle, it’s a real conversation piece.  It looks like buried treasure.  Keep in mind it’s a non-vintage wine which means the grapes have come from several different years.  I like it.

Now I have a quick question before I go.  What kind of wine would you buy if you were given a gift certificate to the wine store?  Actually 2 gift certificates!  Please, send me your comments.  I have a wonderful opportunity to buy a bottle of ‘treat’ wine, and would love to hear from you.

Ernest Hemingway said it best when he quoted, “Wine offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than possibly any other purely sensory thing which may be purchased.”

First,  let me start off by apologizing for my last wine blog on Vouvray and Chenin Blanc.  I had to erase it, because for some odd reason the first half of the blog got erased or deleted.  It just looked silly after that.

As most of you know,  I used to only drink red wines, but since taking the Level 1 Wine fundamentals course, I have started drinking and enjoying white wines as well, and having a lot of fun getting to know the world of white wines.

Most of my blogs have touched on which wine I was having with what food at the time or about great finds under $20.  Lately I have been enjoying some old favorites that I have probably written about in the past.   So, this time I thought I would share some of my favorite wines that I have in my rack now. (Wine rack people!)

One of my favorites.

Marques de Riscal Reserva Rioja.  I actually learned how to properly pronounce the wine in class.  Aged for 3 years, with at least one of them in oak, I just love the earthy aromatic spicy taste of this wine.  (I think I have myself talked into cracking open a bottle of this one tonight)  It sells for just about $26 at NLC.

 One of my favorites to have with a steak.

Angove Mclaren Vale Shiraz is about $25 in our liquor stores and a great great wine.   Deep vibrant color, rich plum and berry flavors on the palate, a hint of oak, if you are putting beef on the BBQ tonight, treat yourself to a bottle.

I have been blessed with very special friends and I am lucky enough to have two of these in my wine rack, both gifts from wonderful people.  I am saving them for something special.  Wolf Blass Grey Label Shiraz.  About $36 in our NLC stores in Newfoundland, what doesn’t this go with.  Meats, pasta, cream sauces – you know, all the calorie friendly foods. (Kidding!)  Perfect flavor, color and tannin.   It’s one of the reasons Australia and more particularly McLaren Vale, is known for the Shiraz.

So, that’s it for this week.  I have about 40 bottles of wine on hand at any given time so we’ll pick a few different ones next week.  In the meantime, ‘In Vino Veritas – In Wine There is Truth’.

Cheers

Darlene

Robert Mondavi said it best “Wine, Food & Art – incorporating these three things will enhance your life”. 

I am going to talk about 2 wines today – 2 Pinot Noir’s…. 2 very different Pinot Noirs.

** I published this piece 3 years ago and I thought it was worth sharing again.  Enjoy!  Darlene

I love this story!  As most of you are aware, I am a red wine drinker.  I love wine, and I love all the nuances that go along with a particular bottle of wine.  I love to know when and where the grapes were picked, how it was aged, etc.   A few years back, I even took a vacation to the Napa Valley in California, and spent a week visiting vinyards and asking lots of questions.  By far my best vacation, and I plan to go back one day.

One evening as I was enjoying a particular good glass of wine, I wondered about the ‘Most Expensive Wine’ ever sold.  I come to find out it was in 1985, when Malcome Forbes paid $156,000 for a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafitte Bordeaux,  believed to have been in the wine cellar of Thomas Jefferson.  (The 3rd President of the United States and the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence).   The sale of this bottle of wine was the subject of a book by Benjamin Wallace called ‘The Billionaire’s Vinegar”.  You see, the wine is undrinkable.  It is basically vinegar in a bottle.  But still, it is believed to have belonged to Thomas Jefferson at one point.

The discoverer of the bottle was Hardy Rodenstock, a pop-band manager turned wine collector with a knack for finding extremely old and exquisite wines. But rumors about the bottle soon arose. Why wouldn’t Rodenstock reveal the exact location where it had been found? Was it part of a smuggled Nazi hoard? Or did his reticence conceal an even darker secret?  This is what the book is about, and I will definitely be adding it to my collection.

Enjoy the fermented grape!

Darlene

This is the wine I’m having tonight

It’s the Sirius 2008 Bordeaux, a Merlot and Cabernet blend from the Bordeaux region of France.  Silver Medal Winner of the 2010 Bordeaux Competition, but that’s not why it’s going to be the wine in my glass tonight.

I’m going to have a BBQ!  I am grilling Ribs & Wings.  So I needed to find a wine that was going to go great with both grilled pork and grilled chicken.  The ribs are going to have a marinade, and I haven’t decided how I’m going to do my wings yet, so I had to pick a versatile wine.   This wine goes great with grilled food.  It’s a dry, medium bodied wine aged in oak.   I love the spice in this wine, and because the wine has a hint of spice it goes well with a wide range of foods.   It’s aged perfectly, and the winemaker, Maison Sichel, says this wine will drink perfectly between 2011 and 2015.  I love it.

Like I said, this wine is very versatile, and I like that characteristic in wine and people.  This wine sells for $19.48 in the Newfoundland Liquor Stores and worth it.

As I had previously mentioned, I am taking the Level 1 Wine Fundamentals course and the learning continues.  You have to love a teacher that advised you to ‘try differnet wines’.  And I have, and I found a new wine that I love.  And that fact it’s under $20, I love it even more.

Clos la Coutale is from the Cahors region of Southwest France.  France, I have learned, is a country that labels its wine by region.  This region is known for its big rich wines, and this one doesn’t disappoint.  The big surprise with this wine is the price tag.  Under 417 at the NLC.  This wine is a Malbec, and those that know me know I love a Malbec from Argentina.  Yes, there are Malbec’s from outside Argentina as well.  I love the color of this wine, it’s dark and fruity, and I love the spicy hint of oak, which doesn’t over-power the wine.  Robert Parker gave this wine an 88 and Wine Spectator gave it a 90.  It reminds me of the under-stated wealthy guy.  This wine has a wealth of taste (like that) but doesn’t need the big flashy price tag.  It’s one of my favorite finds.  Pick up a bottle, and let me know what you think.

Enjoy

Darlene