Everyone knows behind a strong man, is even a stronger woman. And Santa is no exception. So this week I am paying tribute to Mrs. Claus with telling you about her favorite wines. Mrs. Claus gets to enjoy wines from around the world, as her husband travels the globe once a year. So here are a few of her favorites from around the world.
Let’s start right here at home in Canada. Mrs. Claus loves wines from Canada, and 2 of her favorite vineyards in Canada are Burrowing Owl in BC and Le Clos Jordanne in Ontario.
Burrowing Owl Merlot with its exotic flavors of plums, raspberry, spice and sage with its delicate oak treatment makes those cold northern nights much better. Burrowing Owl also makes a spectacular Cabernet Sauvignon and a Platinum award-winning Meritage. The Chardonnay from Le Clos Jordanne is a real treat for Mrs. Claus. Buttery smooth creaminess this fantastic wine is smooth, round and complex. With gorgeous aromas and flavors of apples, pears, some herbal notes and a soft touch of oak, this wine is a favorite chicken wine for both her and Santa.
As Santa leaves Canada to head south to our neighbors in the U.S.A., Mrs. Claus is dreaming of The Velvet Devil, and I don’t mean Santa. This is a fabulous expression of a Merlot, and gets much the same weather conditions as the Burrowing Owl Merlot, as Washington State is right next to BC. Dark Cherries, pipe tobacco, and cedar make for a wine that pairs well with pork or duck.
As Santa heads a little further south into California, Mrs. Claus is not dreaming of sugar plums. Instead she is dreaming of Robert Mondavi and his estate Cabernet Sauvignon. California is known for making amazing Cabernet Sauvignon and Robert Mondavi probably still leads the pack. Full bodied, fruit forward and toasty oak make for a great wine. Santa really works up an appetite Christmas Eve so he likes a good steak, and this is one of his favorites.
Santa finds Chile a little warm with that furry red suit, but while he’s there, he knows to pick up a bottle of the Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenere for Mrs. Claus. Carmenere was originally planted in Bordeaux France, but has become Chile’s home grape. Chile makes great wines at great prices and this Gran Reserva Carmenere is no exception. It starts with dark chocolate, and then delves into dark and sour cherries with a smoky under-current. This is a brilliant example of a Carmenere and built for BBQ meats.
As Argentina comes into view Santa is thinking which wine to buy for the Mrs. There are so many to choose from and all at such good value. Take for example the Don David premium Malbec. It’s a bold Malbec with juicy plum flavors, licorice and herbs – complimented by fine tannins and perfect acidity. Then there’s Trapiche – one of the biggest names in wine in Argentina. They make delicious full bodied wines in a variety of price ranges, literally something for everyone. The Trapiche Malbec Single Estate Escobar is luscious with concentrated flavors of fruit and pepper that has a great length that will stay with you.
Well, that’s a lot of information for one week. Join us next week as we take a look at Mrs. Claus’ favorite wines from France, Italy, Australia and New Zealand, as Santa makes his way to the other side of the world.
Till next week, enjoy every moment of this season, and please drink responsibly.
Darlene
Wine-It’s Just My Opinion 