Monthly Archives: January 2020

As most readers of this wine blog know, I’m from Newfoundland, however I am living in Halifax Nova Scotia.  I do have a lot of friends and family still in Newfoundland and last week they were clearly hit with the storm of the decade.  Snowmageddon 2020.

And although my family lives on the West Coast, I lived in St. John’s, until I transferred to Halifax, and  have many friends there who had to dig their way out of one of the biggest snow storms I’ve ever seen.  People were asked to stock up for 3 days, but a state of emergency was declared and the stores didn’t open until 5 days later to very long line-ups.

I know my friends are O.K., Newfoundlanders are very resilient.  And I really hope no one ran out of wine.  This is one of the reasons it’s a great idea to have a wine rack.  Spare wine!! So this unbelievable storm that many of my friends are digging out from, got me thinking about hearty wines suitable for winter.  Listen, I’m a red wine drinker all year round, but lets face it, 80 cms of snow makes a person think of comfort food and hearty dishes.  So if that’s whats on your menu, here are a couple of wines that might help ease the aches and pains of shoveling.

When I think of big bold white wines, I usually think a big Chardonnay from either California or Australia.  This 19 Crimes Chardonnay is big enough to take on beef stew or any other hearty dish.  Big rich butterscotch and vanilla flavors along with some substantial oak.  This is not for the weak hearted.  Still a great value for $19 a bottle.

Nothing says hearty like Zinfandel

And the Brazin’ Zinfandel from Lodi California doesn’t disappoint.  Grown on vines that range in age from 40-years to 100 years old, this wine has the mocha and spice notes from the fruit come to life.  A great wine for beef, ribs or sausage and is one of the most reasonably priced Zinfandel wines at just $24.99

And now for my wine of the week…

There is no better way to kick start a new year and a new decade than to find a great wine at a great price.  I’m sharing this one with all my friends.  It’s the El Gringo Tempranillo from Spain.  It’s  new to the liquor store, and my friends there say its selling like hotcakes, and with good reason.  The story goes that El Gringo was an extra working on a Western movie set, and loved Spain and the wines of the region so much that he never went home. Beautiful smooth wine with hints of coffee bean and milk chocolate and it won’t break the bank.  This bottle of fantastic wine is just $15.99 a bottle.  With a great  wine at this great price, why would anyone do dry January?  I’m not!

Stock up my friends, you never know when the next winter storm could hit.  You don’t want to be left in the cold when it comes to your wine stash.

Till next week, Cheers

Darlene

First, allow me to apologize.  It’s been a while since I posted a blog, the last one being my Top 10 of 2019.  Between travelling for Christmas and having family come to Halifax for the first week in January, it’s been a busy one.

Each year I have a bit of fun talking about upcoming wine trends.  And although none of us have a crystal ball, a few years back I did talk about wine in cans, and low and behold, they are all over the liquor store now.  Check out that wine blog here 2017 Wine Trends.   So keep in mind, this is just a bit of fun.

1.  Rose Prosecco

This is long overdue.  Two of the hottest crazes combined, and following a lengthy approval process in Italy, looks like it could happen soon.  Decanter Magazine says producers would be able to use up to 15% of Pinot Noir alongside Glera grapes in order to make rosé under the Prosecco DOC name.  I realize there are Rose sparkling wines, but a Rose Prosecco wine would be just a quality all of its own.  Can’t wait to try that wine!

2.  Italian Wines will continue to flourish

Last year I said we could see some explosive growth in Italian Wines.  Italy has some of the oldest wine producing regions in the world, and it’s really good wine, a real favorite of mine.  In 2018 Italy accounted for 19 percent of global production, ahead of  France at 17%.  Here are a couple of my favorite staples.

The Botter Primitivo at $14.99 a bottle is a steal of a deal.  Prosecco is a favorite, being food friendly and your wallet will love it because it’s such a great price point.  The one featured is the Bolla.  And one of my favorite Italian wines is a Ripasso, always rich and smothh, and this one got 96 Points and is under $22 a bottle.

3.  You’ll be hearing more about Vegan wines.

What?  Yes, as more and more people go with a Vegan lifestyle, you’ll be hearing more about it in the wine world.  You see, all wines are not Vegan!  That may come as a surprise to some people because you may think ‘it’s grapes’!   But winemakers sometimes use animal products to clarify the wine, called the ‘fining process’.  Traditionally the most commonly used fining agents were casein (a milk protein), albumin (egg whites), gelatin (animal protein) and isinglass (fish bladder protein). These fining agents are processing aids to help get rid of ‘haze’.

4.  Wine From Europe could see a price increase

If US President Donald Trump gets his way, tarriffs will be imposed on European wine, which means the price could be affected.  That means your favorite French wine could cost more.  I’m reading more and more that proposed tarriffs could send the price of some wines out of reach, and some winemakers say if they lose the U.S. as a customer, that could be very bad for business.  Fingers crossed this gets worked out.

It would be a sad day for many if the proposed tarriffs go through.  We would miss out on such great wines as the the Duval Leroy Champagne on the left, the amazing Rose that is priced at just $16.99 a bottle and one of my favorite values from the Port of Wines show, the Felix & Lucie blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

And now for my wine of the week….

When I was home for Christmas, would you believe I only had one bottle of wine the entire time I was there.  I drove my Mom and Dad around a lot who are in their late 80’s, so wine was not part of the menu for me.  But I did have a wonderful new Merlot.  A couple of evenings we stayed home and played some cards, and my Mom and I enjoyed a glass of wine.  I love discovering new wines, and this Merlot did not disappoint.  This Merlot hails from Central Valley in California and is a great price at just $17.48 a bottle.  Very smooth and silky with delicious flavors of plum, mocha and vanilla.   Unfortunately, I can’t get it here in Halifax, so it’s a Newfounfland treat.  I loved it.

That’s it for this week,  Have a great week everyone.  Cheers

Darlene