Monthly Archives: February 2021

2020 was an interesting year, and the only reason I’m looking back, I was curious about the most popular wines. This information was compiled by Mast of Wine Dr. Liz Thach, a wine writer, educator and a consultant. And although it’s an American study, I’m pretty confident the numbers will be quite similar here in Canada as well.

Not surprising, Cabernet Sauvignon was #1. Here’s a great example of why!

Chateau Souverain was my #1 top pick last year for it’s great taste and great value. Under $20 a bottle, In 1943 Lee Stewart was miserable as a Sales Executive in San Francisco and bought a winery and 30-acres in Napa Valley. In 1944 he named the winery Chateau Souverain because his daughter liked the name, as it sounded like Soverign. In 1973 the winery moved to the Sonoma region of the Napa Valley and they have been making great wine for many decades. How can they do it at the price they charge, I don’t know, but I am grateful. A great full-bodied food friendly wine.

So #2 on the list, might surprise many people, but it doesn’t surprise me…. Chardonnay. Chardonnay is still the most planted white wine varietal in the world, so its not surprising that it’s the #1 white wine and the #2 overall wine in sales from 2020. Chardonnay comes in many different styles, from rich and buttery, to crisp and clean. Some are heavily oaked, while others don’t see oak at all.

I am going to provide a better picture of one of my favorite Chardonnay wines.

This wine is also based in Napa Valley. A gorgeous full-bodied hearty white wine, I loved both this Chardonnay and its sister wine the Bread & Butter Pinot Noir from the 2019 Wine Show, and they actually made the top of my list that year. There’s richness in the vanilla and almond flavors with a slight minerality that make it perfect for your next dinner. Sadly, you can no longer get this wine here in Nova Scotia, but you can in other parts of Canada and around the U.S. I’m really looking forward to having it again once we are allowed to travel. It’s still available in Newfoundland, so now I’m really looking forward to that trip home.

Red Blends have made huge leaps in the hearts and palates of wine lovers, jumping to #3 on the list for 2020. Red blends are gorgeous, getting the best qualities of 2 or more grapes. They are fairly inexpensive and appeal to a large group of people. And not all are sweet. I know some people think red blend wines are sweet, especially after tasting wines like the Apothic wines. But Bordeaux wines are all blends, and they are not sweet at all. Like this one for example.

This is a great example of a non-expensive great tasting wine blend. Menage a Trois Red wine blend is made up of, you guessed it, 3 grape varietals. Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are the 3 grapes that make up this blend. Hearty, juicy, and tasty with structure from the Cabernet, the founders of this winery wanted to experiment ‘threely’. They created 3-grape blends that have become iconic, but only because of the name of the wine, but because of the great wine in the bottle.

And now for my wine of the week…

It was no surprise to me to see Pinot Grigio make its way to #4. It’s surprising that a couple of years ago, this delicious crisp light wine didn’t even make the Top 10. Pinot Grigio is winning hearts all over North America with its crisp light flavors and fantastic price tags. You can get a fabulous Italian Pinot Grigio for under $15, and you can choose from a wide variety at that price range. This one pictured, was shared with me by my friend Arla, who loves Pinot Grigio, and who has shared her love with this wine with her friends. This is a great wine and I believe she told me she paid around $11 for it.

Before I sign off, I have some news to share.

Because of Covid-19 and the numbers being what they are in Ontario and Quebec, our June trip to the Niagara region, which included a stop-over in old Quebec city, has been moved to October 2nd. Yes, we will still be staying at the Hilton in Niagara Falls, pictured above. And October is going to be such a pretty time of the year to go.

My friend Richard Arnold, co-owner of Atlantic Tours, and I chatted yesterday afternoon, and we both agreed the trip had to be moved. I’m excited about the October date. We are travelling by Motor Coach through Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario. The leaves are going to be gorgeous, and the company is going to be fun. Come join us. Only a $50 deposit will hold your space. That’s not a typo. A $50 fully refundable deposit will hold your spot on this fun trip. Check out the details here.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions about our upcoming trip. We all need something to look forward to, so why not make it this awesome 8-day trip.

Till next week, Cheers

Darlene

So many times, especially since the pandemic hit, I’ve been really focusing on great value wines. When I started this wine blog 10 years ago, I wanted to let people know that there were great wines under $25. Also, that is the same year, I started my studies to become a Certified Sommelier. (Always loved the homework.)

Many people have been impacted financially by Covid-19, including myself, so I’ve really been highlighting wines in my wine blogs around the $15 – $17 price range. However there are so many fantastic wines between that $17 and $25 price range, I really wanted to share some of those wines.

I am going to start with my Mom’s favorite wine, Conundrum white. I really like it as well, and I actually like the white Conundrum better than the red version. Chardonnay is the main grape, with Sauvignon Blanc & Semillion, it checks all the boxes for full-body and balance. Winemaker Jon Bolta says this is a great pairing with fajitas, Thai food, and Vietnamese food. My mother likes it with everything, and I’m pretty sure you will too. It’s a great wine for $24.99.

Regular readers of this blog know how much I love Merlot. Full-bodied, plump and juicy, much like myself! (Got those Covid curves happening!! LOL) This is a fantastic Merlot for $23. Small lot wine-making and careful barrel aging, makes this a fantastic wine, at a fantastic price. Paso Creek, centrally located between Los Angeles and San Francisco, is known for producing great wines because of the swing in the temperatures from day and night. Days are warm and nights are cool, making for perfectly balanced wines. More than 60 grape varieties are grown in this region, and Merlot is one they do very well. We’ve been having some pretty warm weather in February, and if you’re kick-starting the grill, this wine will pair well with any protein you put on the grill.

Speaking of grills, if you’re thinking of doing ribs, here’s the wine for you. I get together Tuesday evenings with 3 other ladies in my bubble, and we play a game called Rummikub. It’s like Rummy 500, but with tiles. We have a lot of fun, play for a little money and have a sip of wine. Two of the ladies drink white wine and they alternate bringing the wine each week, and my friend Angie and I drink red. And we alternate weeks as well. This past Tuesday, she bought one of my favorites. I wasn’t even aware that the NSLC had bought it back. The Pepperwood Grove Old Vine Zinfandel. It’s not always available so I was thrilled to see it was back. Old vines tend to produce a lower quantity of grapes, but a higher quality grape. It’s only $17 a bottle and definitely a great wine for under $25.

And last but not least, my wine of the week…

When this wine was first introduced here in Nova Scotia, Meiomi Pinot Noir was priced at $30. I featured it back then because it was one of the richest full-bodied Pinot Noir wines I had tasted. Today, that price tag is $24.99 and right now it’s $22.99 here in Nova Scotia. If you haven’t tried this wine, this is the time to do it. Pinot Noir is a think skinned grape, very much vulnerable to the elements, which is why it’s called the heartbreak grape. Pinot Noir, when not done properly, can also be thin on the palate. This is not one of those wines. One of my favorite things about the Meomi Pinot Noir is the lasting finish. The wine will also go with anything you serve at dinner. I always tell people ‘when in doubt, serve Pinot Noir’.

That’s it for me for this week. Take care

Darlene