Today is my first day of holidays for just over 2 weeks, and tomorrow I’m heading to Newfoundland for Christmas. I didn’t get home last year because we were on another Covid lockdown, so I’m really looking forward to this year. 2021 proved to be another interesting year to say the least, but it went surprisingly fast, for me anyway. I was really happy to do a couple of wine tastings this year, I got home to Newfoundland in July, my first visit in a year. And I’ve had some great wines. I’d like to share a few of my favorites from this past year.
Back in March I had this wonderful new white wine. A great priced Chardonnay out of California, Trinity Oaks. The grapes come from sustainably vineyards and they plant a tree for every bottle they sell. This Chardonnay was wonderful with pear and citrus flavors and priced around the $22 mark.
Last March I also introduced you to the newest member of our family.
Riley picked up Maggie, the addition to our family, at Coastal Breezes in Antigonish and we took her to the airport. She still has her tongue out for most pictures. This is Riley with Maggie in his arms.
Maggie is a bit too big to be in Riley’s arms now. And I just spent last weekend with her, and she’s grown more.
This past Summer I had a wine tasting and I bought this Rose. The Gerard Betrand Cote des Rose was excellent. I think it was the best one I’ve had this year. A blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, it is not sweet in any way and priced under $20. The bottle is exceptionally pretty but not as good as the wine inside. It’s crisp and vibrant and I absolutely love this rose wine.
This past year also saw me making new friends, one being a wonderful lady who reads my blog every week.
This past year also had me reconnecting with childhood friends.
Shane and I have been friends since early teens, and although we have both lived in different parts of the country, we saw each other when we could. Well, now we both live in Nova Scotia, and I’m over the moon happy to see him when I’m in Antigonish or when he comes to Halifax. Here’s to seeing a lot more of Shane in 2022. He loves wine, just like me! Shane also introduced me to one of my favorite wines of 2021.
Ripasso reds are such interesting wines. The Valpolicella grape juice is poured over the must and skins of Amarone, giving it a complexity that is delicious. And it’s not often the price of wines go down, but I saw Shane last weekend and he pointed out that the price of this wine dropped $3 permanently. Even a better deal.
It’s been a challenging 2 years, 22 months with Covid, and my family lives in Newfoundland. Thankfully I have been able to see them. But I have to say a big thank you to my friends. I have been blessed with wonderful friends and they got me through many tough times in 2021. Here’s to more great times in 2022.
You may remember my sister Jackie gave me a gorgeous BBQ for Christmas last year.
It has the steak sear zone.
Which cooks an amazing steak.
I’ve tried and shared many recipes.
I do a lot of cooking.
But I digress. Let’s talk some more wine.
I discovered this Italian red this past week, and will definitely be buying it again. Under $20, the Dogajolo Toscano red is a Super Tuscan, Sangiovese blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. A gorgeous medium bodied wine that makes a great addition to any Christmas get together.
Well, that’s it for me for today. I would like to take a moment to wish every reader of my wine blog a very Merry Christmas, and here’s to a great 2022. Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
Darlene
Wine-It’s Just My Opinion 