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Holiday Cheer

Holiday Cheer

Last Minute Holiday Gifts for Wine Lovers

December 18, 2017
Beau's New Lang Syne

It’s just a week or so until the big day and you still haven’t found the right gift for the wine, spirits or beer lover on your list? Need to pick up something for that holiday party? No problem, we’ve got you covered!

Pommie's Cranberry CiderPommies Cranberry Cider – Whether you’re picking out a holiday drink for get-togethers or picking a gift for the cider lover on your list, Pommies has you covered. This Ontario cider company has a holiday-themed cranberry cider this year and it’s actually pretty great. It’s just the right mix of tart and sweet and I’m definitely going to be enjoying a few cans over the holidays.

Wayne Gretzky Cocktail KitA Wine Club Membership – A monthly delivery of wine? For a dedicated wine lover a wine club membership can be a fabulous gift. I often suggest the Vineland Estate wine club to those who ask, as it features a host of activities and events alongside the wine deliveries. And if you have a wine or spirits lover who happens to be a hockey fan too? The No. 99 Wine & Cocktail Club offers a pretty sweet deal. Wayne Gretzky’s winery offers both wine and spirits and Shawn and I got to sample one of their fun cocktail packages, hand-picked by their estate mixologist. It featured a custom double-jigger, orange bitters from Dillion’s Distillers and wildflower honey from Rosewood Estates along with Wayne Gretzky’s Artisanal Muscat – a wine-based spirit. It created some very fun cocktail options and would be a pretty fantastic gift to find under the tree.

Beau’s New Lang Syne Belgian Tripel – I enlisted Shawn’s help to review this 750 ml specialty beer from Beau’s. Wine barrel aged (in Pinot Grigio barrels) and bottle conditioned, this would be the perfect gift for a wine aficionado who enjoys a well-made craft beer. Shawn was impressed with the genuine flavours and warm, bitter finish. There was orange on the nose, as well as nuts and clove. It had a thick, creamy texture and sweet, slightly malty palate and stands up well to tripels made in Belgium. A fun gift to ring in the holidays or the New Year.

Anneliese Pinot GrigioA nice bottle of wine – You really can’t go wrong with a good bottle of wine. I’ll be picking up Campo Viejo Reserve for those on my list and a well-priced Cotes du Rhone is always a great option. Looking for something white and easy-drinking? Shawn and I recently sampled the Nugan Estate Anneliese Pinot Grigio, which is a crisp and refreshing Australian option that’s easy to find at the LCBO and has lots of pear and green apple on the nose and a fruit-forward, nicely balanced palate. This is a good option for a holiday party of a hostess gift.

What am I hoping to find under my tree this holiday season? Champagne, of course, and great Tempranillo from Rioja. Good whiskey never goes out of style either.

What about you? What do you grab when you’re down to the wire and you need a great gift option?

*All of the items featured here were provided as samples. Opinions, as always, are my own. Well, Shawn reviewed the beer and he really, really liked it.

Holiday Cheer

Holiday Wine Time

December 10, 2017

So you need a wine for that holiday event – from entry-level to totally unexpected, these four are options worth considering.

Chateau des Charmes 2016 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay
Chateau des Charmes is a favourite of ours and I often recommend their wines to friends who are new to Ontario wine – they consistently deliver at a reasonable price point. This Chardonnay has notes of pineapple, peach and mango on the nose and creamy pineapple and apricot notes on the palate. Such an enjoyable wine with or without food.

Donna Paula 2015 Estate Malbec
Trying to find a food-friendly red that everyone can agree on? This Donna Paula 2015 Estate Malbec is a great choice for an earthy meal featuring mushrooms or black olives. It’s got damp earth, fig and black olive on the nose and a savouriness on the palate that’s cut through with notes of plum and dark cherry. Shawn and I both gave this one the nod of approval.

Sperling Vineyards Brut Sparkling
Tart and pretty with loads of green apple, this B.C. sipper is a great option for your holiday party guests—especially if they include wine nerds like me. Made with great care by this family-run operation, Sperling wines are very terroir driven and drinking this lovely sparkler reminds you of beautiful Okanagan Valley vistas.

Ferox 2016 Sauvignon Blanc
I love this wine. It’s expensive, but it’s unique and fantastic – there’s tropical fruit, mango and melon on the nose and it’s much creamier than I expected. It’s an elegant wine with pineapple, mango and peach on the palate – very different than any other Sauvignon Blanc I’ve tasted (even from Ontario) and I can’t wait to have it again.

 

 

Holiday Cheer

Wine Lovers Gift Guide 2017

November 13, 2017

Every year, I try to gather the best intel on what discerning wine lovers want for the holidays by picking the brains of some of my favourite wine writers and bloggers. For 2017, we’ve put together a great collection of gift ideas that are sure to please every wine fan (and especially those who have all the wine glass charms and corkscrews they will ever need).

Rebecca Gomez Farrell – The Gourmez

Menagerie’s sculpted, stainless steel, wine pourers and aerators are the coolest wine accessory I’ve come across in my years of food and drink blogging. I encountered them while visiting Bella Grace winery in Amador Country, California, where they’re sold in the tasting room. Good news! Menagerie has finally opened an online store, and shipping is available to Canada. Whatever interests the wine lovers in your life have, Menagerie has a fanciful head to match them including angry octopi, scuba divers, and Medusa heads.

*Note from Krista — if you have a fan of fantasy fiction on your list, Becca’s new book Wings Unseen is another great gift option. And, of course, there’s a wine connection in the book!

Megan Munro – Chew Street and I’m Mr. Fabulous

When you’re tucking into your Christmas dinner and want to impress the in-laws – this super chic, super classic Zwilling Predicat Crystal Decanter is what you need in life. The shape is timeless. The quality is noticeable. The durability is…exactly what you need (especially after midnight at your annual New Years Eve whoop-up). This is the type of gift you’ll want to buy two of – one to give and one to keep.

*Note from Krista — if you have a make-up lover on your gift list, Megan has so many great suggestions at I’m Mr. Fabulous AND on her Marilyn Denis Show segments.

Paul Dearborn – Whitby Wino

Champagne [Boxed Book & Map Set]: The Essential Guide to the Wines, Producers, and Terroirs of the Iconic Region is my pick. The whole box looks beautiful, the book appears to be informative and well-researched, and the maps are incredibly detailed. It’s sure to be a great gift for everyone from the casual wine lover all the way up to the WSET Diploma student.

 

Ryan Nevitt – Sommelier

To serve to your guests or a wonderful gift for the sparkling wine lover on your Christmas list. The Malivoire Bisous Brut (meaning kisses en français) is made in the Traditional Method and aged on its lees for 42 months. The blend consists of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay and is elegantly creamy with hints of baked apple, pear, lemon and toast. You can find this wine at Malivoire.com (shipping available nationwide) or at the retail wine shop at Malivoire, $29.95.

Krista Lamb — That’s me!

I’ll have my full personal gift guide up soon, but for now I wanted to answer the one question I get asked the most at this time of year — what wine do I give people on my holiday list? Well, spoiler alert to all those getting wine as a gift, but this year it will be Campo Viejo’s 2012 Rioja Reserva. I spent some time with the Campo team in Spain this fall and I fell hard for this bold, rich and flavourful wine, which is 85% Tempranillo. It’s a perfect, full-bodied option for cold winter nights and at $17.95 in the LCBO it’s an affordable option that will please everyone from the novice to the experienced wine lover. This one is available almost everywhere, which also makes it an easy go-to gift when you’re rushing out to a new LCBO and don’t know what they’ll have in stock. And if you’re coming to my place for the holidays and don’t know what wine to get for “someone who knows so much about wine,” just bring this. Or Champagne. You know, depending on how much you love me.

Thanks, as always, to everyone who participated in this year’s guide! Have an item you want to find under your tree on Christmas morning? Let me know in the comments or on social!

Holiday Cheer

Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas

December 21, 2016
Pommies Cider Gift Pack

So we’re furiously getting ready for the holidays at our house and most of our gifts have been purchased, but I know there will be one or two last minute things that pop up (they always do). So if you have to brave the long pre-holiday lines at the LCBO or a liquor store near you, here are some great gift ideas for that one you forgot was on the list!

Pommies Cider Holiday Gift Pack – When I grab a cider, it’s usually from Pommies. This Ontario cider company won my heart years ago and I still gravitate to them when it’s on the menu at restaurants. We have more than enough glassware, but for a new-to-cider drinker, this is a really fun option. Shawn and I both swear that drinks taste better with the right glass and this is a jam-packed gift set with four ciders and two glasses.

Thornbury Spiced Apple Cider is a great last minute holiday giftThornbury Cider – Need something smaller, but still want to go with cider? Create a DIY gift with Ontario’s Thornbury Cider. One festive Spiced Apple Cider and one glass, plus some cinnamon sticks to add to the holiday feel and ‘voila’ you have the perfect hostess gift to head off to that holiday party.

Otazu Premium CuveeOtazu 2012 Premium Cuvee – If you show up at my house with a good bottle of wine, you won’t be turned away this season. Otazu Premium Cuvee has great earthy notes and lots of spicy bramble on the nose. A food-friendly Spanish wine that would pair well with red meat, this is great for winter sipping and a pretty fantastic hostess gift when you’re heading to a party.

 

 

last-minute-3Mercat Brut Nature Cava – Bubbles are my go to for pretty much everything, especially when I need a last minute gift I know people will enjoy. This Spanish Cava was a favourite at a recent sparkling tasting I attended and is a nice, dry option that won’t break the bank. It will definitely be appreciated as a hostess gift or at your holiday brunches. I have a bottle set aside for holiday sipping and will gladly welcome anyone who shows up with more.

What are your go-to options for gifts when you’re racing against the clock? Share them in the comments or on social!

* The ciders featured were samples I received and the wines were tasted at events where I was a guest. All opinions are my own. Seriously, bring me some more Mercat.