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wine lovers

Holiday Cheer

Six Wines for Holiday Parties

December 14, 2015

The holiday season is in full swing and we’re all juggling events and activities. That can mean lots of trips to the liquor store to pick up this or that. To help make those trips easier, here are our thoughts on six wines you might want to pick up on your way to a party (or as a last-minute holiday gift). There are so many fabulous wine choices available, of course, but here are a few we’ve sampled recently and thought you might enjoy too.

Joiy (4 X 250ml) – I fell hard for this New Zealand sparkling wine at a recent event. It’s a Riesling-based sparkling that comes in four small bottle and calls itself “bottled happiness.” That’s not an overstated claim. On its own, with a silly straw or with a wedge of lemon (yes, added to the wine – crazy, but delicious), this sparkling is as charming and fun as its winemaker, Chris Archer, who I hope to profile on the blog soon. With fabulously pretty packaging, a pop of citrus flavour and a low alcohol content, these are great as a hostess gift, stocking stuffer or to serve at your holiday party. Hurry, though, they are currently only limited edition at the LCBO. Since these are pretty perfect for summer patio sipping, I hope that will change.

Quinta da Aveleda 2014 Vinho Verde – This Portuguese white has been ranked in the top three best buys in Wine Enthusiast magazine for the last three years, which had me intrigued to try it. With peach, grapefruit and floral notes on the nose, this blend of Lureiro and Alvarinho is refreshing, light and crisp with great acidity and a long finish. I love the fruit-forward styles of Vinho Verde and this is no exception. Pair this with turkey at your holiday meal or have it with appetizers or seafood.

Kaiken 2013 Reserva Malbec – I had a glass (or two) of this bold red from Argentina during a recent meet-up with my blogger group. It paired perfectly with great conversation and I was glad I chose it. This is a young red, but still quite soft and drinkable. There was vanilla, cherry, chocolate and raspberry both on the nose and the palate. This is a nice, affordable option to pick up for a holiday get together with friends or for a quiet evening in over dinner.

Killibinbin 2012 Scream Shiraz – This South African Shiraz had smoked meat, plum and spice on the nose and a bold pepper finish on the palate. A good choice for a hearty roast dinner or any big, red meat-centred dish. Shawn and I enjoyed this on its own, but both agreed that food would make it even better. Drink now or cellar for 3-6 years.

Perez Cruz 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon – Cherry, plum, black pepper and blackberry are all on the nose of this full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile. With red fruit on the palate and a medium-long finish, this is an affordable choice for a red meat-heavy dinner or as the big, bold red option at your holiday party. You know there’s always someone at the shindig who prefers a heavy red during the winter season.

Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne
This is the highest-priced selection on this list, but sometimes you just need a special gift for someone on your list. Or you may be looking for a well-priced French champagne to kick off the New Year. I recently had the chance to sip Taittinger at one of their Toronto events and I was so impressed. With lovely baked bread notes on the nose, perfect bubbles and lots of peach, plum and citrus notes on the palate, it hit all the right buttons for this sparkling lover. Sometimes nothing says ‘I think you’re awesome’ like a bottle of champagne.

*All wines reviewed in this post were provided as samples or tasted at events where I was a guest. Opinions are, as always, my own.

 

 

Holiday Cheer

Wine Lovers’ Gift Guide

November 30, 2015

Last year I started what I hope will be an annual tradition of asking some of my favourite wine friends what they would like to receive for the holidays this year. For most of us wine lovers, we already have a cornucopia of wine glass charms (there is no party big enough to use all of the ones in my collection), corkscrews and novelty wine glasses. So what does the wine aficionado on your gift list really want this year? Well, here’s some advice from a few people in the know.

 

Angela Aiello – Founder, iYellow Wine Club, blogger, writer, media personality and wine lover in chief

Bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles

Nothing signifies the holidays quite like a bottle of Champagne. A family business since 1934 founded by veteran Pierre Charles Taittinger, this is one of my favourite Champagne houses. Small bubbles, a perfect taste profile and flawless bend of grapes (Pinot Noir, Chardonny and Pinot Meunier) make this the perfect gift for someone who has helped make this year special and successful. Keep a few bottles on hand for yourself, because you know you worked hard too!

Learn more about Angela and iYellow Wine Club on her website.

 

Andre Proulx – Blogger, wine writer, media personality, newbie winemaker and Saskatchewan’s best wine export 

 

Sauvignon Blanc – and please no more f***ing corkscrews

For Christmas this year, I don’t want new wine glasses, or a new corkscrew, or the newest decanting doohicky from wine scientist XYZ. This past year I had the opportunity to travel to California and taste A LOT of wines. The biggest surprise for me was how much I fell in love with Sauvignon Blanc. I don’t think Sauvingnon Blanc will ever by my favorite varietal, but this year I truly learned how Sauvignon Blanc expresses the terroir of where it’s made.  I’m not even talking about New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc either … it’s good but there is a lot more to this grape than big bell pepper bombs that kick you in the face (not that there is anything wrong with that). My suggestion is setting a budget and picking up a few bottles from around the world for your wine loving gift recipient. For $60 you could get 3 bottles for $120 you could get 6 and do a virtual trip around the world!

Some SB picks from Andre:

Chateau Montelena Sauvignon Blanc 2014 — Californian Sauv Blanc won’t be cheap … but it’s worth a taste. Bright citrus flavours will dominate but a satisfying heavy almost oily texture on your mid palate is what makes this unique.

Trius Sauvignon Blanc VQA —  This is regular list at the LCBO and always great bang for your buck. The signature of Ontario Sauvignon Blanc is very bright and crisp acidity. This wine from Trius has tropical fruit written all over it with aromas and flavours of passion fruit and pink grapefruit.

Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc —  New Zealand Sauv Blanc doesn’t have to be twenty bucks to be good. This is everything you would expect with savory flavours taking front and centre stage roasted herb, grassy notes and bell pepper mixed in with bright citrus notes.

Adobe Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Organic —  This Sauv Blanc from Chile strikes a nice halfway point between New Zealand and the Trius Sauvignon Blanc. You will have hints of citrus and tropical as well as savory.

Domaine De Saint-Pierre Sancerre 2013 — Sancerre is one of the quintessential oyster wines. This will be bright and crisp with lots of citrus notes and just hints of herbaciousness on the finish.

Learn more about André and read more of his reviews on his website.

 

Krista Lamb – Wine blogger, cork dork and lover of all that’s nerdy about wine (yep, that’s me)

Books, books and more books

Every year, I send my mom my Chapters Wish List and ask her to get me wine books for Christmas. She just sighs in resignation now and accepts that there are some things I just don’t get sick of receiving. While I agree wholeheartedly with Angela and André’s picks (Shawn, if you’re reading this a bottle of Taittinger and some California Sauvignon Blanc will put you on my ‘nice list’), I also want some new wine reads. While I already own these three, I think they’re perfect picks for any cork dork on your list.

Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine by Madeline Puckette and Justine Hammack – Looking for a great guide to the basics of wine and the breakdown of wine styles and regions? Look no further. I’ve been a huge fan of the Wine Folly blog for years and this book showcases all the reasons wine lovers and those looking to learn flock to the site for information. I love how this book, like the blog, focuses on a visual layout that’s refreshing, vibrant and easy-to-understand.

The Wine Bible 2nd Edition by Karen MacNeil – I’ve often said that The Wine Bible got me through my wine classes and it’s really true. I read the first edition cover-to-cover and plan to do the same with this extensive update. Watch for a full review soon, but for now I can assure you that any student of wine would be lucky to unwrap this on Christmas morning.

The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whiskey Know-it-All by Richard Betts with Crystal English Sacca and Wendy MacNaughton – So this is not a wine book, but for wine lovers like me who are fascinated by spirits too, it’s a fun and informative overview of whiskey. I’m planning to take a spirits course in 2016 and this irreverent board book will be on my personal required reading list.

Shawn Davidson – Patient husband of a wine lover, beer student and spirits lover

Spiked coffee, please

O’Casey’s Irish Cream Liquor – While I’ve learned to love wine by osmosis, on Christmas morning there’s nothing better than a cup of coffee with Irish cream. O’Casey’s is an affordable option with hints of caramel and chocolate that will make a great gift option.

What wine items are on your wish list this year? Share them in the comments or on social!

*Some of the items reviewed were received as samples, opinions are our own.