Top 4 - LCBO Vintages Release Saturday, April 28th

Hey, fellow wino’s I’ve chosen 4 terrific wines that you can pick up in store or order online today, and I suggest you give at least one of these a try. 

• 2016 Hidden Bench Estate Riesling, Niagara Escarpment, Canada at $23.95 “Hidden Bench places the purity of the fruit and the clarity of the expression of place first and foremost. To this end, they employ a non-interventionist approach to their winemaking, which includes the use of geothermal cooling and heating and natural yeasts. Since 2015/2016, the majority of the wines crafted at Hidden Bench, including this Riesling, are vegan-friendly and certified organic by Pro-Cert. Look for a zesty, mineral-rich wine with bright citrus, peach, and apple fruit.” Pair with Choucroute Garnie. 

• 2012 Château-Thébaud,Melon de Bourgogne,“Muscadet” Loire Valley, France at $24.95 “A smoky character on the nose, magnified by notes of white peach and salty minerals with intriguing hints of almond paste and white flowers. It has a richly textured, beautifully integrated palate with a rewarding zip of lychee and stone fruit. There is a lifted acid freshness with a satisfying, lingering finish; a very precise wine.” Pair with freshly shucked oysters or other shellfish. 

• 2014 Xanadu Chardonnay, Margaret River, Australia at $39.95 “Predominantly estate-grown on the Stevens Road and Lagan Vineyards, Gingin clone, hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, and wild yeast-fermented in French oak (21% new), matured and stirred for 9 months. There is an inevitability about the very high quality of the Xanadu wines these days; thus this very intense and powerful, yet perfectly delineated and balanced wine is no surprise, nor is its extreme length.” Perfect for perhaps a Sunday roasted chicken. 

• 2013 Ramirez de la Piscina Crianza,Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain at $16.95 “Fresh and vibrant forest leaves and ripe berry fruits. The palate has a smooth, elegant and plush texture with cassis and black cherry fruit flavours.” Perfect for BBQ meats from hamburgers to steak.  

Happy Sipping, 

Ryan Sullivan 

4 wines under $20 - Vintages Release Saturday April14th

Hey Fellow Wino's

Spring is here...ok who are we kidding, it's rainy, cool and miserable outside with a chance of freezing rain over the next several days.

Miserable weather = Indoor dinner parties, if possible, by the fireplace with lots of wine.

2015 Viognier, I.G.P. Pays d'Oc (South of France) at $14.95 
This pleasantly floral wine will offer a rich smooth honeycomb/waxy texture to its ripe peaches, mango and applesauce flavors. You should chill and pair with taco's, pulled pork sandwiches or if I was pairing this, Hawaiian pizza! Viognier is famous from Condrieu in the Northern Rhone, and while this wine will not be as complex and well structured, it's great Taco/Pizza wine at a great price!

#SommTrick = The ripe tropical fruit notes in the wine will match, wait for it, tropical fruit.

2015 Syrah, South of France at $17.95

Syrah or Shiraz, same thing! Well, Shiraz is the term the Aussie's use down-under for their peppered fruit forward wines and the French use the term Syrah, more earth and harmonized fruit with pepper flavors. Shiraz is a loud motorcycle on a quiet neighborhood street and Syrah is like a Porsche on the old streets of Montreal...somehow it just works better. 97% Syrah, 3% Grenache with half aged in large concrete eggs and the other half in French barrels for 9 months. This is not Cote Rotie or Hermitage from the Northern Rhone (best place for Syrah), but for the price, I say turn up the BBQ, toss on some ribs and slurp up some warmth in a glass.

#SommTrick the pepper nuances of the Syrah grape will match the bold, spicy BBQ sauce. 

2015 Fleurie, Beaujolais at $19.95

Fleurie is one the 10 Cru's of Beaujolais and with this being from the legendary 2015 vintage, surely a great deal. What separates basic Beaujolais from one of the 10 Cru's (10 plots of land) is that these wines are more structured (acid, alcohol, body)  and age-worthy than simple generic level Beaujolais. This wine made from the Gamay grape should be violet colored with notes of violets, ripe red fruit and possibly some dark fruit as well. I would pair this with Coq Au Vin or Boeuf Bourguignon and a fireplace, or at a minimum, the fireplace channel on Netflix. 

#SommTrick - Not all red wines should be served at "room temperature" 15C-18C. This wine could be served closer to 15C i.e. a tinge of cool. Side Rant - never serve any wine at 21C or whatever your home temperature is! #15MinFridge 

2015 Barbera d'Asti, Piedmont at $19.95

Piedmont Italy is home to Barolo and Barbaresco, legendary, amazing, long-lived seductive and tannic beautiful wines that can haunt your soul for days. The problem is that those wines come with a price, which leads most people who live in Piedmont to drink Barbera, this one from the town of Asti.  Is this the finest example, no, but Barbera to me is not a show horse, it's a workhorse, as it is the most widely planted varietal in Piedmont. Perfect for a rich northern Italian stew, roast, pasta or pizza...but not a Bianco pizza, surely! 

#SommTrick - 2015 was a hot vintage, so try and see if you can taste the slightly lowered acid in the wine and riper/overripe fruit notes such as plum, soft blackberry, blueberry. 

Browse some classic recipes like Coq Au Vin and plan a romantic meal with you and a loved one over a nice bottle of wine. 

Happy Sipping 

Ryan