Wine - Gems QPR Wines

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Riesling - Versatile & Fresh for Spring

As they say, Spring is in the air. You can smell the blossoms - this makes me think of Riesling. It is a lovely aromatic varietal wine. It’s fruit-forward with a crisp acid which makes it a wonderful sipper on a hot summer day. These same attributes make Riesling adaptable so marries up nicely with many food combinations. Off-dry Riesling or Riesling-based blends make an incredible companion for spicy dishes which are often a hard match for bone-dry wines. It is your saviour when serving Thai, Mexican or Middle Eastern. So go out and add some spice to your life!

Some of my Great Value Favourites - From Ontario and Beyond...

DIPROFIO RIESLING 2011, NIAGARA, ON - $15.95

http://www.diprofiowines.ca/wineshop/

FEATHERSTONE BLACK SHEEP RIESLING 2011, NIAGARA, ON - $16.95

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=FEATHERSTONE+BLACK+SHEEP+RIESLING+2011&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN

http://www.featherstonewinery.ca/wines.html

FLAT ROCK CELLARS RIESLING 2012, NIAGARA, ON - $16.95

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=43281

http://www.flatrockcellars.com/products/category/white-wine

TRIMBACH RIESLING 2009 -ALSACE, FRANCE - $18.95

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=734517

http://www.trimbach.fr/en/trimbach-estate/

ST. URBANS-HOF OCKFENER BOCKSTEIN RIESLING KABINETT 2011 - MOSEL, GERMANY   $21.95

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=216622

http://www.urbans-hof.de/en/unsere_region/unsere_region.html

HUGEL GENTIL 2011, RIESLING BLEND - ALSACE, FRANCE $14.95

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=HUGEL+GENTIL+2011&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN

http://www.hugel.com/en/hugel.php

Maison Trimbach - Grands Vins d'Alsace depuis 1626

Sunday, March 31, 2013

ABC: Another Bottle of Chardonnay

Wine is as much about fashion and trend as any other consumer good and the saying ABC: Anything but Chardonnay is proof of that. At one point people got tired of heavily oaked, flabby Chard and a rebellion began. Sadly for some that meant walking away altogether but for others it was just embracing the style of Chardonnay they liked. Whether you are on or off the bandwagon, Chardonnay remains the #1 most planted grape in the world so it shows the difference in perception and reality. Chardonnay grapes are especially affected by oak and winemaking technique so this means the varietal has quite a range. From the elegant judiciously-oaked white Burgundies to flinty, oak-free Chablis or a warm California style which is full bodied with hints of tropical fruit, there are many options. Each of these wines is just different enough that its food match can run a wide range too. Classic Chardonnay pairings include: Cool-climate, un-oaked with oysters and other shellfish; Fuller-bodied cool-climate oak-aged with rich fish or risotto; or warmer climate, like California, oaked style with buttered lobster or chicken, pork or pasta in a cream sauce. There are too many options to list, part of the fun is coming up with your own pairing. So, if you haven’t had a Chardonnay in a while, find the right style for you, give it a try and see what inspires you in the kitchen!

CHATEAU ST. JEAN - CHARDONNAY, SONOMA, CA - $18.95
Toasty oak and apple on the nose with hints of vanilla. Supple, round mouthfeel- slight butterscotch finish.
http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=269738
http://www.chateaustjean.com/

2009 FLAT ROCK - CHARDONNAY , NIAGARA PENINSULA, ON $16.95
Very well priced for the quality, Mineral, vanilla and citrus on nose and palate.
http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=286278
http://www.flatrockcellars.com/products/category/white-wine

2010 WILLIAM FEVRE CHAMPS ROYAUX - CHABLIS, FRANCE- $21.95
Crisp wine - apple, citrus, and a focused minerality. Long finish.
http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=276436
http://www.williamfevre.fr/accueil.php

Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Allure of Food-Friendly Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is known as the heartbreak grape because it is notoriously difficult in the vineyard but there is nothing heartbreaking about it in the glass. It is often the perfect companion for food – from salmon to duck to pork to filet mignon to mushroom dishes - it complements them all! Its elegant combination of earthiness and fruit make it very versatile to pair. Pinot Noir is lighter in colour and body than many other red wines but amazingly it has the highest number of flavour compounds. Dazzle your friends with perfect pairing using just one wine – and if you want to feel good about going local, Ontario does this varietal very well.

Go to QPR Pinots:

Albert Bichot Bourgogne - Vielles Vignes Pinot Noir - France - $15.95
Simple but appealing, red currant, mineral, ever-so-slight earthiness.

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=166959

Flat Rock Cellars - Pinot Noir - 2010, Niagara Peninsula - $19.95
Flint, red cherries and slight earthiness on the nose. Lovely evolving layers of fruit on the finish.

http://flatrockcellars.com/products/category/red-wine/63

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=1545

Giesen Estate Pinot Noir Marlborough 2010, New Zealand - $19.95
Bright red fruit - strawberry and red currant. Well balanced with lasting finish.

http://www.giesenwines.com/

Le Clos Jordanne, Village Reserve Pinot Noir $30.00
Lovely red fruit, strawberry and cherry - good balance and structure

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=33894

LE CLOS JORDANNE VILLAGE RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2010

Thursday, January 31, 2013

A New Start and Great QPRs in 2013

Rather than just focusing on individual QPR wines in 2013, I plan to highlight stylistic or regional QPRs. This will help broaden the blog and exposure to styles and regions.

The South-west of France and the Languedoc-Rousillion is full of QPR wines. I have visited the Midi a number of times and although there are many standard table wines there are some wonderfully made value wines from Saint Chinian, Corbieres, Minervois etc.

Many of these wines are GSM blends - Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre and sometimes Cinsault. This makes for a lovely, spicy full-bodied wine.

My example above - Lurton Ministre - is just such blend from Saint Chinian. I enjoyed the when I purchased it but must say this 2005 was still drinking beautiful so when well made there is some holding power.

This $16 bottle still had lovelyplum and black cherry fruit with a slight earthiness on the nose and a hint of wild herb that followed through to the palate. The wine had a pleasant med+ finish.

http://www.saq.com/page/en/saqcom/vin-rouge/francois-lurton-domaine-du-ministre-2008/913178

http://www.winealign.com/wines/2631-Domaine-Du-Ministre-Rouge-2005

http://90pluswines.com/Wine/5047KPQ6/St.-Chinian-Domaine-du-Ministre/.aspx

http://www.domainesfrancoislurton.com/category.php?id_category=5

http://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?fInStock=0&Table=List&iUserOverride=0&szSearch=J%2E+%26+F%2E+Lurton+Saint%2DChinian+Domaine+du+Ministre#selected%3DW1504187_1_K6e9ae5d600e0db7352c191f732613be9

As you can see from my LCBO St. Chinian product search below this tasting note and price-point is typical of the region so there is lots of choice. Play around with Faugeres, Corbieres and Minervois too. Enjoy!

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=St.+Chinian&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN

Monday, December 31, 2012

"Wine-ding down 2012"

Happy Holidays and now, New Year's. Time flies and suddenly it is the end of the month/year and I am scrambling to make a theme of what I have been drinking and what I think is a particular value and worth sharing...

Two sparklers speak to holiday festivities and the reds are affordable dinner party companions. Tenuous themes but true, so I will stick with it!