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Seasonal Selections
St. Patrick's Day libations: Global TV - Mar 17
Irish Beer
Guinness Draught $14.99/6pk bottles
Kilkenny Cream Ale $13.99/4pk cans
Harp Lager $2.59/bottle
Porterhouse Red Ale
Irish Whiskey
Bushmills Black Bush $35
Writers Tears Pot Still $48
Jameson Gold $109
Sexy wines for Valentine's: Global TV - Feb 10
Ruggeri Prosecco Vecchie Viti, Veneto Italy $48.00
Etude Pinot Noir, Carneros California $65.00
Renwood Old Vine Zinfandel, Amador California $40.00
Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Veneto Italy $85.00
Bussola Recioto della Valpolicella Classico, Veneto Italy $65.00
Anvers Fortified Shiraz, South Australia $45.00
Quality Wines under $16: Global TV - Jan 13
Australia
Tyrrell's Moore's Creek Chardonnay $15.99
Tyrrell's Moore's Creek Shiraz $15.99
Tyrrell's Moore's Creek Cabernet Sauvignon $15.99
Argentina
La Chamiza Polo Malbec $15.99
Italy
Fabiano Soave $13.99
Fabiano Pinot Grigio $15.99
Fabiano Valpolicella $13.99
Chile
La Playa Sauvignon Blanc $14.99
Quintay Clava Sauvignon Blanc $15.99
Cono Sur Organic Chardonnay $15.99
Emiliana Adobe Syrah Rose $14.99
La Playa Merlot $13.99
Spain
Navarro Lopez Old Vines Tempranillo 'Pergolas' $13.99
Navarro Lopez Rojo Tempranillo $15.99
Portugal
Aveleda Casal Garcia $11.99
Fonseca Periquita $12.99
Aveleda Charamba $13.99
Dow's Altano $14.99
South Africa
Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc $15.99
Ken Forrester Petit Cabernet-Merlot $15.99
Bubbles for New Year's (Global TV - Dec 30)
We all should drink more bubbles. Quick lesson on sparkling wines: Champagne is a type of sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne. To be a true Champagne, generally three things must be true:
1. must be from the Chamagne region of France;
2. only Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier grapes can be used; and
3. the second fermentation which creates the bubbles, must occur in the bottle.
There are great quality sparkling wines made around the world.
Bubbles are great for more than just toasting. They are also excellent and vesatile food wines.
Undurraga Sparkling Brut, Chile $15.99
Ruggeri Prossecco Vecchie Viti, Veneto Italy $48
Bogle Blanc de Blancs, Clarksburg California $38
Cave Spring Blanc de Blancs, Niagara Ontario $42
Road 13 Sparkling Chenin Blanc, Okanagan BC $52
Tantalus Blanc de Noir, Okanagan BC $62
Tantalus Sparkling Riesling, Okanagan BC Magnum (1.5L) $130
Devaux Cuvee D Champagne, France $75
Devaux Cuvee D Ultra Champagne, France $82
Devaux Ultra D Rose Champagne, France $92
Christmas wines & gifts (Global TV - Dec 9)
Christmas dinner wines
Look for wines with a depth of flavour as opposed to a heavy body. Heavily oaked wines and those that are excessively high in alcohol can overwhelm the food. Wines with elegance and balance will be versatile enough to pair with a variety of dishes.
White
Fabiano Pinot Grigio, Veneto Italy $15.99
Tantalus Riesling, Okanagan BC $34.00
Road 13 Old Vines Chenin Blanc, Okanagan BC $35.00
Stags' Leap Viognier, Napa California $32.00
De Angelis Chardonnay, Marche Italy $18.99
Rose
Stags' Leap Rose 'Amparo', Napa California $32.00
Red
Trinity Oaks Pinot Noir, California $19.99
Navarro Lopez Garnacha 'Rojo', Spain $16.99
Triacca Chianti Classico 'Bello Stento', Tuscany Italy $24.99
Jean-Paul Brun Cote de Brouilly, Beaujolais France $28.00
Quinta do Valdoeiro, Bairrada Portugal $26.00
Ceuso Scurati Nero d'Avola, Sicily Italy $25.00
Gifts for the wine lover
Spiegelau wine glasses - very functional & reasonably priced
Decanters
Nuance Wine Finer
Subscription to Tidings - Canada's most widely distributed wine & food magazine
Killer Values under $20
White
Fabiano Soave, Veneto Italy $13.99
Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Barbara California $16.99
Domaine du Salvard Cheverny, Loire Valley France $19.99
La Playa Sauvignon Blanc, Curico Valley Chile $14.99
Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc, Western Cape South Africa $15.99
Callia Alta Torrontes, San Juan Argentina $17.99
Tyrrell's Moore's Creek Chardonnay, Southeastern Australia $15.99
Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay, Livermore Valley California $18.99
Tenuta S.Anna Chardonnay, Veneto Italy $19.99
Rose
Val de Salis Rose de Cabernet, Languedoc France $17.99
Red
Trinity Oaks Pinot Noir, California $19.99
S.Maria la Palma Cannonau Le Bombarde, Sardinia Italy $17.99
Navarro Lopez Rojo Garnacha, Castilla Spain $16.99
La Chamiza Polo Amateur Malbec, Mendoza Argentina $15.99
Fabiano Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Veneto Italy $16.99
Navarro Lopez Rojo Tempranillo, Valdepenas Spain $15.99
De Angelis Rosso Piceno, Marche Italy $16.99
Tyrrell's Moore's Creek Shiraz, Southeastern Australia $15.99
El Petit Bonhomme, Jumilla Spain $16.99
Thomas Henry Syrah, California $19.99
Don Rodolfo Tannat, Cafayate Argentina $16.99
Ken Forrester Petit Cabernet-Merlot, Western Cape South Africa $15.99
Tyrrell's Moore's Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Southeastern Australia $15.99
Holiday picks (Global TV - Nov 18, 2012)
White wine:
Tyrrell's Moore's Creek Chardonnay, Southeastern Australia $15.99
Red Wine:
Navarro Lopez Old Vines Tempranillo 'Pergolas', Valdepenas Spain $13.99
Sparkling:
Marotti Campi Xyris, Marche Italy $28.00
Beer:
Alley Kat Amber, Edmonton $13.99/6pk
Spirit:
Nardini Grappa Riserva, Veneto Italy $58.00
Thanksgiving wines (BT Edm - Oct 5, 2012)
Canadian selections with Nate Box's Turkey Roulade:
Cedar Creek Pinot Gris 2011, Okanagan BC $21.99
Cave Spring Pinot Noir 2010, Niagara Ontario $24.99
Great values for Thanksgiving dinner or roasted birds in general:
De Angelis Chardonnay, Marche Italy $18.99
Thomas Henry Syrah, California $19.99
Argentina feature (Global TV - Sept 30, 2012)
Michel Torino 'Cuma' Torrontes 2011, Cafayate $16.99
Don Rodolfo Tannat 2010, Cafayate $16.99
Manos Negras Pinot Noir 2009, Patagonia $21.99
Bodegas Colome Amalaya 2010, Calchaqui Valley $21.99
Susana Balbo 'Crios' Syrah-Bonarda 2008, Mendoza $25.00
Renacer Enamore (Malbec-Cab Franc-Cab Sauv-Bonarda) 2010, Mendoza $34.00
Masi Passo Doble Malbec-Corvina 2010, Tupungato $19.99
Carlo Basso Vina Amalia Malbec Reserva 2010, Uco Valley $23.99
Susana Balbo Malbec 2010, Mendoza $35.00
Cobos 'Bramare' Malbec 2009, Lujan de Cuyo $48.00
Finca Decero Cabernet Sauvignon 'Remolinos Vineyard' 2009, Mendoza $26.00
Pinot Noir feature (Global TV - July 22, 2012)
Trinity Oaks Pinot Noir, California $19.99
Cave Spring Pinot Noir, Niagara Ontario $24.99
Maison Champy Pinot Noir, Burgundy France $24.99
MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir, Sonoma California $24.99
Borgo Magredo Pinot Nero, Friuli Italy $26.99
Vina Leyda Pinot Noir 'Las Brisas', Leyda Valley Chile $26.00
Gladstone 12000 Miles Pinot Noir, New Zealand $26.99
Quails' Gate Pinot Noir, Okanagan BC $32.00
Cedar Creek Pinot Noir, Okanagan BC $32.00
Road 13 Pinot Noir, Okanagan BC $35.00
Napa Cellars Pinot Noir, Napa California $38.00
Schug Pinot Noir, Carneros California $38.99
Tantalus Pinot Noir, Okanagan BC $42.00
Byron Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley California $42.00
Roco Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Oregon $55.00
Chateau Philippe-Le-Hardi Aloxe Corton, Burgundy France $49.00
Penfolds Cellar Reserve Pinot Noir, Adelaide Hills Australis $70.00
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Ideal for Valentine's Day
The ancient Mayans referred to chocolate as the food of the gods. Divinely decadent and delicious, chocolate has excited our taste buds for centuries. Invariably linked with Valentine's Day, chocolate can elicit feelings similar to "falling in love" due to the release of endorphins from the brain. This arousal often results in an obsessive and compulsive pursuit to feed the addiction.
But there is chocolate and then there is CHOCOLATE. We're not talking about Oh Henry! and Twix candy bars. We're talking about all natural, no preservatives or additives, just cocoa solids, cocoa butter (the two elements of the cocoa bean), and sugar.
Go one step further and you have single origin chocolates. Select beans from single plantations exhibit flavour nuances of the soil, climate, and other growing conditions (terroir) not unlike single vineyard wines.
The traditional wine pairing for chocolate is generally thought to be port. But with the myriad of flavours and the different levels of sweetness, based on cocoa content, in the different chocolates along with the diversity of dessert wines available, a relatively new indulgence of chocolate and wine experimentation has emerged. Consideration must be given to tannins, dryness, and richness of flavours of both the wine and the chocolate. The fruitier the wine the better, and typically the wine should be at least as sweet as the chocolate with a crisp finish to cleanse and refresh the palate and prevent the build up of a singular sugary aftertaste.
The following single plantation chocolate and wine pairings were arrived at after a considerable amount of research (ie. lots and lots of tasting).
All chocolates were tasted and are available at Chocolate Exquisite, 11238 - 104 Avenue, 780.488.7852, www.chocolateexquisite.ca
St. Domingue (70% - Caribbean) - a dark chocolate with pronounced cocoa flavour, fruity, herbal, intense and lingering with nuances of mixed dried and black fruits.
Fabiano Recioto della Valpolicella, Veneto Italy ($42 / 500ml) - Masses of sweet fruit, delicate and floral nose. Pungent and juicy on the palate with dried black cherries, figs and plums and a fine balance between acidity, tannin, sweetness that results in a truly delicious wine.
Alto al Sol (65% - Peru) - elegant and fruity dark chocolate with clean flavours of red berries, raisins, vanilla and coconut.
Marotti Campi Xyris, Marche Italy ($28) - Amazingly fresh red sparkling with aromas of roses and violets and flavours of fresh juicy red and black fruit and only a hint of grapey sweetness and fresh acidity on the delicious finish.
Arcongo (85% - Caribbean, South America & Madagascar) - A dark chocolate with strong and distinct taste, intense aromas, exotic fruit, depth, firm body and a seductive mix of floral and subtle herbs.
Capezzana Vin Santo Riserva, Tuscany Italy ($60 / 375ml) - Scents of dried raisins, candied apricots and orange peel. Opulent and soft with persistent length exhibiting dried apricots and honey. Truly the wine of saints.
Concepcion (66% - Venezuela) - from a plantation in the valley of Barlovento, to the east of Caracas - shows hints of vanilla, honey, spice cake and caramel in a remarkable lingering finish with nuances of mixed dried and black fruits.
and
Mangaro Lait (50% - Madagascar) - perhaps the world's finest milk chocolate - notes of caramel, exotic fruit, sppice cake, honey and raisins.
Ceretto Moscato d'Asti, Piedmont Italy ($22 / 375ml) - Almost a default wine with the versatility to pair with the greatest variety of not only chocolates, but desserts in general. Delicate flavours of orange blossoms, yet incredibly penetrating with a slight fizz and lingering flavours of fresh, sweet pear and peach on the bright finish. The pairing results in a flavour explosion inthe mouth.
prices subject to change without notice
all wines subject to availability