Sexxy Syrah

Whilst at Salt, Jenni and I discovered Sandhill Syrah. If you're into smooth wines, I wouldn't rec this one, but its youthful tannins are spicy and a great match for red meat. $35/bottle (restaurant)

Umani Ronchi Medoro Marche Sangiovese. Blackberry, Plum and red fruits. Even to this fan of Spicy wines, a great taste! $14/bottle

Medoro - Marche Sangiovese

Daddy and I agree that this one will be purchased again for the wine rack. Wente Southern Hill Cab Sav. Very smooth. Treat yourself to "Happy New Year Wine". BC $19/bottle

3 New Ones For You To Try...

Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz
(Australia)

2006 Sebeka Shiraz
(South Africa)

St. Francis 2005 Cab Sav
(Sonoma County)

Smokin'!

Last night, I had the opportunity to FINALLY try a new wine. Smoking Loon Syrah was fantastic and a must-have for the winter season. $16/bottle

Winning Taste

I love Chardonnays. So I decided to try out the Wine Flights offered at the Boathouse
"Around the World Whites" included 2 Chards and 1 Pinot Grigio.

One of the Chards was Woodbridge Mondavi. Super tasty summer treat! Pineapple, crisp and refreshing. Wonderful for summer. $14/bottle

E&E Black Pepper Shiraz is a fabulous red. Rich and ripe with a long after taste, it is wonderfully spicy. I recommend this if you're a fan of red. $17/bottle

Crazy ova Carmen

Reserve Carménère Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is going down as one of my all-time favourites. So smooth and delicious. I would even go as far as to say, if you`re not into Reds, give this one a try. $22 bottle

May-Jah Update

Lots of bottles were tested these past couple of weeks....

Rough Ruffino

This one had been on our list for awhile. We trust our wine guys completely, but Ruffino il Ducale 2003 is not at the top of our list. At $20/bottle, I expected a much smoother finish...There are a lot of cheaper wines out there that I love much more.

Delectable Bogle

Tonight, I happen to be perusing the LB and I came across 2005 Bogle Chardonnay that was marked down to make room for the 2007 vintage. I loved the Bogle Petite Syrah, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm only one glass in, but so far it is fantastic!

I am more of a Chardonnay woman than anything else. I love its oakiness, its eloquent flavours and the bursts of fruit it produces. $17/bottle (currently $9.99 at the LB)

It's Been Awhile...

I've been indulging in caesars and lime margaritas for most of the summer, so wine has been sporadic and I've been drinking the "same old, same old".

On Friday night, RH brought over a bottle of Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais-Villages. I hadn't had a red in a few weeks and this was a great way to get back into it! It had a silky smoothness and it lingered on the tongue.

Italian Stallion

Last week, I had dinner with friends at Brix in Yaletown. This was the wine of choice and it was so delicious, we chose it twice! Poggio Alla Badiola 2005 is made with Sangiovese and Merlot grapes - the blend is delightful! Spicy, yet smooth. $20/bottle

Make Room for Mirassou

Last night, Chris and I shared a bottle of Mirassou Monterey County Chardonnay. We loved the green apple taste with a hint of melon and floral. It is a crisp wine and very food-friendly. $26/bottle (restaurant price)

Brotherly Love

We shared a bottle of Frei Brothers Chardonnay yesterday and even Chris, who doesn't drink white, enjoyed its taste. A citrus vibe and a soft, mellow finish.

French Fun

The 2005 Jean Collet chardonnay is also a great summer wine. It went excellent with seafood and is a great aperitif.

Chilean Chic

2007 La Playa chardonnay (unoaked) was delightful. Pineapple and peach flavours make this a great summertime wine!

Talking About Township

My West-Coast wine-tasters, The Rod and The Barb, are raving about the experience they had at the Township 7 Winery last week. The service, the atmosphere, the food, oh, and the wines were all fabulous at their open house. They've just released their New Vintages and I'm appalled that one of my favourites, their 2005 Syrah is already sold out! The Merlot is still available, so I'm hoping to score some when I head out West next month.

Let's Talk About Lindemans

RH forced me to open the second bottle of wine Saturday night (the first was the already-reviewed Oyster Bay). Am I glad I did! Although I've seen this winery around, I had yet to try their product...we went ahead with the Bin 85 Pinot Grigio 2007. Easy to drink, crisp tasting, fruity. $12.50/bottle

Santa I Luv Ya

I cannot believe I've waited this long to try SANTA ISABELA (Chile) Cab Sav. Chris and I read about it in WestJet's inflight magazine last fall. It was supposed to be the best value...and for only $8.99/bottle, it certainly seems so! I love this wine, the taste rolls nicely over your tongue and the finish is fabulous.

Sumac Makes Me Silly

Last weekend, I indulged in Sumac Ridge Private Reserve 2004 Gewürztraminer. I wanted to drink white because I was going to be drinking a large quantity of wine and white doesn't turn my teeth red! Spicy apple and grapefruit flavours, full finish. I would recommend for summer....$15/bottle.

MASsIve Taste

One of my Easter guests brought me a bottle of MASI MODELLO DELLE VENEZIE ROSSO 2006 and I had a chance to try it when I was attempting to drown my sorrows while editing a law paper. I haven't tried a lot of Italian wines, but this was a good starting off point. If you're a red drinker, you'll like it. Otherwise, you may find it slightly bitter. I liked how it lingered on the plate.

Come to Me, Cono

Last weekend, I was in the mood for a white...enter Cono Sur Viognier. I'll admit, at first I wasn't too sure about it. I think that I'd been drinking a lot of Sav Blancs and I was use to the sweetness, but by the 2nd glass (that's all I had, I swear), I was into it. There were hints of apricots and peaches and it's full-bodied. I believe I will buy a bottle for the summer....

Californiacation

The duo whom I've affectionately labeled "my wine guys" came through for me again with this yummy Californian Shiraz. Barefoot is cheap and I always see it at the LB, but I can be a wine snob and hadn't tried it until I read this article.

"...we can't complain about their Shiraz's über-berry, jammy and vanilla aromas with a slight pepper kick on the finish.." -- James Nevison and Kenji Hodgson

Savour the Spanish

Iffat, my wine mentor, mentioned Castillo de Fuendejalon Crianza to me last fall. I wanted to try a new red and I didn't want to spend a lot of money. This Spanish wine was superb and, since then, I've bought quite a few bottles of it. It's smooth and soft-flavoured and the soft finish keeps you wanting more! $11.99/bottle

St. Patty's Day Post

Since it's Leprechaun Day, I thought I'd throw up a beer post to honour the Irish.

When I was at Big White, I had the opportunity to try the first beer that I genuinely like! I would actually go to the store to buy Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale, if it were sold outside of BC. :(

This summer when we drive out to the Coast, I plan on stocking up on this wonderful beer! My Irish ancestors would be proud. If they didn't all die of alcoholism.

Chillin' with Inniskillin

A couple of trips ago I was at the Calgary Airport, (my home away from home), and I tried Inniskillin 2004 Reserve Series Cabernet Sauvignon. It was delicious. Medium-body, black current...It made up for Palomino's being out of their famous ROASTED CORN & POTATO CHOWDER, again. In fact, I had to have a 2nd glass, which caused me to be slightly late/tipsy for my flight. Back in Toon Town, I made my bi-daily weekly trek to the LBS and, thinking I was buying the same wine, I picked up the Merlot. It is good, nice "velvety" finish, but not as good as the Cab Sav. I suppose now I need to go back and buy the right one!
Cab, Merlot 18/bottle

Naked and Cheap

When I first moved to Saskatoon, RH and I bonded over Naked Grape. At first, it was the Sav Blanc. Then the Shiraz. Now, it's all about the Pinot Grigio. It's cheap (less than $10/bottle) and it is GOOD. This is what I buy if I want to open a bottle for myself. What the hell, it's Canadian too! Happy Tasting!

Blood-thirsty

We drank a couple of bottles of Heritage Road Bloodstone Shiraz last night at the 2nd Avenue Grill. Right from the first sip, the taste was smooth and not as peppery as most Shiraz wines are. I will definitely be stocking up on this wine! $30/bottle (restaurant price)

Crazy for Cookoo

I tried Cookoothama Darlington Point 2004 Cab Merlot with Beth at the 2nd Avenue Grill last fall. It's a full-bodied wine with a sweet aftertaste. An absolute delight to sip on! $16/bottle

Conceited French

Last summer, Chris' aunt and uncle left us a great little "welcome home" package at the cottage where we stay when we visit. It included a bottle of Arrogant Frog Ribet Red Cabernet Merlot and it was fabulous!

When my mom started dating my dad, he always bought her these corny frog figurines (because she's from Quebec - French/Frog, get it?). Now, she collects frog stuff (not so much corny, but rather, some really great finds!) For her 50th Birthday party, I HAD to make sure we served Arrogant Frog for her...the Chardonnay Vioginer was also tasty!

Plus, the label is made out of a silky material, so you really can't go wrong!

**Problem: I haven't been able to locate this wine in Saskatoon, although it can be ordered in. I've been "importing" it from BC**

Relishing the Rosemount

We had a dinner party a few months ago and our dear friends, Beth and Dan brought over Rosemount Diamond Cellars Cabernet Merlot
It was very popular and we had no problem finishing the bottle (do we ever?)

I bought a bottle last week and, once again, it did not fail to impress. It's a medium-bodied wine (the Merlot grape makes it nice and soft) with blackberry flavour. $14.50/bottle

Fetzer Fetish

Fetzer Valley Oaks. My baby bro loves their Gewurztraminer (he has a MAJOR sweet-tooth), so I thought I'd give their Cab Sav a try. For $17, it's quite nice. To be honest, if I were buying for myself, I'd probably go with the Naked Grape Shiraz for $10, but Fetzer would be a nice gift if you were buying for someone else. I would introduce this wine to a white-drinker because it's not too full-bodied. Cheers!

Nothing But Gnarly

I was introduced to Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin by a friend last summer and I LOVED it. I didn't actually buy another bottle until this past January and I'm still in love.

Berry and spice flavours and a nice finish...perfect for Summer (or, in my case, Winter). $20/bottle

Kiwi Keeper

On my last trip out to Vancouver, I was introduced to the delightful Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - (Thanks to our waiter at The Vault).

"A concentration of tropical and gooseberry flavours with an abundant bouquet, it is a wine that is always crisp, elegant and refreshing." (oysterbaywines.com)

I enjoyed it so much I bought some for my ski trip and again once I got back home...and I know I'll be bringing it to an upcoming gathering at my Sav Blanc-loving friend's house this month....$20/bottle

Don't Cry for Me, Argentina...

Finca Los Primos Malbec

Dee-lish-ous! Great value (approx. $10)...full-bodied, smooth finish...