2010 Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

Rich and medium-full bodied. Deep colour with ripe fruit and delicate oak flavours.

@14.99 a bottle CDN I say BUY, it will only get better.

Pairing - spicy, robust dishes, meats and cheese. Paris nicely with Ethopian Burgers with Berbere Spice @ http://nancyscuisuine.blogspot.ca/2012/05/ethopian-burger-with-berbere-spice.html

Recommendation: BUY

Herder "Josephine" 2007 Similkameen Valley, BC

The 2007 Josephine is a blend of 66% Merlot, 21 % Cabernet Franc and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon coming from various vineyards in the Upper Bench of B.C and aged in French oak for twelve months.
Ripe aromas of berry fruits, sweet spice, chocolate, open to background notes of red currant and plum.  Left to decant for 2 hours, this wine was silky, round and the tannins had softened.
Josephine  is a superb accompaniment to grilled red meats, sausages, hearty stews and aged cheeses such as cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
I purchased this wine in Alberta for $48, I plan to order a case when I get home.  Decant and drink now.  Will be interesting to see how it develops over time.

B.C. Private Wine Stores $40.00  BUY

Calona 2010 Opal Sovereign

I'm not a huge fan of white wines.  I love big bold red's, but there are times when I feel like a nice white sipping wine and one of those times is when I go out for Indian food.  You would think that a red would be the wine of choice for Indian food, but I prefer a white.

The first time I had Sovereign Opal was about a month ago, I had never heard of this wine before.  We were out for Indian food and I ordered a white, which was unavailable so the waiter recommended the Sovereign Opal, a VQA wine from the Calona Vineyards in the Okanagan Valley and is a hybrid grape.
The minute you smell this wine you just know it is going to be amazing.  I don't like my white wines to be tart and I don't like them to be too sweet either, and this wine was the perfect balance, medium-bodied with tropical fruits.  I fell in love with this wine so much, that when I got home I ordered 2 cases directly from the Vineyard.  At $12.99 a bottle,  this is a great buy and sure to improve with more time in the bottle.
I loved this wine so much I had to send Jim a bottle to get his opinion.

What did you think of this wine Jim?

Pairing: Indian food, cheese and crackers and is great as a lazy Sunday afternoon sitting on the porch sipping wine.

Recommendation: BUY

Toffee Chunk 2010 Syrah

I was making a South African Bredie (stew) last night and I wanted a big and unique wine from South Africa that could handle and compliment the complex flavours of the cardamom, ginger, fennel, nutmeg and the hint of sweetness from the added dried mangoes, that were in this stew.

Toffee Chunk seemed like the perfect choice and it didn't disappoint. From the Simonsvlei producers, this wine was created for wine drinkers looking for a very unique, flavourful wine.

 In South Africa where coffee flavoured Pinotages are popular, the Toffee Chunk has a deep ruby colour, dominate aromas of toffee with a hint of sweetness and a lingering smokiness. I recommend that you decant this wine to release the full flavour profile.

Pairing: Rich stews

Recommendation: Buy

Swartoog Ertjies En-Groente Bredie (Black-Eyed Peas and Vegetable Bredie-South Africa Bredie is a popular stew in South Africa. Black-eyed peas have been popular in African cooking and are also popular in southern United States.

• Ingredients:
  1 cup black-eyed peas (black-eyed beans)
  1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon virgin olive oil
  1 medium leek or large onion, chopped
  1 garlic clove, minced
  1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
  1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  8 oz potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
  2 large, vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  1 medium red, orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
  1 1/4 cups vegetable stock
  1/4 cup tomato paste
  2 cups shredded Swiss chard (silver-beet) leaves, tightly packed
  1/2 cup of chopped dried mangoes (dried apricots or pitted prunes)
  1/2 cup chopped fennel
  1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
  
  Directions:
  Place the black-eyed peas (I wasn't able to find black-eyed peas, so I bought a bag of "bean soup mix" and picked out black-eyed peas and black beans) in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 1 hour. Drain the peas and return to the saucepan and add fresh water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the leek, garlic and ginger and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cardamom, fennel seeds and nutmeg to the onions and cook to develop the flavour of the spices, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper, stock and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and stir well. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
  
  Serves 4

My wine review Recommendation Scale explained (revisited)

BUY = you should really BUY this wine in quantity
Buy = good value. Buy a bottle of this wine
OK = You can buy this wine if you dont see anything else thats decent
Pass = walk away from this wine
PASS = RUN away from this wine

Colio 2002 CEV 25th Anniversary Meritage

I am so glad I gave this wine 10 years to mature. I was rewarded with a lovely wine at its prime. Full body. Luscious ripe black fruit with some cedar notes. Long lingering finish.

Pairing: Prime rib, roast pork, lamb

Recommendation: BUY

Tedeschi 2009 Nicalo Valpolicella

Full body. Decent fruit with some minerality. Ok finish.

Pairing: Pasta

Recommendation: Buy

Famiglia Dragani 2010 Montepulciano D'Abruzzo

Med/full body. Good red and black fruit. Nice long finish.

Pairing: Pasta

Recommendation: Buy

Tedeschi 2009 Valverde Valpolicella

I am a fan of many of the Tedeschi wines, but this one was just ok. Full body, decent fruit, ok finish. Perhaps I just expect too much from them. Ok finish

Pairing: Pasta, pizza

Recommendation: OK

La Grange des Combes 2009 Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun

Full body. Decent blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre. Good red fruit. Some spice. Long finish.

Pairing: lamb, pork roast.

Recommendation: Buy

Chocalan 2008 Reserva Syrah

Interesting that I picked up this bottle because it had the sloping shoulders of a Pinot Noir. Full body. Great fruit and very fragrant. Well balanced with luscious fruit and nice spice. Excellent long-ish finish.

Pairing: Steak, roast beef, pasta

Recommendation: Buy

Henkell Trocken (non-vintage)

A staple low-end sparkling wine from Germany. Nothing to write home about. Its handy to have on hand if you are accosted by wandering bands of hoodlums looking for Mimosa fixin's.

Pairing: Okay for mimosa or kir royale.

Recommendation: OK

Beronia 2008 Tempranillo

Another fairly forgettable from the Rioja area of Spain. Med/full body. Red fruits (Strawberry & raspberry). Not much else happening here. OK finish

Pairing: Stews, steak, beef, pork

Recommendation: OK

Torre Del Falasco 2009 Valpolicella

I was hoping this wine would open up and be a huge show-off. Sadly it did not. Disappointing Harshness. Full body, Red fruit. Not much complexity here. Longish finish.

Pairing: Pasta, pizza, lasagna

Recommendation: Pass

Veedha 2008 Duoro

Another decent blend from Portugal. Full body. Ripe black fruit. Some earthiness. Long finish.

Pairing: Salmon, steak, lasagna, pasta

Recommendation: Buy

Zolo 2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Odd that there tends to be a common theme in Argentina to call all Cabernet Sauvignons "Reserve". This full body Cab is fairly complex for an inexpensive wine. Notes of currant and chocolate. Decent finish.

Pairing: steak, roast beef, lamb

Recommendation: Buy

Corona Daragon 2009 Old Vine Garnacha

Med/full body. Black fruits, some cedar notes. Decent enough although not spectacular, but an excellent value for the price. Decent finish.

Pairing: Salmon, hamburgers, ribs

Recommendation: Buy

Colio 2002 CEV 25th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon

I gave this wine 10 years in the cellar before trying it and sadly the decade really didnt help it much. Full body. Raspberry with some spice. Long finish.

Pairing: Beef, BBQ ribs, steak

Recommendation: OK

Vina Bosconia 1996 Reserva Rioja

Med/full body. Lots of tart red fruit (cranberries, red raspberry.) Long finish. Sadly over a decade of aging didnt really help.

Pairing: roast beef, roast pork, salmon

Recommendation: OK

Newton 2002 Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon

Full body. Lovely soft tannins. Nice fruit well balanced with earthiness. Long lingering finish.

Pairing: Prime rib, duck, pheasant

Recommendation: BUY

Vila Regia 2010 Duoro

Full body. Nicely balanced. Notes of coconut. Nice long finish

Pairing: Pasta, Steak, beef roast, chili

Recommendation: Buy

Coyote's Run 2004 Off-Dry Vidal

Grasso 1999 Barbaresco

Med/full body. Red fruit especially red cherry. Nicely balanced. Long finish.

Pairing: Steak, roast beef, roast pork

Recommendation: Buy

Mezzomondo 2010 Negroamaro Salento

Med/full body. Red fruits. Fairly forgettable. OK finish.

Pairing: Pasta

Recommendation: Pass

Colle Secco 2008 Montepulciano D'Abruzzo

Medium body. Red berry fruit. OK finish.

Pairing: Pasta, hamburgers, chili

Recommendation: OK

Bottega Prosecco (non-vintage)

Meh, its a sparkling wine. Nothing awesome.

Pairing: Hors d'hoevres

Recommendation: OK

Citra 2010 Montepulciano D'Abruzzo

Medium/full body. Red fruits, fairly tart. Not particularly well balanced. OK finish

Pairing: Pasta, ribs

Recommendation: Pass 

Chateau Morin 2005 Cru Bourgeois

An absolutely lovely blend from Bordeaux. 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. The wine is typical of a well-made French wine. Really nice mature fruit extremely well balanced with some earthiness and depth. Full body with wonderful fruit. Subtle notes that will keep you asking "mmm, what was that?". Lovely lingering finish.

Pairing: Roast beef, pork, wild game, lamb

Recommendation: BUY

Santa Rita 2009 Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Inexpensive wine from Chile. Excellent value for the price. It likely wont be gleaning any gold medal awards, but you wont be ashamed to serve it at a dinner party either. Full body, good fruit. Nice finish

Pairing: Roast beef, lamb, pork

Recommendation: Buy

Masi 2002 Campofiorin Ripasso

Lovely Italian Ripasso. Full body and velvety, lots of ripe red fruit especially cherry. Lovely long finish.

Pairing: Pasta (tomato), beef, wild game, lamb, pork

Recommendation: BUY

Carmela 2002 Dry Reisling

Carmela is no longer in business having sold out a few years ago. This Reisling is one of the reasons why it didnt do better. When we buy a Reisling, most of us expect crisp clean flavours. The Carmela Reislings were muddy and exhibited notes of barnyard and minerality.

Pairing: Chinese food, Pork (avoid pairing with delicate fish/seafood)

Recommendation: Pass

Milcampos 2009 Tempranillo

A very drinkable inexpensive Spanish Tempranillo. Medium/full body with very nice red fruit (cherry) notes. Excellent finish.

Pairing: Pork, grilled beef

Recommendation: Buy

Don Mendoza 2010 Reserve Merlot

Very inexpensive Merlot from Argentina. Medium body, good fruit although leaning heavily to the acidic. A bit harsh for my taste. Decent finish. It should be noted that this wine is Kosher.

Pairing: Beef, lamb

Recommendation: Pass

Spinelli 2009 Malbec

A very nice Italian Malbec. Medium body, very nice red berry/fruit and a nice long finish.

Pairing: Ham, turkey, hamburgers

Recommendation: Buy

Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne (non-Vintage)

Every once in a while you might want to experiment with a "name" champagne and Mumm is a well known name in champagnes. But unless you know and LOVE your sparkling wines (and not just in Mimosa or Kir Royale) I would advise against it. To the layman most sparkling wines taste quite similarly and exhibit little variation. As an aside, the way to tell a "better" champagne in the glass is the size of the bubbles. In this case, smaller is better.

Pairing: Anything

Recommendation: OK

Cusumano 2010 Syrah

A decent enough Syrah for the age and price. Quite drinkable. Decent fruit, medium body. Nice long finish.

Pairing: Pork or pasta

Recommendation: Buy

2011 Christmas Dinner Wine Suggestions

As Christmas approaches and we start to think about the menu for that fabulous turkey dinner, let us not forget a nice wine selection to enhance the feast. While the choices are mainly a matter of personal choice, there are some wines that typically pair well with turkey and the common accompaniments and side dishes.

I have chosen the following suggestions from the current offerings at the LCBO and/or wine retailers in Ontario.

1. Chardonnay - Most of your guests will prefer a white wine with their turkey. Probably your safest choice will be a dry, oaky Chardonnay. It will pair well with the bird and with the root vegetables.

White wine suggestion: Norman Hardie 2008 Country Chardonnay

2. Sauvignon Blanc - Also a good choice would be a Sauvignon Blanc. It is a little cleaner and lighter than the Chardonnay.

White wine suggestion: Colio 2009 CEV Signature Series Sauvignon Blanc

3. Reisling - A good Reisling or Gerwurztraminer would be another good choice. These are a typically a little sweeter and a little more acidic but favoured by folks who don't drink lots of wine.

White wine suggestion: Fielding 2009 Reisling

4. Pinot Noir - Some of your guests will prefer red wine and the Pinot Noir is a perfect selection. It is light enough not to overpower, yet fruity enough to enhance and not be overwhelmed.

Red wine suggestion: Quail's Gate 2008 Pinot Noir

5. Sparkling wine - A common assumption is that Sparkling wine goes with anything. This may or may not be true, but I have yet to find a food that sparkling wine doesn't agree with. Remember this is the season of celebration and nothing says celebration like a Champagne, Cava or Sparkling wine. They can be served as an aperitif, with the meal and/or with the dessert course.

Sparkling wine suggestion: Peller Ice Cuvee Rose

6. Dessert - a dessert wine is typically sweeter to enhance the sweetness of the dessert. An ice wine is an excellent choice as it can be sipped with or even poured over sweets.

Dessert wine suggestion: Inniskillin Vidal Icewine

Happy Holidays

Katnook Estates 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon

Once in a while I will open a bottle from my cellar that has reached its prime. After all wines are made to be enjoyed not collected, right? This wine you will want to decant at about the 10 year mark. Where do I start with this wonderful example of the winemakers art?

The wine was very complex on the nose as it was being decanted with a promised balance of fruit and some minerality. From the first sip, you will note the full body with excellent mouth-feel. Next fully matured black fruit extremely well balanced with hints of vanilla, allspice and/or cloves. Some wispy cedar notes follow. A delightfully long, pleasant finish.

Pairing: Prime rib, crown rib roast, rack of lamb

Recommendation: BUY

Monte Antico 2007 Toscana

A wonderful blend of Sangiovese, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon. Full body, luscious fruits. Very well balanced. Excellent long finish.

Pairing: Pasta, roast beef, roast pork, game.

Recommendation: Buy

Kawin 2009 Reserva Privada Cabernet Sauvignon

Proof once again that "Reserve" and "Private" don't mean anything to many wineries, no matter what language. I havent had a lot of luck with full bodied red wines from Chile. Perhaps I shouldn't generalize, but Damn! Not well balanced. Over-use of sulphites. No real redeeming qualities.

Pairing: n/a

Recommendation: Pass

Ogio 2010 Primitivo

A surprisingly decent offering to a Zinfandel lover considering the price. Med/full body. Good fruit featuring red cherries with just a hint of candied cherry. Good balance. Medium long finish

Pairing: Roast beef, steaks, pork roast.

Recommendation: Buy

La Linda 2009 Syrah

I was pleasantly surprised by this Argentinian Syrah. Full body. Excellent ripe fruit. A bit on the tart side but overall well balanced. Nice long finish.

Pairing: Beef, steak, venison, lamb

Recommendation: Buy

Lamadrid 2008 Reserva Malbec

Cool modern label. Sadly the product doesn't live up to the billing. Medium body. Ho-hum fruit. Ho-hum finish.

Pairing: pork, corned beef

Recommendation: OK

Senor Real Vinas Centenarias 2007 Tempranillo

I was very disappointed by this offering from Spain. Well known for its Tempranillo, this area should have done much better. Sadly overwhelming the fruit was a distinct taste of turpentine. This was the first "dumper" I have had in a while.

Pairing: n/a

Recommendation: PASS

E. Guigal 2007 Cotes Du Rhone

I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this economically priced French wine. Full of fruit. Medium body. Excellent long finish.

Pairing: Beef

Recommendation: Buy

Trapiche 2008 Broquel Malbec

I was hoping for something a bit better but should have known by the price that there wasn't much here. Very pretty label. Medium bodied. Very acidic, but a decent finish. Might be ok if left in your cellar for a couple of years.

Pairing: Pasta, grilled meats

Recommendation: OK

Stag's Leap 2005 The Leap Cabernet Sauvignon

WOW! Every once in a while you should treat yourself to a nice wine and this was my treat. A full-bodied Cab that explodes with fruit flavour. Black cherry, blackberry, plum but extremely well balanced with notes of earthiness. A beautiful long finish with hints of vanilla.

Pairing: Share it with a friend as an aperitif

Recommendation: BUY

Dan Aykroyd 2008 Merlot

A little disappointing considering the celebrity name (I was hoping for a whole lot more.) Medium body, some earthy notes. Not bursting with fruit as i had hoped. Ok finish

Pairing: Lamb, pot roasts

Recommendation: OK

Chilensis 2009 Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

A nice inexpensive offering from Chile. Medium to full body. Some earthy and spicy notes (allspice and cloves) and ok black fruit (cassis.) Quite a long finish.

Pairing: Lamb, stews

Recommendation: Buy

Palatine Hills 2002 Meritage

A really decent wine from Niagara. Medium body with some earthiness. Hints of pepper and lots of black fruit, although leaning a little towards the acidic side. Generous finish.

Pairing: Roasts (Pork or beef)

Recommendation: Buy

Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon (non-vintage)

Another of the non-vintage catch-all wines. Medium body, no depth, poor fruit, very acidic with notes of sawdust. Bitter aftertaste which tends to tinger. Close to a "dumper"

Pairing: n/a

Recommendation: PASS