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Category Archives: Canada

Screw the environment….box wines suck*

08 Sep

Peller Estates French Cross Selection Pinot Grigio, Cellared in Canada $10.95 LCBO #016394

Wow…so much to warn you about…so little time. This week I wanted to do a little something for the environment and taste one of the many new wines in tetra-paks showing up on the shelves of the LCBO. I also wanted to see if there was any truth to the long-standing belief that all “box” wine is crap.

Ok…so I can’t say that all “box” wine is bad, but this one is horrible. The Peller Estate French Cross Pinot Grigio has all the elements of what makes up a really bad wine. The scary thing is this is one of the LCBO’s top selling box wines! At first whiff, this wine reeks of rotten eggs, burnt matches, and a hint of lemon pledge. Not surprisingly, the taste isn’t much better. I wouldn’t pair this wine with anything! Honestly…give it away to someone you don’t like.

As a side note, you might have noticed that this wine was “cellared in Canada”. This coded marketing term means that the grapes that went into this horrid concoction could have come from anywhere in the world. I am wiling to bet that it arrived at the winery in a tanker truck where it was cellared until it was packaged and delivered to the LCBO. I just thought you would like to know what you are buying.

Even with a low price of $10.95 I wouldn’t touch this wine with a 50 foot pole…but that’s just my opinion. Let me know what you think.

 
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Posted by on September 8, 2008 in Canada, Pinot Grigio, White Wine

 

West coast wine 101

16 Jun

2005 Mission Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve VQA, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada $24.95 LCBO #553321

Seeing as last week’s wine selection was from Ontario, I felt compelled to look to Canada’s west side for this week’s “Wine of the Week”. British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley has been producing fantastic wines for decades. Unfortunately, here in Ontario our access to these wines has been fairly limited.

The 2005 Mission Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a great example of the skilful wine making taking place out west. It’s a solid wine with flavours of cassis, blueberries, and blackcurrant and a hint of cedar and vanilla on the finish. This wine pairs really well with baby back ribs or any grilled meat.

At $24.95, while not necessarily a “value”, this is a great introduction to Canada’s other great wine-producing region…but that’s just my opinion. Let me know what you think.

 
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Posted by on June 16, 2008 in Cabernet Sauvignon, Canada, Red Wine

 

A summertime rosé from Niagara

09 Jun

2007 Malivoire Ladybug Rosé VQA, Niagara Peninsula, Canada $16.00 LCBO #559088

I think that it is fitting that after one of the hottest weekends in recent memory this week’s wine should be a rosé. Rosé is hands down the perfect warm weather patio wine. Unfortunately, people tend to forget about rosé and default to their white wine favourites. I am here to beg you…try something new. Try something pink.

The 2007 Malivoire Ladybug Rosé is one of these perfect hot summer afternoon wines. It has flavours of cherry, strawberry, and candyfloss (yes…you read that right) and great acidity making it incredibly refreshing. This wine can easily be drunk by itself, but would also go great with hot dogs and hamburgers.

At $16.00, this wine is ready to be enjoyed now. So get to the LCBO and pick up a bottle…but that’s just my opinion. Let me know what you think.

 
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Posted by on June 9, 2008 in Canada, Pinot Noir, Rosé