Author: michelcouttolenc

What is Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc?

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In 1973, when Marlborough’s first Sauvignon Blanc vines were planted, no one could have predicted the superstar status that this variety would attain within a couple of decades.

Marlborough, remarkable for its southern latitude as a wine region, is home to 88% of New Zealand’s vines and most of those vines are Sauvignon Blanc.  In fact, 80% of all wine from New Zealand is Sauvignon Blanc.

Marlborough’s southern latitudes contribute to cool winds and refreshing nights that allow Sauvignon Blanc to retain its crisp vibrant and refreshing acidity. Its Southern latitudes also mean extended sunlight hours in the summer months (December, January, February in the Southern Hemisphere) to allow proper ripening given these cool conditions.  Allan Scott Family wines are one of the oldest wineries in New Zeland.

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Fresh, zesty, juicy and full, this fruit-driven new world style wine will excite the senses without the racy overload. Tropical fruit with a fresh herbaceous character balanced with zesty passionfruit and a dry finish, this wine will take you straight back to the warmer summer days.

What is a Cava wine?

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What is a Cava wine? cava is Spanish Sparkling Wine. Spain has been making sparkling wine since the mid-1800s. It’s made in the same way as champagne; sometimes using Spanish grapes and sometimes using chardonnay or pinot noir Where is Cava is made in the Penedes area of northeastern Spain which is 700 miles south of the champagne region. The climate is warmer, this means that cava is softer and fruitier than champagne.
Cava Food Paring: Mixed plates of cured and smoked meats, greasy fish work great with a crisp Cava as the clean bubbles will cut right through the oily layer and leave you with a world of flavor. Try sardines or mackerel. Cheese and Cava go very well with aged cheddar manchego or gruyere. The Parés Baltà Organic Brut Cava is highly recommended in terms of price and quality.

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Wine & Prosciutto

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Tuscany is the most famous of all Italian wine regions, thanks to the romantic glamor of its rolling hills, cypress-lined country roads and hilltop villages. Yet Tuscany can be evaluated on the merits of its wines alone; its reputation is founded on such iconic wines as Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Argiano Non Confunditur is produced near Mount Amiata, one of Tuscany’s highest peaks, which protects the entire area from bad weather. This factor enables Argiano to make high profile wines and constantly good vintages year after year. In total the estate is only 125 hectares.
Foods and entrees that usually pair with a red blend wine from Tuscany are: olives, tomato-based pasta, roasted meats and game, beef steaks, chicken in wine sauce, mushrooms, pancetta, prosciutto, pizza, smoked meat, and cold cuts.

Argiano Non Confunditur 2014 is a wine with wild rosemary and thyme flavors and black cherry and strawberry notes. It is a firm red that has elegant tannins and a dusty finish. The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah.

 

 

How do you pair Rosé

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Rosé is a type of wine made from red wine grapes, produced in a similar manner to red wine, but with reduced time fermenting with grape skins. Rosé happens when the skins of red grapes touch wine for only a short time. Where some red wines ferment for weeks at a time on red grape skins, rosé wines are stained red for just a few hours.

Rosé should always be chilled and served at approximately 5 to 8 Celsius. The best food pairings for rosé: Light salads, light pasta, and rice dishes, especially with seafood, raw and lightly cooked shellfish, grilled fish and goat cheeses. Perfect hot weather drinking.

A good example is this Les Oliviers Grenache Cinsault Rosé, Pays d’Oc 2017 Pale salmon pink in the glass with delicate aromas of meadow flowers. This luscious blend has abundant rich berry flavors from the Grenache and a satisfying tang from the Cinsault. Dry but with a noticeable roundness and fresh finish. ”  Wine is available at Vinos.ca

Should You Consider buying Wine Online?

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Most people buy many things online – such as clothes, food, electronics, and beauty products. There are a few reasons to buy wine online. Three main reasons: better selection, convenience, and lower prices. Vinos.ca a Toronto-based online wine distributor was launched a few months ago by Andre Souroujon. After having lived in the U.S. for several years, where he became accustomed to buying many things online – including a large selection of wines – he was disappointed upon his return to Ontario to find that similar services weren’t available.

Vinos.ca founder Andre Souroujon came up with his store’s innovative browsing structure after becoming frustrated with traditional wine shops. “A roomful of bottles with price tags was not sufficient to help me make good, informed choices,” he says. Together with wine experts, Andre and his team carefully curate the wine selection to include high quality wines from the top regions in the world. The idea is to offer a better experience, simple and easy with just the right
information on hand.

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The company sells wines from many different regions around the world, including Europe,Australia, South Africa and South America, among many others. Wines are delivery directly to your home. New release every week.
Subscribe to the Vinos.ca News letter by clicking here

France’s most versatile wines: Côtes du Rhône

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Côtes du Rhône is a versatile wine, perfect for the summer or winter. It is an easy and friendly wine for food pairing. This great wine from the South East region of France complements risottos, pastas, paellas, pizzas and lasagnas. The acidity and spicy character goes very well with red sauces.

A Côtes du Rhône is a balanced wine that is fruity, fresh and easy to drink. If you’re seeking value and early drinking pleasure in wines you must discover this appellation.

Côtes du Rhône wines are for the most part meant to be enjoyed on release, which is a big part of their allure. The majority do not require aging, even if a few wines do improve with time in the cellar.

A good example is this Côtes du Rhône Villages Les Coteaux 2015. This wine reveals its class from the start: brambly fruit underpinned by subtle oaky nuances, lovely sweet spice, and warm star anise with a touch of cinnamon.  Available at Vinos.ca
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St Helena Wines

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St Helena is one of the Napa Valley’s top subregions, located in the shadow of the 1325m Mount Saint Helena, from which the small town takes its name. St Helena wines are recognized by rich red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These are made by some of California’s most notable names, including Beringer, Joseph Phelps, Turley, Duckhorn Vineyards and Hall Wines.

I recently tasted Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon 2014. This is a fantastic wine with full-bodied power, stunning purity and long finish aromas of beautiful licorice, chocolate, and espresso notes.

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The Halls purchased the winery in St. Helena. Now their estate vineyards contain more than 500 acres of classic Bordeaux varietals;  The couple has maintained a strong commitment to the environment and to cutting-edge technology to yield the highest quality grapes.

Through years of hard work, passion and unstoppable spirit, they ultimately built the HALL Wines and WALT Wines. Not only did the wines take off, but they also became serious contenders in the wine world.

Robert Parker 95 pts
Wine Spectator 93 pts

Available at Vinos.ca

Volcanic Wines

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The most exciting and intriguing wines coming out of Italy have one thing in common: the volcanic origins of their soils. The Etna D.O.C. region is situated on the north, east and south slopes of the Etna volcano.

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This beautiful wine is produced at Feudo di Mezzo winery, situated in the heart of Etna viticulture. It comes from Nerello Mascalese grapes, and from the search for a modern expression of this noble grape variety cultivated in the unique and splendid terroir of Etna.

Light translucent color with a glowing ruby red at the rim. Very typical Etna Rosso with bright red summer fruits, volcanic sulfur, and wet mineral notes. There’s a precise and nice acidity that balances bright fruit and medium refined tannins. Drinking well now with a lighter than air consistency. Availability: Vinos.ca

92 pts Wine Enthusiast

90 pts Robert Parker

Wine producer: Planeta winery 

 

HOW TO…Taste Wine Like a Pro

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Wine has a hideous habit of getting lumped with the snooty, snobbish and downright pretentious – but why? We all drink it, we all enjoy it. Today, with these 5 simple steps,we we destroy that stereotype and give wine back to the people, huzzah!


We are starting off with the wine already poured, if you are uncertain of the etiquette to get you to this point then you will LOVE my post on ‘HOW TO…Look Like You Know Red Wine’. This covers all the basics from selecting a wine to pouring it correctly.



There is a lot of conflicting nonsense floating around about how you should hold your wine glass, so simply remember this:



It is as simple as that – If your glass has a stem use it!


The only exception to this rule is the Brandy Snifter, easily distinguishable from a wine glass, it has…

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