If I only had $100…I would buy at LCBO Vintages

Pop into your closest LCBO Vintages for the release on Saturday April 30 – just in time for Mother’s Day! you’ll find Pacific Northwest Wines, Aussie whites and interesting coloured  Rosés. There is something for every mum!

I haven’t made the wine trek to Oregon but whenever wines appear from the Willamette and Columbia Valleys, they are always exciting and the price points are not as staggering as their nearby neighbours.

And thinking of Mum’s, this release features sparkling wines from both France and Italy plus some ice cider from Quebec that won the Félibre Givré Gold Medal at the 2015 All Canadian Wine Championships. Any of these is bound to make Mum smile on her special day. I’m counting on a sunny May 8 to accompany and share my “delights”.

All Mum’s are special,
Julie

Cloudline Pinot Gris 2014

Willamette Valley, U.S.A.
$21.95 (Vintages #159988) 13.5% alcohol 

Aromas of spring flowers, very pale but shimmery in the glassy with citrusy clean flavours on the palate and a tangy white peppery finish. Bone dry with crisp acidity, lends itself to everything from an aperitif to lighter food fare, salads and seafood pasta. Trust me, there’s no one who would not like this wine.

Joel Gott Riesling 2012

Columbia Valley, U.S.A.
$19.95 (Vintages #443143) 12.9% alcohol 

Be sure to serve this in a stem glass since it is almost watery green in colour, but don’t let that be a detriment. It’s a playful and seductive Riesling, lots of of lemon-lime fruits, medium bodied with green apples dancing on the aftertastes. It’s clean, fresh, and vibrant and a fantastic choice for an afternoon sip, maybe a few shrimps on the side or pan-seared scallops—pure yum.

Yalumba Organic Viognier 2015

South Australia
$17.95 (Vintages #288217) 14.5 per cent alcohol 

Floral and peach pie aromas with tastes of baked pear crisp and something almost vanilla-like on the palate. It’s rich and creamy but dry with concentrated fruit flavours and a little lanolin on the aftertaste. Concentrated and full, a great match for curry or fish or just on its own. 

Gassier Sables D’Azur Rosé

AP Côtes de Provence, France
$15.95 (Vintages #33621) 12.5 per cent alcohol 

Anyone who designs such a beautiful bottle, something akin to Marilyn Monroe’s figure, must have placed something delicious inside. Soft peachy pink in colour, this nectar is downright dreamy with alluring scents of summer flowers. Tangy strawberry rhubarb flavours with some orange blossom and flinty aftertastes. It’s has some minerality on the palate which lends to a very fresh stainless steel taste but remains bone-dry, soft and packed with flavour.  One delicious rosé to match with everything from a picnic lunch to charcuterie.

Lamadrid Single Vineyard Reserva Malbec 2012

Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza
Fincas de Agrelo, Argentina
$17.00 (Vintages # 234492) 14.5% alcohol

Having just returned from Argentina where I enjoyed many Malbecs, I look forward to picking this one up at such a great price point. It has all the bookmarks of a great Malbec: dark inky in colour, aromas of violets and chocolate, some woodsiness and pure red fruits abound on the palate. Intense berries, ripe and refined tannins, lovely depth with lasting flavour.  Begging for lamb chops or grilled rare meat, I can’t wait.