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March 3, 2010 • 10:42 am 0

Video Preview of our Innovative Seminars & Exciting Events at the upcoming Toronto Wine & Cheese Show

12 Innovative Wine Events & Seminars at the Toronto Wine & Cheese Show, March 19th – 21st  at the Toronto International Centre

We are pleased to present a series of fun, unique and highly informative wine events and seminars at the upcoming Toronto Wine & Cheese Show.

David Lawrason and John Szabo offer you a sneak preview of the exclusive events and entertaining seminars in the following video links. Full details including the schedule and prices are listed below. Please note that full show admission is included in all event and seminar prices and limited space is available.

Events

Seminars


Chef and Sommelier  Food and Wine Pairing Competition $80.00

Friday at 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.  Buy Now
Saturday at 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Buy Now

Six top Ontario chefs and their sommeliers take their best shot at matchmaking: one dish, one wine. You decide who’s nailed it and who needs to go back to the drawing board in this people’s choice awards. Master Sommelier John Szabo will introduce guidelines for successful pairing; guests will taste, enjoy and vote on their favourites. End the evening with “How Sweet It Is” a selection of desserts matched to dessert wines, ports, Sherries and spirits. Winner announced at the conclusion of the evening.

Great Ontario Wine & Cheese Pairing $55.00

Friday at 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.  Buy Now
Saturday at 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Buy Now
Sunday at 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Buy Now Sold Out!

The Dairy Farmers of Ontario present The Great Ontario Wine and Cheese Paring. Join Award Winning Sommelier, Zoltan Szabo to explore and savour Ontario’s burgeoning artisan cheese offerings and the finest Ontario wines! At each station you will be guided by a cheese specialist and sommerlier.

Sunday Sparkling Brunch $50.00

Noon – 1:30 p.m.  Buy Now

Guests will enjoy a European-style brunch featuring the main sparkling wines of Europe – including French Champagne, Spanish Cava, Italian Prosecco and Moscato d’Asti – plus other intriguing bubblies. They will be paired with a wide range of fruit, cheese, meat, seafood and pastry creations to get your Sunday off to a fine start.

Seminars

Seminars for Friday March 19, 2010

Navigating the New Wine Media $20.00

David Lawrason, WineAlign Critic
12:30 p.m.  Buy Now

Toronto Life and WineAlign critic David Lawrason will lead a panel discussion on the emergence of on-line wine reviewing and social media through websites like WineAlign, Facebook and Twitter, and how wine producers and agents can use them to improve their marketing efforts. Fee donated to Grapes for Humanity.

Name that Flaw $20.00

John Szabo, Master Sommelier and WineAlign Critic
2:00 p.m.  Buy Now

Master Sommelier John Szabo and Dr. Geroge Soleas, head of the LCBO’s Quality Assurance Laboratory will lead an informative seminar on common wine flaws. The audience will blind taste (or maybe just smell) to identify them, while Dr. Soleas delves deeply into their causes and remedies. Participation fee will be donated to Grapes for Humanity.

Does Organic Wine Taste Better? $50.00

John Szabo, Master Sommelier and WineAlign Critic
3:30 p.m.  Buy Now

John Szabo will lead a panel discussion and tasting of organic and bio-dynamic wines. The mysteries of these ultra-organic specialties will be revealed by Scott Jones, vineyard manager at Southbrook Winery, Paul Pender, head winemaker at Tawse Winery, and Mark Cuff of The Living Vine, a leading importer of organic wines in Ontario. The tasting will highlight the complexity, depth and sense of place that make organic wines unique.

Making Sense of Wines $40.00

Anne Martin, Canadian Living Wine Columnist
5:30 p.m.  Buy Now

Sommelier and the wine columnist for Canadian Living, Anne Martin will lead an entertaining tasting that explores the smell, taste and texture of wines of various styles and major grape varieties.

Canadian Gold $60.00

David Lawrason, WineAlign Critic
7:30 p.m.  Buy Now

Presented by Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards, chief judge David Lawrason will pour Ontarion and B.C. top drops that achieved gold medals in 2009, with insight as to what competition judges look for in blind tastings.

Seminars for Saturday March 20, 2010

Making Sense of Wines $40.00

Anne Martin, Canadian Living Wine Columnist
1:00 p.m.  Buy Now

Sommelier and the wine columnist for Canadian Living, Anne Martin will lead an entertaining tasting that explores the smell, taste and texture of wines of various styles and major grape varieties.

Into the Cellar $60.00

Gordon Stimmell, Toronto Star Wine Critic
3:00 p.m.  Buy Now

Toronto Star wine critic Gordon Stimmell discusses wine ageing and cellaring, with four pairs of wines of different styles, one from a recent vintage, one from a mature vintage.

90+ Points $60.00

David Lawrason and John Szabo, WineAlign Critics
6:00 p.m.  Buy Now

WineAlign critics David Lawrason and John Szabo present a selection of eight top scoring international wines currently on the market. The tasting and discussion will revolve around what critics are looking for in terms of quality, and what makes these wines deserving of 90+ ratings.

Seminars for Sunday March 21, 2010

Into the Cellar $60.00

Gordon Stimmell, Toronto Star Wine Critic
12:30 p.m.  Buy Now

Toronto Star wine critic Gordon Stimmell discusses wine ageing and cellaring, with four pairs of wines of different styles, one from a recent vintage, one from a mature vintage.

The Wine Price Challenge $50.00

Steve Thurlow
2:30 p.m.  Buy Now

Steve Thurlow will lead a tasting of wines at various price points to demonstrate the relationship between price and quality. Wines will be tasted blind with guests guessing the price before labels are revealed. Prizes offered.

Italy’s Best Reds & Terroni’s Traditional Southern Italy Food $75.00

John Szabo, Master Sommelier and WineAlign Critic
3:30 p.m.  Buy Now

Master Sommelier John Szabo teams up with Toronto’s favorite southern Italian restaurant, Terroni, to offer an afternoon of great food and wine. Terroni’s chefs Giovanna Alonzi and Fabio Moro will be cooking up six specialty dishes from the bottom of the boot while John presents six of Italy’s best high-end reds.

Limited space is available. Book online now or visit towineandcheeseshow.com. Please note that admission to the show is included in all event and seminar prices.

For more information contact Filomena Feltmate
Call: 905-842-6591 ext 260

Email: ffeltmate@metrolandwest.com

Filed under: Events, News , , , , , , ,

February 22, 2010 • 11:11 am 0

Cuvée Awards 2010 – by John Szabo

Cuvée Awards 2010

The winners of the 2010 Cuvée awards were announced on February 19, 2010 at the Fallsview Casino during the annual Cuvée Gala. The wine industry was out in full force and the gala organizers did an exceptional job in drawing in cooking talent from across the province – easily the best culinary experience at these awards, at least in my limited history.

What makes the Cuvée awards a little different from most competitions is that they are judged entirely by winemakers. Each participating winery is asked to enter their three best wines. According to the press release, “This year, 45 winemakers tasted over 200 wines from 56 wineries to determine the winners. In addition, during the judging process, judges are asked to indicate if wines merit a Cuvée Gold designation, demonstrating international standards for excellence in quality.”

Not surprisingly, many of the usual achievers figure among the winners. Here is the full list:

Cuvée Award Winners 2010

Red Wine / WINNER

sponsored by Scott Laboratories

Inniskillin Wines

Reserve Series Cabernet Franc 2007 GOLD

Limited Edition Red Wine / WINNER

sponsored by Sun Media Niagara Publishing Group

Niagara College Teaching Winery

Dean’s List Pinot Noir Canadian Oak Project 2007 GOLD

White Wine / WINNER

sponsored by Scott Laboratories

Flat Rock Cellars

Reserve Chardonnay 2007 GOLD

Limited Edition White Wine / WINNER

sponsored by Vines – Sun Media Niagara Publishing Group

Creekside Estate Winery

Reserve Viognier 2008 GOLD

LCBO Red Wine / WINNER

Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery

Proprietors’ Reserve Meritage 2007 GOLD

LCBO White Wine / WINNER

Creekside Estate Winery

Pinot Grigio 2008 GOLD

Sweet Wine / WINNERS

sponsored by Bruni Glass Packaging Canada

Konzelmann Estate Winery

Vidal Icewine 2007 1ST PLACE GOLD

Strewn Winery

Vidal Icewine 2006 2ND PLACE GOLD

Reif Estate Winery

Vidal Icewine 2007 3RD PLACE GOLD

Limited Edition Sweet Wine / WINNER

Mountain Road Wine Company

Vidal Icewine 2004 GOLD

Sparkling Wine / WINNERS

Hillebrand Winery

Trius Brut Rose NV TIED FOR 1ST PLACE GOLD

Maleta Estate Winery

VIEW Old Vines Dry Sparking Riesling 2007 TIED FOR 1ST PLACE GOLD

Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery

Cuvee Catherine Rose Brut NV 2ND PLACE GOLD

Cave Spring Cellars

Dolomite Brut 2006 3RD PLACE GOLD

Chardonnay / WINNERS

Flat Rock Cellars

Reserve Chardonnay 2007 1ST PLACE GOLD

DeSousa Wine Cellars

Chardonnay Reserve 2007 2ND PLACE GOLD

Riesling / WINNERS

Thirty Bench Wine Makers

Small Lot Riesling “Steel Post Vineyard” 2008 1ST PLACE GOLD

Rosewood Estates Winery

Natalie’s Riesling Süssreserve 2008 2ND PLACE GOLD

Gewürztraminer / WINNER

Rosewood Estates Winery

Gewürztraminer 2008 GOLD

Sauvignon Blanc / WINNER

Creekside Estate Winery

Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2007 GOLD

White Assemblage / WINNER

Legends Estates Winery

Diva (Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc) 2008 GOLD

Viognier / WINNER

Creekside Estate Winery

Reserve Viognier 2008 GOLD

Cabernet Sauvignon / WINNERS

Kacaba Vineyards

Kacaba Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 1ST PLACE GOLD

Hillebrand Winery

Showcase Cabernet Sauvignon Clark Farm 2007 2ND PLACE GOLD

Cabernet Franc / WINNERS

Inniskillin Wines

Reserve Series Cabernet Franc 2007 1ST PLACE GOLD

Tawse Winery

Van Bers Cabernet Franc 2007 2ND PLACE GOLD

Meritage / WINNERS

Thirty Bench Wine Makers

Small Lot Benchmark Red 2007 1ST PLACE GOLD

Vineland Estates Winery

Elevation Cabernet 2007 2ND PLACE GOLD

Southbrook Vineyards

Poetica Cabernet Merlot 2007 TIED FOR 3RD PLACE GOLD

Wayne Gretzky Estates

Estate Series Cabernet Merlot 2007 TIED FOR 3RD PLACE GOLD

Pinot Noir / WINNERS

Tawse Winery

17th St Pinot Noir 2007 1ST PLACE GOLD

Cave Spring Cellars

Pinot Noir Estate 2007 2ND PLACE GOLD

Gamay Noir / WINNER

13th Street Winery

Sandstone Vineyard Old Vines Gamay Noir 2007 GOLD

Merlot / WINNER

Peller Estates Winery

Signature Series Merlot 2007 GOLD

Red Assemblage / WINNER

Wayne Gretzky Estates

Estate Series Shiraz Cabernet 2007 GOLD

Syrah/Shiraz / WINNERS

Fielding Estate Winery

Syrah 2007 TIED FOR 1ST PLACE GOLD

Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery

Proprietors’ Grand Reserve Syrah 2007 TIED FOR 1ST PLACE GOLD

Toney Aspler Cuvée

Award of Excellence / WINNER

sponsored by Tony Aspler

Jon Ogryzlo, Dean, Food and Wine Sciences at Niagara College

Jon Ogryzlo – for spearheading the creation of the Niagara College

Wine Visitor & Education Centre.

Cuvée Award of

Excellence in Viticulture / WINNER

sponsored by the Grape Growers of Ontario

Albrecht Seeger, Seeger Farms

Cuvée Gold Awards

Sweet Wine

Château des Charmes Wines

Cabernet Franc Icewine Estate Bottled 2007 GOLD

Dan Aykroyd Wines

Signature Vidal Icewine 2006 GOLD

White Wine

Mountain Road Wine Company

Reserve Chardonnay 2006 GOLD

Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery

Reserve Chardonnay 2007 GOLD

Strewn Winery

Chardonnay Barrel Fermented Amalgam 2007 GOLD

Red Wine

Kacaba Vineyards

Kacaba Vineyards Proprietor’s Reserve Syrah 2007 GOLD

Filed under: Events, News, Wine , , ,

February 16, 2010 • 10:08 am 2

Sneak Peek of our 2D barcode technology

Here’s an illustration of what we will be unveiling at the upcoming Toronto Wine & Cheese Show .  Stay tuned for more details on the show and our seminars in the coming weeks.

Illustrations for Wine & Cheese Show

Filed under: Events, News ,

February 8, 2010 • 4:41 pm 1

WineAlign partners with the Toronto Wine & Cheese Show

We’re pleased to announce that our WineAlign critics have created a series of fun, unique and highly informative wine events and seminars for the upcoming Toronto Wine & Cheese Show. Stay tuned for more details about some innovative technology we’ll be unveiling at the show which runs March 19th to 21st at the International Centre.

Toronto Wine And Cheese Show Ad

Filed under: Events, News

February 5, 2010 • 4:56 pm 0

New Feature! – Create and Share Personalized Wine Lists

Our motto is that wine tastes better when shared with friends.  Well today we are making sharing easier than ever.

You are now able to create lists of wines to share with others. If you have friends who never know what to buy for your ‘discerning’ tastes, make your Favourites list public and send them the link.  If you want to build and share a list of your favourite Pinots at the LCBO you can do that too.

New Wine List Menu

There is a new Add To… button menu and a new link to My Lists which contains all of your lists:  Cellar, Favourites, Shopping and all of your new custom and shareable lists.

We’ve updated the list screen with a new drop-down to make it easier to navigate between your lists.


If you wish, you can click on “Share this list” to make a list public. Simply copy the link (web address) from the screen and send it to friends.



What’s cool is that people who click on your link will be presented with the availability of those wines at their local LCBO(s).  They don’t even have to be a registered user of WineAlign (although we hope they will be some day)

Filed under: News ,

January 18, 2010 • 10:11 am 0

Top Value Banquet Wines – by John Szabo

John Szabo

Recently I tasted through about 70 100% VQA wines from across Canada in search of the country’s best value wines. The purpose was to select the top VQA examples that would be worthy of showcasing at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa for banquets and intermissions.

Since celebrity Chef Michael Blackie took over in the kitchen early last year, the NAC has seen significant changes on all levels and is on its way to becoming a premier dining destination in the nations’ capital. No longer is it an old-fashioned meat-and potatoes menu for quick, pre-theatre sustenance. Blackie has elevated the sophistication of the food to top standards with a very ambitious menu indeed. The wine program, evidently, needed significant revamping and updating to say the least, and I have been working with Chef Blackie and dining room manager Tegan Schioler to bring the beverage side of the operation, including service, to the same level. There is still much to be done, but I’m happy to report that it is going very well. If you haven’t been in a while, be sure to drop in, no theatre tickets required!

Having participated for the last 5 years as a judge in the Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards, The country’s best wines are certainly familiar to me. But what was most satisfying was the overall level of high quality and drinkability, knowing that these were all very reasonably priced. VQA wines are often knocked for their poor quality/price ratio relative to international stage, but this tasting belied that belief once again.

In order to select these wines, I sent out a call to tender to Canadian wineries, from which I pre-selected 70 or so samples to be tasted. It was hardly a comprehensive look at all of Canada, and many of the wines I would have liked to see were missing from the lineup, but it was still representative nonetheless. The wines were set up in flights and tasted blind, that is, I knew the style/varietal category and the wines that had been submitted, but not the order in which they were served. Not surprisingly, many of the classic good value Canadian producers emerged, along with a few unexpected surprises. In the end, a dozen whites and ten reds made the cut. Virtually all are under $15/bottles (licencee price), and many are even under $10. In the end it will be the banquet guests and intermission wine drinkers who win; you can bank on a good glass of wine at the NAC. Here are my top picks. Some are available at the LCBO, others are winery direct. If you’re looking for good ‘house wine’, this is a reliable list to start with.

White

2007 Riesling Off-Dry, Rosehall Run, VQA Ontario

2008 Chardonnay Unoaked, Palatine Hills, Niagara

2008 Chardonnay, Vineland Estates, Niagara

2007 Dry Riesling, Vineland Estates, Niagara

2008 Semi-Dry Riesling, Vineland Estates, Niagara

2008 Riesling Dry, Cave Spring, Niagara

2007 Chardonnay, Cave Spring, Niagara

2008 Sullyzwicker White, Rosehall Run, Prince Edward County

2008 Pinot Grigio ‘Ogopogo’s Lair, Prospect Winery, Okanagan Valley

2008 Sauvignon Blanc ‘Spotted Lake’, Prospect Winery, Okanagan Valley

2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Vineland Estates, Niagara

2007 Chardonnay Estate Bottled, Château des Charmes, Niagara

Rosé

2008 Huff Estates South bay Vineyards Rosé, Prince Edward County

Red

2008 Lakeshore Red, Palatine Hills, Niagara Lakeshore

2007 ‘Noirs’ (Pinot & Gamay), 13th Street, Niagara

2007 Gamay Noir, Estate Bottled, Château des Charmes, Niagara

2007 Cabernet Franc Varietal Series, Inniskillin, Niagara

2008 Pinot Noir Reserve, Pelee Island, VQA Ontario

2007 Pinot Noir Five Vineyards, Mission Hill, Okanagan Valley

2007 Cabernet-Shiraz, Dan Aykroyd, Niagara

2007 Rosewood Estate Renaceau Vineyard Merlot, Beamsville Bench

2008 Cabernet-Merlot, Pilliteri

2007 Cabernet- Merlot Five Vineyards, Mission Hill, Okanagan Valley

Filed under: News, Wine , , ,

January 11, 2010 • 2:30 pm 0

WineAlign is one of Canada’s 50 best designed websites

We were honoured to be added to this list of great Canadian websites.  And we are definitely in some very good company.  The list is maintained by a collective of Canadian creative designers, marketing managers and online media buyers with a passion for web design.   The list was started as an ever-expanding archive of great Canadian website design.   http://web50.ca/

Canada's Web 50

Canada's Web 50

Filed under: News

December 29, 2009 • 9:54 am 0

Reluctantly into 2010 – by David Lawrason

David Lawrason

David Lawrason

The end of 2009 is upon us. The last year has been so intense and consuming and exciting that I don’t quite want it to end; the busiest, most stimulating and rewarding of my 20+ years as a wine critic and educator.

The single most important reason has been WineAlign. It has been rejuvenating, and it has re-focused me on the simple goal of tasting and reviewing as much wine as possible, and presenting it in a new, exciting and meaningful format to thousands of people.  (See some newly added picks below).  By December 27, after just one year, we hit 6,000 registered users, far beyond the start up numbers for any wine writing project with which I have been involved.

WineAlign has also pulled me deeper into  social media and the online world; teaching me to use Google, Twitter, Facebook and blogging to greater effect. It would have been easy – as a long time newspaper and magazine writer – to dismiss all these new channels as chatter and noise. There is a lot of that, but these media are rapidly re-shaping my professional landscape and I am glad I have at least one foot on the running board.  Their information gathering and disseminating power is immense.

The other great pleasure of 2009 was travelling  often within Canada, and grasping the depth of the quality of our people, our food and our wine. As wine advisor to Gold Medal Plates – a culinary competition that has so far raised $3.5 million for Canadian Olympians –  I travelled to six cities and tasted the work of over 50 chefs, and 65 different winemakers.  Corporate events took me to other top restaurants across the land.  I fell in love with Quebec City and the Eastern Townships on a weeklong culinary excursion.  I could barely keep up with the flood of new wines on my doorstep in Prince Edward County, where the number of wineries is doubling to 30 in the 2009/2010 season. And a week in Niagara in December revealed an unending push to improve despite all the woe around surpluses and ruckus about Cellared in Canada wines.

I have used a lull over the holidays to add or update the vintages of about 50 LCBO general listings on WineAlign.  Many have been inexpensive reds, plus some sparklers and winter warming ports.

Warre’s 10 Year Old Otima Port

On Christmas day someone on Facebook asked what her friends were drinking that day.  I had several wines during a large family gathering, but I responded that none was a more perfect match than Warre’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port with a sticky toffee and  date cake.  Port is so sadly overlooked nowadays, perhaps because its sweet and high in alcohol (yet at 20% it’s only half that of spirits). But if you are not driving – as the vast majority are not  - what’s the downside?  Check out other easily available port buys at WineAlign by searching Graham’s and Taylor’s. My personal favourite is the Ferreira Dona Antonia, that bridges tawny and fruit port styles.

Pol Roger Extra Cuvée De RéserveI did some sparkling wine tasting as well, but nothing jumped out.  If there is one readily available French Champagne to take to a New Years celebration  I would make it Pol Roger Extra Cuvee de Reserve, which is elegant, generous and complex . It captures some of the glory and balance and subtlety of the world’s best bubbly region at a comparatively fair price.  Moet & Chandon 2003 Vintage Champagne is very fine indeed, but a stretch at $85 and on New Year’s Eve it’s subtlety will be completely missed.

The red wine tastings over the holidays were focused at a much more modest price level. Under $10, check out the following: Cusumano 2008 Nero d’Avola from Sicily,  Flichman 2008 Misterio Malbec from Argentina, Passion of Portugal 2008, and Long Flat Shiraz 2008 from Australia.  Over $10 look for Angus the Bull 2006 Shiraz from Australia and the Quinta dos Carvalhais 2006 Duque de Viseu from Portugal.

In the first week of 2010 watch for my reviews of the January 9 release, wherein almost no selections are over $20.

And may your New Years Eve and 2010  turn out exactly as you wish them to be.

David

Filed under: News , ,

December 10, 2009 • 5:25 pm 2

WineAlign – One year old today!

Just wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank everyone who has joined our service over the last year.

We really appreciate the passion people have about wine and our site.   I want to reiterate our commitment to our users that we are dedicated to providing wine consumers with the most accurate and objective wine information available.  We want to present that information to you in a useful, interactive way that helps you make better purchase decisions.  We are also building a community of wine lovers and we want to help you interact and share your wine interest with others.

We are constantly updating and improving the site.  At this time we are doing this largely based on suggestions and feedback from our users.  I think business is very simple, listen to your customers and service the hell out of them.  We’re here to listen as our business success depends on it.   If you have a good idea then please share it with us and it WILL become part of our offering.

We’ve got some big plans for 2010.  Expect to see us expand out of our home province and find even more ways to help consumers find wines they like.

Tonight I’m going to celebrate with a glass (who am I kidding… a bottle) of great wine!

Cheers,

Bryan McCaw

President

Uncork Solutions Inc.

416.258.7315

Filed under: News

December 3, 2009 • 2:54 pm 0

Penfolds Graces December 5th Release – by David Lawrason

“Vintages December 5th release features three excellent 90pt-plus  Penfolds reds from Australia – the heart of their Bin Number batting order:  Bin 28 2006 Kalimna Shiraz, Bin 389 2006 Cabernet/Shiraz, and  St. Henri 2005 Shiraz.  Others have been released by Vintages in recent weeks and reviews can be found at WineAlign by simply searching Penfolds.  As well, the astounding 98 pt Grange 2004 is sold out in the Classics Catalogue at $499 – a wine that could make or break Christmas single-handedly. I have always admired the Penfolds reds for the bridge they build back to Europe. They are Australian to their bootstraps with a confident swagger – big, broad-shouldered and richly fruited. Yet they have counterpointing composure, restraint and sophistication too.  What’s most interesting is that this feel for the wines has been passed down through four winemakers since founder Max Schubert returned from the Rhone to make Grange Hermitage in South Australia in the early 50s.  Since 2002 they have been shepherded by Peter Gago, who has the same openness and depth as his wines.  He speaks with poise, precision and enthusiasm.  You could listen to him all day – a born teacher.  Indeed he was a teacher until he left the classroom at age 29 and followed wine.  It’s hard perhaps to grasp the idea that a person or ideal can translate to a liquid in a bottle but I encounter it time and again, and urge you to grab these Bin wines to experience it yourself over the holidays.  Decant them, give them breathing room, pour them into a big, fine wine glass, and let them move you – for hours.

Elsewhere, this is simply a huge release with a broad, shotgun selection designed to churn volume in the pre-Christmas rush.  Some are pigeon-holed by Vintages as Holiday Dinner selections, but there is nothing about the selection per se that makes them better food wines.  It’s all about a certain level of class, price and availability. Unfortunately I was not able to personally taste about half the wines for this release however John Szabo’s reviews for the entire release can be found in WineAlign’s Vintages Preview section. I did get to taste the sparklers in the release and have included three top picks in Dave’s Faves.”

-  David Lawrason, VP of Wine at WineAlign

Click here to see ranked lists and reviews of over 100 wines in this release.

Dave’s Faves

Sparkling
Georges Gardet Cuvée Saint Flavy Brut
Georges Gardet Cuvée Saint Flavy Brut Champagne, France  $39.95  92pts

Roederer Estate Brut Sparkling Wine
Roederer Estate Brut Sparkling Wine, Anderson Valley, California, $28.95  91pts

No. 1 Family Estate Cuvée No. 1 Blanc De Blancs
No. 1 Family Estate Cuvée No. 1 Blanc De Blancs, Marlborough, New Zealand, $36.95  91pts

Reds

Herencia Remondo 2006 La Montesa
Herencia Remondo 2006 La Montesa, Rioja, Spain
$19.95  90pts

Domaine De La Madone Le Perréon 2008 Beaujolais-Villages
Domaine De La Madone Le Perréon 2008 Beaujolais-Villages, Beaujolais,
$14.95  89pts

Fairview 2008 The Goatfather
Fairview 2008 The Goatfather, Coastal Region, South Africa, $13.95  89pts

Filed under: News , , , ,

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