From the Cellar

Just because I started a website called OntarioWineReview.com doesn't mean it's All-Ontario-All-the-Time. When I kick back at night my mood (and sometimes my curiosity) decides my wine of choice. And the title should read, "Uncorked and Un-Screwed Tonight" ... but that just sounds wrong.

ACWC Night 1 (Hungary / Spain)

05 May 2017

J & J(June 7, 2016) ... It's the first night of the All Canadian Wine Championships and as par-usual I bring along some wines to share at the dinners ... First wine I pull is a ten year old Hungarian by J&J (2006 Eger) Kekfrankos (Blaufrankisch) ... The acidity has held up, along with notes of leather and burnt raspberry, plus some mushroom - this wine is very earth-driven, not that I am thrilled with it but amazingly it is not dead.

La CasonaAnother wine that surprises me is the Bodegas Castana 2007 La Casona, a wine that sells for well under $10 and at 9 years of age has stood up: leather and balsamic strawberry lead the charge followed by tannins that are still ripe and pretty aggressive.

 

Meet the New Baby (France / Australia)

05 May 2017

 Gimarets(June 4, 2016) ... Spring is here and friends came over to dinner with their new baby (and older child) in tow and for the most part I was on my own for what to drink so I started with something light and refreshing:

Water WheelGimeret 2011 Beaujolais, it was light and pleasant and exactly what I was looking for in a starter wine: great fruit, ripe cherry, nice acidity, I could have happily and easily had this one all night. But that was not to be the case, instead I also opened a Water Wheel 2004 Shiraz, Bendigo (just to go older and funky) - spiced plum dominated with a whopping 15.5% alcohol - then there was the addition of mocha, chocolate, and cafe latte, finishing with a rich strawberry-balsamic note.

 

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