Author Archives: winellama

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About winellama

I love wine...and finally decided to do something about it.

Cachaça Engenhosa, Santa Terezinha, #181/250, Dourada, Brazil, 42% abv. 700 ml, C$80

The vast majority of Brazilian cachaça is unaged and ubiquitous – available everywhere and enjoyed constantly.  There are aged versions as well that are equally wonderful, for different reasons. This is one of those versions, and as bottle 181 of … Continue reading

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Going to Priorat DOQ, Spain? Trust me, you need ‘Vinologue Priorat.’

Vinologue Priorat By Miquel Hudin and Èlia Varela Serra Leavenworth Press, c 2014 When I plan a trip to a wine region, I look for the unusual, the unique, the outlier – whether they be grapes, terroir, winemakers or the regions … Continue reading

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Gaston Chiquet, Tradition Brut, Premier Cru, Dizy, Champagne, France, RM, 12.5% abv, NV (Magnum) @ Marquis Wine Cellars

A grower-producer from the cool named, Dizy located just north of Épernay, the Chiquet family has been growing vines and making Champagne for generations.  The current crop of Chiquets include brothers Antoine and Nicolas with Antoine’s daughter Marion. Their 23 ha … Continue reading

Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pietradolce, Nerello Mascalese, Etna Rosso DOC, Sicilia, Italia, 2012, 14.5% abv.

Here is a stunner straight from the north facing slopes of Sicily’s Mount Etna. Grown on bush trained vines at 600m above sea level, the name of the winery is a direct acknowledgment of the volcanic soil the vines are rooted in – … Continue reading

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Da Mata, Cachaça, Santa Teresa, Brazil, 48% abv.

Meet cachaça, the most popular distilled alcoholic drink available in Brazil.  Seriously everyone drinks it and it’s available just about everywhere in either a water white, unaged version (like this one) or an aged, golden toned drink. This example is a … Continue reading

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Cachaça Envelhecida, Reserva do Gerente, Brazil, 42% abv, C$18

Here is a drink you don’t see every day.  In fact, in our market on Canada’s west coast, there is only one cachaça available – and it’s not this one. What exactly is cachaça?   Is it rum?  Well, not … Continue reading

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Lammershoek, Lam, White, Paardeberg, WO Swartland, South Africa, 2012, 10.5% abv.

This was an awesome South African addition to The Drinking Group‘s afternoon get together. The bottle got us all excited just for starters being a Lillet lookalike.  Lammershoek dry farms some 40+ year old bush-trained vines on granitic soils.  The 2012 vintage … Continue reading

Posted in Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, OTHER, South Africa, Viognier, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nelin, Clos Mogador, Gratallops, Priorat DOQ, Spain, 2012, 15% abv, 30€

I made the arrangement for a tour and tasting at world renowned Clos Mogador several months prior to our January 2015 arrival in tiny Gratallops, population a mere 260. As we walked through the gate, I wondered aloud, “Do you … Continue reading

Posted in Escanyavelles, Macabeu, Spain, Viura / White Rioja, WHITE, White Grenache / Garnacha / Garnaxa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Domaine Serene, Pinot Noir, Two Barns Vineyard, Dundee Hills AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2010, 13.7% abv, US$85

The usual course of action in Oregon’s wine country has been for some of Burgundy’s most renowned winemakers to pick up and put down stakes in the (now) famous Willamette Valley.  Take for example the Drouhin family and their 1980s move to the … Continue reading

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La Guita, Manzanilla, Hijos de Rainera Pérez Marín Bodega, Sanlúcar de Barrameda DO, Spain, 15% abv, C$23

This Sherry comes with a little string draped across the neck of the bottle – apparently signifying a guitar string and hence the name, La Guita. It’s aged under a thick layer of flor (or yeast) near the coast at the … Continue reading

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