Category Archives: RED
Trine, Pepperbridge Winery, Meritage, Walla Walla AVA, Washington, 2009, 14.1% abv
Purchased back in March 2013 during a trip to Walla Walla and a visit to the winery, this wine made an appearance over Canadian Thanksgiving with friends, family and a chilli dinner. Clear and bright, ruby turning to deep purple … Continue reading
Viña Tondonia, Reserva, López de Heredia, Rioja Alta, Spain, 2001, 12.5% abv.
It was a small miracle of a find – bottles of López de Heredia at the liquor store on sale no less. My happy day was due to someone ordering in a case and then reneging. Who does that to … Continue reading
Meritage, Clos du Soleil, Celestiale, Similkameen Valley VQA, BC, 2011, 13.4% abv
I’ve been waiting patiently for the delivery of my mixed case of Clos du Soleil wines via friends who made the trip to the Okanagan last week. One of the wines in this case is the Celestiale. The dictionary definition … Continue reading
Silkscarf, Shiraz Reserve, Summerland, Okanagan Valley, 2007, 14% abv
Located in the Okanagan Valley’s picturesque town of Summerland, we visited this winery in 2012 and have been saving this bottle for a suitably appreciative crowd. One surfaced tonight in the form of parents who made us a beautiful dinner … Continue reading
Pinot Noir, Rosella’s Vineyard, Miner Family, Santa Lucia Highlands, Silverado Trail, Napa Valley AVA, California, 14.4% abv, US$60
This Pinot Noir has been waiting to be uncorked ever since our trip to Napa Valley. So, tonight in honour of a certain rugby player going off to university, we cracked it to enjoy with pistachio encrusted salmon and a … Continue reading
Cabernet Sauvignon, Jordan, Alexander Valley, Sonoma, 2008, 13.5%, C$52
Meeting Jordan Winery’s Lisa Mattson at the Wine Bloggers’ Conference of North America in Penticton was a real highlight of the weekend. And the after party – fabulous. At that event, Lisa graciously opened up a vertical tasting of at … Continue reading
Argyle, Vintage Brut, Dundee AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2009, 12.5%, US$27
Located in a renovated farmhouse at the side of the busy road (a la Napa-wine-crawl slow) in the adorable town of Dundee, Oregon, Argyle produces some of the best examples of sparkling wine made in the Willamette Valley. Argyle was … Continue reading
Archery Summit, Vireton Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2012, 13.9% abv
A frequent award winner and touted widely as a top Oregon Pinot Noir producer, this winery was one on the list of ‘must visits’ long before we even stepped foot in the Willamette Valley. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, the Wine … Continue reading
Roseena Pinot Noir Rosé, Maysara Winery, Momtazi Vineyard, McMinnville AVA, Oregon, 2011, US$16
Everything at Maysara has an intriguing Persian-American twist to it – from the name of the winery itself (‘House of Wine’) to the names of each of the wines hand-crafted there and the three daughters of founders Moe and Flora … Continue reading
Roderer, Rosé of Pinot Noir, Philo, Anderson Valley, California 11.5%, US$19.00
Here’s a style of wine you won’t find every day. In fact, it’s not even listed on the Roederer website; it was explained to me in March 2013 when we visited the winery that it was a bit of an … Continue reading
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