Pinot and a Party

It is technically Spring, but Mother Earth is dangling the promise of sunny days and warm nights yet not quite delivering on it. To me, it's not rose season yet, despite what the shelves of the LCBO are indicating. The rain, wind, and cooler air makes me crave red wine, but not the same big California wines that stood at the forefront of my wine rack all winter. It's a perfect time for Pinot Noir. It still satisfies the need for something warming and earthy, but it isn't too aggressive and it does a very good job of matching with some of the lighter meals that come with Spring.

I had some friends over for a dinner in honour of a close friend's birthday on Friday night and was more than pleasantly surprised by this gem of a pinot, Hunter's 2009 Pinot Noir from Marlborough, NZ ($21.95). It was really beautiful - Light, but still entirely typical of a New World pinot in that it was bursting with strawberries and cherries. The red fruit was countered with hints of spice and a really long, elegant finish. I think you could enjoy this wine with practically anything: Eggplant parmesan, chicken in a mushroom sauce, or with a big greek salad (with lots of herbs).

A wine never tastes the same twice: With every friend, a different set of laugher, a different night, a different air temperature, and a different mood certainly does change the way we experience wine. Whether it was the night that influenced my love for this wine, or it was the wine that enhanced my enjoyment of the night, I suggest you go purchase this wine before it's gone (and it's going fast).

Xo

AK

Mount Riley

I went to the LCBO on the weekend to get wine for Easter. When I went to Vintages I was EXTREMELY happy to see that the Mount Riley Sauvignon Blanc (posted about it here) had returned. I then looked at the price tag to see that it had sadly gone up by $1.00 since last year and was now $16.95. It is not an extreme hike in price, but still, why must the LCBO make great wines somewhat less affordable? I obviously still bought some of this delicious wine for Easter and as always it was a treat and the tastes were typical Marlborough ... delicious, fruity, crisp, and what I thought proved to be a perfect pairing with turkey.

Go get some before it is too late!!
HM

Black Label Sauvignon Blanc

A couple of Sundays ago, some friends and I met for another edition of our Dinner Club. This time, the hostess went above and beyond and made an absolutely delicious meal of some tasty appetizers, fresh mixed greens, roasted vegetables and not one, but two types of homemade ravioli! The meal was outstanding and, like usual, we had some wine to accompany it.

One of the wines that stood out was the Jackson Triggs Black Label Sauvignon Blanc. The wine was crisp, had a great acidity and overall paired extremely well with the pasta. The acidity cut through the oiliness of the homemade pasta and the two were absolutely delicious together.


About 18 months ago, Jackson Triggs had a bit of a makeover and redesigned their labels, and categories of wine. The black label represents delicious wines that are in the $10-$15 price range. I have only had the Sauvignon Blanc so far, but will definitely be trying some of the reds that are offered as well. These wines have an amazing price point, and we are of course helping out our wine region, instead of looking elsewhere. Another interesting point to mention is that on each bottle there is one of the QR (Quick Response) codes which when scanned give you all the details on the wine, tasting notes, food pairings, etc.

Happy Wednesday!

HM