Appellation of the Day: Tavel

Rose wines are the peonies of the wine world to me. In the middle of May, little by little, the aisles of the LCBO begin to become inflected with rose wines of all shades of pink, indicating that a beautiful summer is just around the corner. Soon, it seems like every end aisle display is positively bursting with rose!

I love rose. Not the pink, sparkling "wine zinfandel" (what IS that even?!) that some think of as rose, but the beautiful, acidic, bright, and just pretty to look at rose. In particular, I love rose from the Tavel appellation in the southern Rhone. It just makes sense that this region produces crisp, light, yet really flavourful rose wine - It's an extremely hot and dry part of France, and is there truly a better way to beat the sweltering summer heat than to drink a a crisp rose? I think not. Put some Tavel wine in my desert survival kit, please. 

The Tavel roses are not a blend of red and white grapes - It's made from red wine grapes (typically Grenache), but the skins only just come in contact with the pressed juices to create the pink hue of the wine. Tavel rose can have an alcohol content of up to 13.5%, which helps to balance out the inherent sweetness in the wine that's created through ripening in the intense heat of the region. Vintages has some really great examples of these wines on the shelf today. Every year, I look for the Chateau D'Aqueria Tavel Rose, which this year is priced at $18.95. It's a wonderful match for seafood or as your first glass of wine on a hot evening.. And I would say pairs perfectly with a relaxing Saturday night, typing a blog post, and singing along to David Gray.

Happy Drinking - And Happy SUMMER!

xx

AK

P.S. I do apologize for the lack of the accent aigu on the 'e' of rose - I haven't quite figured out how to add the accent into my text!  

Mexican Wine? Who would have thought!

A couple of weeks ago, I was at the LCBO browsing through the Vintages section. I stumbled across a Mexican wine, and was immediately intrigued. I honestly do not believe that I have ever tried Mexican wine, but I was feeling adventurous that day so just went for it! The wine was a 2009 L.A. Cetto Petit Sirah, it has 14% alcohol and goes for the wonderful and extremely affordable price of $11.95! I tried a glass of it with dinner last night (using my trusty wine aerator -- more on that later!) and it was delicious.


The wine has a very deep and full colour, with shades of dark to black plum, and a moderate rim variation. The wine tasted and smelt of black pepper, spices, and dark teas. It was delicious and would have been great alongside some Mexican food, barbeque, or just as a stand alone glass of sipping wine. It had a long finish and smooth tannins. I was thoroughly impressed with this wine, and impressed that I actually tried something new! I was not expecting much from a Mexican wine, but it does make sense that they can do a great Petit Sirah with their climate.

I would suggest that everyone grab a bottle of this to enjoy, and try something different. I am just sad that I did not pick this up for Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Long Weekend!

HM

Louis Bouillot Rose

Well it is that time of the year again! The Louis Bouillot Rose is back at the LCBO! It was released last weekend, and I am sure that this gem will be snatched up fast! Make sure to go and get a bottle (or case!) of this gem of a sparkling rose wine. At a shockingly low price of $18.95 a bottle, this delicious tasting wine is most definitely worth the venture to the LCBO! Make sure to check out the availability before you hit up your local store though, as this one definitely flies right off the shelves!

Happy purchasing!
HM

Perfect BBQ Malbec

For some reason, when the weather gets warmer and the barbeque season becomes more imminent, I always tend to gravitate towards Malbecs for my red wine choice. They are usually inexpensive, delicious and prove to always be a perfect pairing for any barbequed fare. I was in the LCBO at the end of April and I stumbled across a new release in Vintages. It is a 2008 Los Haroldos Reserva di Familia Malbec from Argentina. I decided to pick one up as the price was right ($14.95) and it was also featured at the Summerhill LCBO location. Typically, I do not spend this (not breaking the bank here!) much on Malbec, but I decided to go for it..

I opened the bottle on Friday and I was pleasantly surprised at what I tasted. When I first poured the wine I was a bit shocked at the colour of the wine, it was an extremely dark plum/black colour and was darker then what I had expected. The wine itself was surprisingly complex with tastes of dark fruits (cherry, plum, black fruit) with a side of smokiness and vanilla. It had a long finish and silky, but rigid tannis. All in all this wine was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be going back to get some more of this new release for the upcoming barbeque season!! I would suggest that everyone does the same ... this wonderful and delicious Malbec is a definite crowd pleaser.

Happy Monday!

HM