Category Archives: Terroir

The usual Bad Boys are present

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And thats a good thing.  

95% Gargenega and 5% Trebbiano di Soave.  Often small amounts of Chardonnay or Pinot Bianco massage the flavours.

Big Names.  Bolla (owned by the largest wine producer in Italy) has been producing wines since 1883. Banfi is a massive distribution partner. Soave means “soft” in Italian. And it’s said that Frank Sinatra wouldn’t sit in a restaurant that didn’t have Soave Bolla on the menu. Soava represents both the region (North Eastern Italy) and the style of wine.

It’s not often that one finds a wine that will stand up to being on it’s own, served with lighter fare like grilled seafood, chicken, fish-based pastas and entrée salads, or as an appertif.  This one works with whatever/however you serve it.  

Notes of melon, pear and ripe apple abound, followed by a long and lingering finish. 

Great Value and a really nice wine for all seasons.

SOAVE CLASSICO – BOLLA

$12.99 regularly $14.99

12% Alcohol

UPC: 08008960684461

Confused after high expectations

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The region produces wonderful Malbecs.  85 year old vines usually produce great wines.  Unfortunately, this one is neither wonderful nor great.  There isn’t a lot of complexity and there isn’t any bounce to the step.  There is medium body, tight tannins and a ripeness to the finish.  

It’s still quite enjoyable, but we don’t feel the price is justified. 

We’ve had nicer wines from the region at a more reasonable price.  Maybe it needs more time in the bottle, or possibly it needs something carnavore-ish to be served with it to distract.

MALBEC – LUIS SEGUNDO LAS ACEQUIAS MENDOZA 15

$24.99

14.5% Alcohol

UPC: 07798067080693

Poison Pen or Love Letter?

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If it’s moving on the plate, he’ll stab it.

Well Done. True Terroir.

It’s an update since Kitchen Confidential.  He hasn’t cleaned up his language, and the drawn knives are as sharp as ever.  It’s a food fight that has broken out where he takes on the whole food industry … and even chucks rocks at himself.  Bourdain talks the same way he writes.  He appreciated food , and what it represents to different people and cultures.

He writes frankly about his own successes and failures, both as a chef and an author.

Rereading the book brought back many memories of his TV shows, and highlights the ups and downs of his life.  He made sense with his cries in the wilderness.

Medium Raw – Anthony Bourdain – ISBN 978-0-06-171695-3

One solved mystery

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A simple, unobtrusive label doesn’t prepare you for what’s inside.  I probably would have passed it by, but our Goddess of Wine made sure it was in the mystery case so we wouldn’t miss out on a real treat.

Wood aging brings out the beautifully structured blend of Malbec and Merlot.  Rich tannins, almost dark chocolate texture.

It’s Bold and Structured.  

We teamed it with cranberry, basil, fresh chicken sausages and it was a great pairing.


Château Eugénie 2018 Réserve de l’Aïeul (Cahors)

$21.47 regularly $23.99

13% Alcohol

Bring on Happiness

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Le Bonheur 2020 Chardonnay from the Western Cape wine region is dry, medium-plus-bodied and bright, with mineral notes. Nicely balanced and excellent value. This winery dates back to the 1700s when the original owners, the French Huguenot De Villiers family, named the winery “Le Bonheur,” which translates to “happiness.”

Buttery and Complex

Pick a food. Pick a mood.  Pick an occasion – and you can pick this one to go with it.

CHARDONNAY – LE BONHEUR

$15.99 regularly $17.99

13.5%

UPC: 06001497413209

Wonderful Terroir

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Right off the top, this is one of the nicest blends we’ve ever had.

Two of the main white grape varieties are sourced to produce Nespolino. The wine celebrates Nespoli  and not only its local flavors, but also its combination with an international variety which has good results in the Romagna area.  Citric Trebbiano blended with the tropical fruit aromas of Chardonnay get you right after the intense perfume.  All followed up with a well balanced, lingering finish.

Serve it nicely chilled (8-10 C)

Trebbiano Chardonnay Nespolino 2020

$12.99

12% Alcohol

Simply harmonious

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Softer and more subtle.  Oak from Croatia for barrels.  Slavonian barrels tend to be large, and because of the ratio of the wine’s surface area to the inside of the barrel, larger barrels are said to impart more subtle flavours and softer tannins.

6 to 8 months aging for these Sangiovese di Montalcino grapes.

Huge aroma from this classic Rosso brilliant ruby-red colour.  Generously well rounded and well balanced.  Serve it sightly cooler than room temp. (around 16 C)

ROSSO DI MONTALCINO – ALTESINO 2018

$29.99

13.5% alcohol

UPC: 00662255300337

A red doing a white’s job

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From the cool, coastal Leyda Valley in Chile. The winter was very dry. There was some minor rainfall in spring but this did not impact flowering. The temperatures were medium to high in summer.  It was an early harvest which gave us a medium, smooth, dry, and soft wine; with a nicely balanced acidity.

Our initial impression was of being quite light in structure, but very quickly realized that it is extremely food friendly.  It would go very nicely with white meats like duck, chicken or pork.  We had it with pasta as part of a medley stir fry (grilled sausage, peppers, onions and mushrooms).

PINOT NOIR – MONTGRAS RESERVA 2020

$18.99

14% Alcohol

UPC: 07804407002642

Chasing Windmills and Pounding Rocks

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Don Quixote battled windmills, and that currently compose the most typical image of La Mancha in history books. Los Molinos Tempranillo uses a selection of grapes to create a light and harmonious wine full of red fruit flavours.

Valdepeñas is Val-de-peñas – Valley of Rocks. Located in the South of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain. The area is almost entirely encircled by both La Mancha Denominación de Origen on the North border and Andalusia on its Southern limits. 

It experiences extreme weather conditions, with temperatures reaching up to over 40 ºC in the summer and dropping to as low as -10 ºC in the winter. 

Tempranillo is a grape variety that enjoys the ability to age well as crianza, reserva and gran reserva.The result is a light, balanced wine that is packed with flavour. The sensation of volume and sweetness of the tannins is achieved through malolactic fermentation.  Ripe summer fruit flavours.  This is an elegant, soft and fruity wine with a well balanced finish.
And the lovely surprise?  It’s very inexpensive!

Los Molinos Tempranillo

12.5% Alcohol

$10.99

The Right Choice

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The meat pies on Takeout Wednesday were awful. So we fired the cook and made it a liquid dinner.

Negroamaro is a dark-skinned grape variety that has been associated with the Puglia region in southern Italy for at least 1,500 years. Most commonly found in a blend, alongside Primitivo, Malvasia Nera, Sangiovese or Montepulciano, Negroamaro is valued for its deep color, medium-full tannins and dark berryfruit flavors.

These organic Negroamaro grapes are harvested by hand and later fermented in stainless steel tanks before bottling.

When turned into a Rose, it adds earthy tones to the complexity. A nice crisp, refreshing finish.

PUGLIA NEGROAMARO ROSADO – CRUDO ORGANIC

$18.99

12% Alcohol

UPC: 07340048603256