Tag Archives: mystery case

Add a stop here to our trip

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They were voted 2018 New World Winery  of the Year.  

The Goddess (of Wine) introduced us to them last October with the Albarino white – which we truly enjoyed.


And this exceptionally smooth Cab Franc gets pretty close to the top of our list of favourite Cab Francs.  

Starts out soft and gentle and then gets rich in juicy complexity. It goes well with pastas, Or, any Mediterranean style meal.


I certainly hope that the buyers for wine importers bring us more from this Winery.  

I’m also recommending that this be put on the Valley Gurlz Extravaganza Trip.  We could do it on our South American portion of the jaunt.  Uruguay could come after Chile and Argentina.

Garzon Reserva Cabernet Franc Reserva 2018

$17.49

14% Alcohol 

Men are from Mars, Women from Venus and Wine from Jupiter

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This is a lovely blended family.  Stew the first night, and carefully saved enough for a healthy glass with the lamb chops the following night.


The wine is from vineyards situated on remarkable terroirs such as Signargues, Cairanne and Rasteau, This wine is a blend of very old Grenache (85%) & Syrah (15%).

Wine Advocate rates it at 89 points.  I’d go a little higher because of it’s smoothness. It’s a medium to full-bodied combo with a perky finish.

COTES DU RHONE – HALOS DE JUPITER 2017

$21.99 regularly $23.99

15.5% alcohol

UPC: 00690604000447

Lovely Combo

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Over the top ($32.99) for our usual budget, but I could get used to this.  A great suggestion from the Goddess of Wine.


It’s something we haven’t done for many years – Cornish Game Hens. We added Wild Rice and a Green Veggie medley. A truly wonderful dinner that we will repeat.


We added a lovely Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, Chateau de Sancerre.

Subtle and incredibly balanced is our best description. It’s crisp with mineral tones.  It would go well with seafood too.

Chateau du Sancerre 

$32.99

13.5% alcohol

UPC: 03018300018523

I failed the blind taste test

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My thoughts were that it was from the sun soaked Mediterranean, not South America.


Chicken Pot Pie.  A worthy attempt by someone else doing the baking as we took a night off cooking.  It would have worked well with Pork Chops too.  


The Critics liked this one and there are multiple awards under their belt for it.  Deep in colour, well structured, and it carries right on through with a nice long finish.


The higher up the mountain, the greener grows the grass. And the grapes hang on to their flavour with this easy to drink vino. Touches of Syrah (4%), Carmenere (3%) and Petit Verdot (2%) round out very nicely the Cabernet Sauvignon.  Then a bit of time is spent in French and American Oak.


This is superb value from the Maipo Andes.  Definitely goes on the repeat list.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON – PEREZ CRUZ RESERVA 2017

$16.99

13.5 % Alcohol

UPC: 00858130000014

By another name

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A wonderful dinner of lamb chops. Asparagus. Boil Potatoes with mint in lemon water with a wonderful accompaniment. 


Perhaps the greatest wines in the Chianti area are the Brunello wines, which are also made from Sangiovese. These wines are much bolder, richer, and more similar to the best of California Cabs.

While the red wines in Chianti are the most recognizable in Central Italy, the “Super Tuscan” wines get the most attention from critics.

The wines of Central Italy are big in flavor and popularity. This area is known for blending the most famous Italian grape Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon, the most famous grape from France.

The cult-following “Super Tuscans” and the robust Brunello wines also come from this area, as well as the very fine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Sangiovese is the most famous grape from Italy, and its home in Chianti is the focus of Central Italy. This classic style is much less fruity than the red wines of California and a little bit lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon.

The quality of Central Italy’s less expensive wines is getting better all the time and some especially great values can be found in the wines of Chianti Classico.


ROSSO DI TORGIANO – LUNGAROTTI RUBESCO 2017

$23.49 on sale from $25.99

14% alcohol

UPC: 08016044010501

Don’t land here as often as we should

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This is the first of the latest Mystery Case and it’s Austrian, from the Wachau region.

The Domane Wachau is the only vineyard in the region with wines from all the most prestigious sites in the region. Completely sustainable practices are a real plus in this UNESCO World Heritage site.  Delicate and light. Completely unpretentious.  This is nicely balanced and just plain yummy!  

A cautionary note.  Watch how often you are refilling your glass with extra sips. You’ll be at the bottom of the bottle before you realize it.!

Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts topped with a glaze of mayo and a sprinkling of ras al hanout (top of the Shop in Arabic).steamed peas, homemade red cabbage.Diana Kraul accompanied us during dinner

GRUNER VELTLINER – DOMAINE WACHAU TERRACES 2019

$19.99

13% Alcohol


UPC: 09007500050987

And then

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First though on first sniff was grapefruit.  But that changed to apple at first quaff.

Clear and bright. Smooth on the palate with a nice touch of citrus.

Hilly, rolling hills of the Naramata Bench in the BC Okanagan. They try for the gentle approach without much intervention. Continuing their tradition of fruit forward.


Roasted Pork tenderloin with a sheet pan of veggies.


Red Rooster – Pinot Gris 2019

$15.99 regularly $18.99

12.5% alcohol

UPC: 00681246800212

Doing Dinner a little differently

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The vineiyard is in the Valpolicella Classico Region. The rows are planted extremely close together and receive intense pruning, resulting in low yields and excellent richness. All grapes are harvested at night, to retain maximum freshness and acidity.


This wine is bright, very crisp, and well rounded.  Spicy nose and a rounded body.  

Much nicer than the Two Oceans South African Pinot Grigio we had a few nights ago.


Keep a little on the chilly side .. as it warms it isn’t quite as full flavoured.


Tried something a little different.  Crushed pistachios on top of the scallops and because I wanted a quicker sear, I used Avocado oil and butter instead of the usual olive oil.  Rice instead of the usual couscous. Veggies were zucchini and small asparagus spears. Orange salad with cut dried figs (instead of dates) Yo – pomegranate molasses and a small splash of Sambuca.


PINOT GRIGIO DELLE VENEZIE – TOMMASI LE ROSSE

$17.99 regularly $19.99

12% alcohol

UPC: 08004645365106

Affordable. Drinkable. Enjoyable

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It’s very juicy and has a very refreshing finish.  

Pour me a little more will you?


You might think it’s a Northern Rhone terroir that brings out the silkiness and complexity. But, the vineyards are just outside Saint-Joseph.  


This brings us to the end of this mystery case.  We already have the next case in house and soon will be starting our next series of adventures brought to us by the Goddess of Wine.


Ardeche Syrah – Saint Desirat – 2018

$13.49

12% Alcohol

UPC: 03331452104136

Almost Seductive

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This one is for the modern stylists.  Nicely balanced.  Quite Fruity but with good structure and has a bright freshness about it.


A very pleasant wine – either by itself or paired with Continental cuisine – pasta, cheeses, and crusty breads.


The game changed in the early 1990s when international investment arrived with the opportunity to modernize and update.  New and old vintners alike found new markets to showcase their indigenous grapes.

The family of vintners has found that Touriga Nacional is the most flexible of grape varieties because it adapts so well to both dry and wet conditions. The vines are planted up and down the slope and patamares (terraces) with one or two rows of vines.

It is a lovely blend of 30% Tinta Roriz, 25% Touriga Franca, 35% Touriga Nacional and 10% Tinta Barroca

2018 Flor de Crasto

14% Alcohol

$17.99