Discover your wine style, one glass at a time

Category: Reds (Page 1 of 5)

The Wonderful World of Chapoutier in Côtes du Rhône

I never turn down a chance to drink/taste/write about wines from the Côtes du Rhône. They are some of the most gorgeous, easy-drinking wines from France. So when I found out the French Winophiles were discussing this beautiful wine region in the South of France this month, I knew I had to participate. While some of my fellow Winophiles received samples, I went to the LCBO to grab a couple of my go-to (i.e. affordable!) Côtes du Rhône wines from well-known producer M. Chapoutier.

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Innovative winemaking in Catalunya’s Penedès: Torres Gran Coronas Reserva

Have you ever been to Barcelona? If so, you’ve been just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Penedès winemaking region in Catalunya. Though it is best known as the home of cava (i.e. Spain’s version of Champagne), there is a huge range of amazing wines coming out of this region. Today we’ll be exploring its innovative winemaking, and tasting Familia Torres’ Gran Coronas Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Rosés are red? Love for Provence’s big red wines and Château Calissanne #winophiles

Ahh Provence. Those of you who know me well know that this is a region that is close to my heart, since half my family lives there. When it comes to wine, the area is best known for its rosés, but its reds should not be overlooked. Today, the French #winophiles and I are exploring these hearty red wines from Provence. I’ll be tasting Château Calissanne’s Rocher Rouge.

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Niagara Wine Picks for October

People often tell me they don’t like Ontario wines.

I understand where they’re coming from. Many Ontario vines are babies in the grand scheme of things. They haven’t had time to settle into the terroir and establish themselves, so the wines they produce may not be at the same level as Old World wines that have been around forever.

That said, there are many wineries in Ontario whose vines have been around long enough to make absolutely stellar wines. Today I am sharing four stunning Niagara wines, one from each wine group (sparkling, red, white, and rosé!). Let this be a reminder to all the skeptics that it’s time to try Ontario again.

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Exploring new territory with Moldovan wines

Have you ever tried something completely new, then been absolutely astounded you didn’t know about it beforehand? That was my experience discovering Moldovan wines this week. Heck, I honestly wasn’t even sure where Moldova was before writing this post. But trust me, it is now at the top of my list for Eastern European wine travel. Speaking of travel, this post is part of a new monthly wine blogger gathering precisely on the topic of #worldwinetravel. This month is generously sponsored by Wine of Moldova and VinConnexion in celebration of the country’s National Wine Day on October 3 and 4 (as always, opinions are my own). Keep reading to learn all about this well-established wine region and its amazing wines.

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What the heck is Côtes du Rhône Villages?

Did you know that Côtes du Rhône wines are some of the most popular blends in the world? And then there is Côtes du Rhône Villages. What’s the difference? Is one really better than the other? This month, as part of the French #winophiles meet-up, I set out to investigate Côtes du Rhône Villages. As in any legitimate experiment, this involves tasting some examples of the different classifications to see if the wines at the top of the “quality” pyramid really are tastier.

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Top summer wine picks under $25

How is summer almost over? The days are already getting depressingly shorter. Sunset at 7:30? No fair! It feels like we were all just getting the hang of summer living in COVID times. But despite this crazy year, we can’t stop the passage of time. So here are my red, white and rosé top summer wine picks (all under $25!) to send summer off in style:

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Loios Red – a quality and affordable wine from Portugal

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself at the local liquor store, stocking up for…well…the Apocalypse. With the new social distancing measures in place, the line-ups at the cash had customers snaking up and down the aisles. Taking my place in line (2 metres behind the person in front of me, of course), I found myself in the Portugal section and perused the shelves while waiting for my turn. My eyes quickly darted from price tag to price tag. Were these prices for real?? Was I dreaming? Everything was under $15! In the name of research, I grabbed a bottle of Portuguese red wine on the lower end of the price range, thinking to myself it would probably be undrinkable.

I was wrong.

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