I’m in sunny California this week and of course had to check out Trader Jo’s to see what the wine situation is out here. California Merlot for $1.99 – nope that isn’t a typo – one dollar and ninety-nine cents. Of course I purchased a bottle and
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I’ve just been informed that On April 11, 2009 our Ontario readers are in for a big treat. The Tangley Oaks Merlot (2005 Vintage) returns to the LCBO. You might remember the rave reviews we gave the 2003, if not click here. We haven’t tasted it (yet) but I’m being told that it’s equally as good as the last batch. However, one thing has changed. Read the rest of this entry »

nosnob.com attended the Toronto Gourmet Food and Wine Expo in November 2008. We had a great time trying new wines and talking to wine makers. This event attracts thousands of visitors over 4 days and is held in downtown Toronto. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and the drinks flow freely. The food component of the show is somewhat limited considering it’s the “Food and Wine Expo”. But who cares, if your like us you didn’t go for the food.

As usual the show was packed. Seems that any wine show in Toronto is usually overflowing with visitors…what does that say about Torontonians? (We’ll ponder that for a while and get back to you). In the mean time have a look at some pictures from the expo…do you see yourself in any of them? If you attended let us know what you thought about this event.

www.foodandwineexpo.ca

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While on business in Chicago last week I encountered the much talked about “Three Buck Chuck”. Living in a highly controlled and highly taxed part of the world where wine is concerned you can imagine I almost fainted at the site of wine at $2.99. After my colleague convinced me that I wouldn’t be able to carry the 70 cases I was protecting like a rabid dog on a bone, snarling and growling at passers by I picked up just one bottle.

The wine was a Cabernet Sauvignon from California produced under the brand Charles Shaw. As this wine isn’t available in Ontario I had to try a bottle and report back to nosnob.com readers.

I didn’t get my hopes up thinking I discovered Chateau Petrus for $3.00. But I was surprised that it wasn’t just alcoholic purple water. It had many Cab Sauv characteristics, smelled okay and tasted okay. While nothing really stood out about this wine, it was a novelty at $2.99. If you’re having a big party, making Sangria or boiling pasta in wine this will do in a pinch.

Likely the most frequently asked question: ” What makes a wine ‘good’ “. Like most great questions, the answer can be slightly subjective, but overall everyone will agree that there are 5 cornerstones in which newcomers and critics alike look for, even if they don’t realize it.

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Based on our previous article “How to Smell Wine”, we all know how important your sense of smell is when judging wine. However, there are still some very important aspects of wine that you can only assess by tasting it.

So, lets continue to find out what your mouth can tell you, but your nose cannot.

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Here’s a quick translation table for a few common words you’ll undoubtedly see while cruising the international wine racks at your local bodega

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While Port doesn’t usually fall in the sub$20 range, most people (or their parents) seem to have a bottle kicking around. This was passed on to me by a Product Consultant.

Take a really good cut of meat, filet mignon perhaps. Get the BBQ screaming hot! Char the hell out of the meat leaving the inside a nice medium-rare. Enjoy with a small glass of port and be prepared for a party in your mouth!

(For health and “gross factor” reasons nosnob.com does not suggest eating under cooked meat. Cook red meat to government recommended temperatures…or whatever.)

Your sense of smell is by far your biggest asset when assessing wine. Food scientists have identified over 200 aromas in wine; your tongue can identify 4 main flavour groups (sweet, salty, bitter and sour) while your nose is able to comprehend well over 10,000 aromas.

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Regardless of the wine you’re serving, the temperature should be warm enough to allow the natural flavours and aromas to shine, yet cold enough to be refreshing and subdue some overly eager tannins and perceived heat from a wine with a higher alcohol content.

Read on to find out the ideal serving temperature for your favourite wine.

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nosnob.com had full access passes to the Toronto Wine & Cheese Show held at the International Centre in Toronto April 4 - 6, 2008. This article takes you inside the show and offers some tips to make your visit more fun. In the coming weeks additional articles will be published stemming from the people we met and things we learned. Be sure to check out the photo blog at the end of the story.

Lets begin by saying that on Saturday the show was a complete success, maybe too much of a success actually. When we arrived the line-up was out the door and around the building. Read the rest of this entry »

Finally some spring like weather is upon us, with a high of 13.3 Celsius and sunny it was time to fire up the BBQ.

Grilled some hamburgers and topped them with roasted garlic goat cheese, sautéed onions and mushrooms accompanied by Laura Hartwig Reserve Merlot 2001. It was a fantastic combo, the salt from the cheese softened the tannins of the wine. The earthy notes complimented the mushrooms giving a rich feel to what would otherwise be a rather ordinary meal.

Fire up those BBQ’s and break out some wine. Let us know what wines you like to match with your favorite burger!

Weather information provided by TorontoForecast.com

In Demystifying Vintages Part I we introduced you to the Vintages concept and what to find there. In Part II we look at the people who work at Vintages and some tips to make your visit quick and painless.

It’s ok to walk in to Vintages without any forethought. You could browse around for hours, get lost in the countries and fancy labels. In case you have a job, kids, friends or other silly things taking up your time there is some free help Read the rest of this entry »

The first step in enjoying a glass of wine is examining it visually. Knowing how to read a wine using visual keys can tell you many things about it’s past, present and future.

What does the color tell me? What are ‘legs’ I hear everyone talking about? Read on…

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From reading industry magazines and trolling the wine shelves, one will notice a few bottles with a new designation, “Organic Wine” or “Made from Organic Grapes”. What does this really mean? Is the wine better for it? Is ‘regular’ wine unhealthy? Read on…

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The big guys are very protective of their brands and the big dollars they command for a bottle that come along with it. That’s in its self isn’t really news, just ask anyone at BMW, Prada or Armani. But here is a little gem about the wine industry big boys. It’s not unusual for them to press too much juice, or press a second lot of juice.

There could be any number of reasons why they decide not to use the juice. But some have speculated they don’t want to flood the market with too much premium product so not to devalue their brand. We don’t know about this for sure, but here is what we do know. The excess juice is sometimes sold to another winery in secret or wine is made by the winery and marketed under a different label. Here’s where it gets interesting.

These wines are often nearly identical to their much more premium relatives, but can cost up to half the price. It’s hard to know when this will happen, or where grapes come from. But sometimes the rumors are just so strong that word gets out, and sometimes the writing is on the wall.

And we found one (kinda)!

In the case of Tangley Oaks and Rutherford Hill it’s not a big secret that they are owned by the same company. The Tangley Oaks Merlot from 2003 is exceptionally good stuff. It shares a lot of characteristics from it’s big brother Rutherford Hill 2003 Merlot which is $10 more a bottle. This is likely a second pressing from the same vineyard, or a blend. But who cares! At $17.95 a bottle this is simply too good to pass bye. See the Review here.

This three part special feature will take you on a journey inside the LCBO’s Vintages section. We will look at what exactly is in Vintages, who works there and how to navigate it easily. The Vintages section is probably one of the most exciting and literally to some, terrifying, aspects of the LCBO experience. We will prove that Vintages is a great area of the store to shop for bottles under $20.00 which will impress the heck out of your friends. We will explain what to look for and some secrets to making Vintages work for you.

While this feature is tailored to our Ontario audience, anyone will enjoy the experience and might learn a tip or trick for their own store wherever you might be.

Demystifying Vintages – Part I

So austere, so formal, so mysterious.

The automatic doors slide open as you approach the store with a sturdy mechanical whoosh. You press on confidently marching towards old faithful. That bottle of wine with a playful name you can never remember, something about a penguin or duck, always pleases but never wows. Always in stock, and at least fifty bottles are lined up neatly on the shelf waiting for you. You were probably first introduced to it one night your friends were over for dinner and someone proudly burst in to the kitchen announcing “the wine has arrived” with bottle in tow. Since then you’ve memorized the location of that bottle at Read the rest of this entry »

So you have a couple of special bottles you’ve been hiding for that perfect dinner. Dinner is served and you break out this gem you’ve been so patiently waiting for. The wine was great, but went really fast. People are enjoying the food, coversation and the wine. Next your guests shout “Grab another bottle, that first one was great!”.

This is a critical moment for your little collection you’ve been selectively building for the last couple of months. Go ahead and grab something good, but not your best. After having a meal and the first bottle of wine most people can’t differentiate between good and great wine.

Every collection, no matter the size should have Back of the Door bottles. These are the bottles that are the 3rd and 4th soldiers in line after the first great bottle of wine. You don’t want to wake up the next morning and realize your 4 bottles down and $80 went with it.

In the end, no one really remembered the great subsequent bottles. Just make sure the first one really counts.

Here’s a suggestion that is sure to please for that first bottle, and of course it’s under $20.00